Ch 13: Teams

Question 1

What does research indicate about the success of quality circles?

a. They are most successful in the short term.
b. They are most successful in the long term.
c. They are successful in both the short term and long term.
d. They are generally not successful.

Answer 1

a. They are most successful in the short term.

Question 2

All of the following are true of project teams except:

a. They are ongoing and have a long history that helps them develop cohesiveness.
b. Team members come from different departments or functions.
c. They are created to solve a particular problem or set of problems.
d. They are dependent upon client preferences.

Answer 2

a. They are ongoing and have a long history that helps them develop cohesiveness.

Question 3

A(n) _______________ has control over a variety of its functions including planning shift operations.

a. project team
b. quality circle
c. autonomous work group
d. virtual team

Answer 3

c. autonomous work group

Question 4

_____________ include exchanging ideas without criticism, whereas _____________ include soliciting team members’ feedback on the process the team is using to accomplish its goals.

a. Virtual-collaboration skills; virtual-communication skills
b. Virtual-communication skills; virtual-collaboration skills
c. Virtual-socialization skills; virtual-collaboration behaviors
d. Virtual-collaboration behaviors; virtual-socialization skills

Answer 4

d. Virtual-collaboration behaviors; virtual-socialization skills

Question 5

All of the following are team inputs except:

a. Team task
b. Team composition
c. Norms
d. Organizational context

Answer 5

c. Norms

Question 6

Shared mental models:

a. are a method for team members to employ similar thought processes.
b. are organized ways for team members to think about how the team will work.
c. allow for the study and measurement of individual thought processes.
d. bring together like-minded individuals to create a more cohesive team.

Answer 6

b. are organized ways for team members to think about how the team will work.

Question 7

Team norms may develop through all of the following except:

a. Mandatory directives issued by the organization.
b. Explicit statements by team members.
c. The first behavior pattern that emerges in the team.
d. Carry-over behaviors from past situations

Answer 7

a. Mandatory directives issued by the organization.

Question 8

The tendency called for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than those made by individuals is called:

a. Extremity phenomenon
b. Extreme thinking
c. Group polarization
d. Group shift

Answer 8

c. Group polarization

Question 9

The five stages of group development include the forming and norming stages. All of the following are also stages except:

a. Performing
b. Storming
c. Conforming
d. Adjourning

Answer 9

c. Conforming

Question 10

All of the following are commonly-used team training strategies discussed in the text except:

a. Team leader training
b. Cross-training
c. Team coordination training
d. Team process training

Answer 10

d. Team process training

Question 11

Interdependent collection of individuals who work together toward a common goal and who share responsibility for specific outcomes for their organizations.

Answer 11

Team

Question 12

Work group arrangement that typically involves 6 to 12 employees who meet regularly to identify work-related problems and generate ideas to increase productivity or product quality.

Answer 12

Quality circle

Question 13

Team that is created to solve a particular problem or set of problems and is disbanded after the project is completed or the problem is solved; also called an ad hoc committee, a task force, or a cross- functional team.

Answer 13

Project team

Question 14

Team that consists of frontline employees who produce tangible output.

Answer 14

Production team

Question 15

Specific kind of production team that has control over a variety of functions, including planning shift operations, allocating work, determining work priorities, performing a variety of work tasks, and recommending new hires as work group members.

Answer 15

Autonomous work group

Question 16

Team that has widely dispersed members working together toward a common goal and linked through computers and other technology.

Answer 16

Virtual team

Question 17

Behaviors that characterize virtual team interactions, including exchanging ideas without criticism, agreeing on responsibilities, and meeting deadlines.

Answer 17

Virtual-collaboration behaviors

Question 18

Skills used in virtual team interactions, including soliciting team members’ feedback on the work process used to accomplish team goals, expressing appreciation for ideas and completed tasks, and apologizing for mistakes.

Answer 18

Virtual-socialization skills

Question 19

Skills used in virtual team interactions, including rephrasing unclear sentences or expressions so that all team members understand what is being said, acknowledging the receipt of messages, and responding within one business day.

Answer 19

Virtual-communication skills

Question 20

A model that provides links among team inputs, processes, and outputs, thereby enabling an understanding of how teams perform and how to maximize their performance.

Answer 20

Input–process–output model of team effectiveness

Question 21

Organizational context
Task characteristics
Team composition

Answer 21

Input Variables

Question 22

Norms
Decision making
Communication
Coordination 
Cohesion

Answer 22

Process Variables

Question 23

Productivity/Performance
Member satisfaction
Innovation

Answer 23

Output Variables

Question 24

The attributes of team members, including skills, abilities, experiences, and personality characteristics.

Answer 24

Team composition

Question 25

Organized way for team members to think about how the team will work; helps team members understand and predict the behavior of their teammates.

Answer 25

Shared mental model

Question 26

Differences in observable attributes or demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity.

Answer 26

Demographic diversity

Question 27

Differences in underlying attributes such as skills, abilities, personality characteristics, attitudes, beliefs, and values; may also include functional, occupational, and educational backgrounds.

Answer 27

Psychological diversity

Question 28

Informal and sometimes unspoken rules that teams adopt to regulate members’ behavior.

Answer 28

Norms

Question 29

Reduced group performance that occurs when team members expend their energies in different directions or fail to synchronize or coordinate their work.

Answer 29

Coordination loss

Question 30

Reduced motivation and performance in groups that occurs when there is a reduced feeling of individual accountability or a reduced opportunity for evaluation of individual performance.

Answer 30

Social loafing

Question 31

Degree to which team members desire to remain in the team and are committed to team goals.

Answer 31

Cohesion

Question 32

Mode of thinking that group members engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive group and when their desire for agreement overrides their motivation to appraise alternative courses of action realistically.

Answer 32

Groupthink

Question 33

Tendency for groups to make more extreme decisions than those made by individuals.

Answer 33

Group polarization

Question 34

Tendency for groups to make more risky decisions than individuals; related to the more general phenomenon of group polarization.

Answer 34

Risky-shift phenomenon

Question 35

The Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System; a motivational approach that uses goal setting, rewards, and feedback to increase motivation and performance.

Answer 35

ProMES

Question 36

Theory proposed by Belbin that effective teams contain a combination of individuals capable of working in nine team roles; used by organizations and management consultants in Europe and Australia to assess and develop teams.

Answer 36

Team-role theory

Question 37

Training that involves rotating team members through different positions on the team so that they can acquire an understanding of the duties of their teammates and an overview of the team’s task.

Answer 37

Cross-training

Question 38

Training of the team’s leader in conflict resolution and team coordination.

Answer 38

Team leader training

Question 39

A team training intervention in which team members learn to diagnose the team’s problems and develop effective solutions.

Answer 39

Guided team self-correction training

Question 40

Training that involves teaching team members about sharing information, managing conflict, solving problems, clarifying roles, and making decisions; used to help team members learn to employ the resources of the entire team effectively.

Answer 40

Team coordination training

Question 41

Cultural dimension that affects whether managers and employees focus on short-term or long-term goals.

Answer 41

Time horizon