Test - Teams and Team Building Ch 10

Question 1

1) Which of the following statements best defines a work group?
A) A work group performs at a level greater than the sum of its inputs from individual members.
B) A work group consists of members having complementary skills that are applied in a coordinated fashion to the task at hand.
C) A work group interacts primarily to share information, rather than to engage in work that requires joint effort.
D) A work group consists of members who work together and generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.
E) A work group involves individual and mutual accountability regarding results and outcomes.

Answer 1

C) A work group interacts primarily to share information, rather than to engage in work that requires joint effort.

Question 2

2) The goal of work groups is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.     				
A) enhancing team efficacy				
B) improving collective performance				
C) sharing relevant information				
D) inculcating a climate of trust				
E) generating positive synergy

Answer 2

C) sharing relevant information

Question 3

3) The supervisors of the production division of one of the branches of Georgia Mills have been informed of some irregularities noticed in inventory of raw materials by some trusted subordinates. To get a clearer picture, the supervisors had a quick meeting with the subordinates who reported the matter over lunch. The subordinates recommended rotating the schedule of employees who account for the incoming and used up stock so as to pinpoint the defaulting employee. The supervisors agreed that this was a good strategy but admitted that the matter must be escalated to the production manager before such a change can be implemented. They followed up this meeting with subsequent sessions to evaluate how the change worked. The supervisors and subordinates form a(n) ________ team in this scenario.

A) cross-functional				
B) problem-solving				
C) virtual				
D) independent				
E) self-managed

Answer 3

B) problem-solving

Question 4

4) The extensive use of work teams benefits organizations by ________.
A) generating neutral synergy among all employees of the team
B) eliminating the need for mutual accountability for results
C) developing the various team member’s skills such that they are random and varied
D) generating a potential for creating greater outputs without increasing inputs
E) ensuring that the mere accumulation of individual efforts is used for group work

Answer 4

D) generating a potential for creating greater outputs without increasing inputs

Question 5

5) Which of the following statements is true regarding a work team?
A) Work teams are rarely used in organizations today.
B) Work teams involve members of random and varied skill sets.
C) Work teams are generally less flexible than traditional departments.
D) Work teams are less responsive to changes in the internal and external environment of the company.
E) Work teams generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.

Answer 5

E) Work teams generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.

Question 6

6. Which of the following teams is more likely to be made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas?				
A) problem-solving 				
B) self-managed work				
C) cross-functional 				
D) traditional				
E) departmental

Answer 6

C) cross-functional

Question 7

7) Which of the following represents the three general categories into which the key components of effective teams are grouped?

A) internal, external, and peripheral factors
B) cardinal, central, and secondary factors
C) standard, segregated, and advanced factors
D) basic, functional, and strategic factors
E) context, composition, and process factors

Answer 7

E) context, composition, and process factors

Question 8

8) Araceli is a team member in a large corporation. She never speaks in team meetings because she has seen members talk behind each others’ backs after the meetings. Members are constantly monitoring the other members’ work and looking for mistakes to point out in a meeting. According to the information provided, which contextual factor is lacking in Araceli’s team?

A) adequate resources				
B) performance evaluations				
C) team structure				
D) climate of trust 				
E) leadership

Answer 8

D) climate of trust

Question 9

9) Which of the following pairs of personality dimensions contribute to high team effectiveness?
A) type A and type B
B) perfectionism and rule consciousness
C) introversion and reflexivity
D) reflexivity and submissiveness
E) conscientiousness and openness to experience

Answer 9

E) conscientiousness and openness to experience

Question 10

10) Which of the following statements is true regarding team composition?
A) A team’s performance is merely the summation of its individual members’ abilities.
B) High-ability teams find it hard to adapt to changing situations.
C) Agreeableness is the only personality dimension that aids the ability to work in groups.
D) In successful teams, members should be selected to ensure all the various roles are filled.
E) A high-ability team will function well irrespective of the deficits in the abilities of the leader.

Answer 10

D) In successful teams, members should be selected to ensure all the various roles are filled.

Question 11

11) According to the concept of organizational demography, if team members have dissimilar experiences, it will lead to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. 				
A) increased employee satisfaction				
B) decreased level of conflicts				
C) higher employee motivation				
D) higher employee turnover				
E) higher team efficacy

Answer 11

D) higher employee turnover

Question 12

12) Which of the following statements is true regarding size of teams?
A) The most effective teams have twelve to fifteen members.
B) When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines.
C) As team size increases, social loafing decreases.
D) When teams have excess members, mutual accountability increases.
E) Members of large teams coordinate work better when pressed for time.

Answer 12

B) When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines.

Question 13

13 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ illustrates a process loss from using teams. 				
A) Organizational demography				
B) Role conflict				
C) Social loafing				
D) Multitasking				
E) Profit-sharing

Answer 13

C) Social loafing

Question 14

14) While discussing their marketing campaign for a new product, the members of the cross-functional team responsible for Carver Inc. realized that a couple of changes relating to their prior plan would be beneficial. The offer of a franchising that had earlier been brushed off by the company head was discussed thoroughly and it was decided that it would be implemented on a trial basis initially, and on full scale if found to work well. From the information provided, it can be concluded that this cross-functional team has a high degree of ________.

A) conformity				
B) demography				
C) uncertainty				
D) reflexivity 				
E) diversity

Answer 14

D) reflexivity

Question 15

15) Alberto’s team is developing a database for the water pollution data of three cities. Before he begins on this intensive project, he wants to improve the team efficacy of his team. Which of the following actions can Alberto take to increase team efficacy before the project starts?
A) plan a team outing for the team members
B) create team goals that are very challenging
C) spend considerable time evaluating team members and allocating proper roles for each
D) make sure that his team is not comprised of more than nine people
E) provide client’s software and database training for all the team members

Answer 15

E) provide client’s software and database training for all the team members

Question 16

16. When teams are performing nonroutine activities, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.				
A) task conflicts				
B) disciplinary conflicts				
C) relationship conflicts				
D) resource allocation conflicts				
E) discriminatory conflicts

Answer 16

A) task conflicts

Question 17

17. When individuals engage in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, they coast on the group's effort because their particular contributions cannot be identified.				
A) task conflicts				
B) gainsharing				
C) retaliating				
D) process gains				
E) social loafing

Answer 17

E) social loafing

Question 18

18) Which of the following must be avoided if one wants to create and maintain an effective team?      				
A) congruent mental models				
B) reflexivity				
C) specific goals				
D) task conflicts				
E) relationship conflicts

Answer 18

E) relationship conflicts

Question 19

19) Diane Fielding, owner of the famous “Mint” chain of restaurants, planned to revamp the whole concept and structure of her outlets. With this purpose in mind, she selected five managers from her existing outlets based on their performance in relation to targets, experience, and motivation. Each manager was asked to take up an aspect of the restaurant’s functioning like menu, décor, and customer service measures. Diane was sure that this group of high performers possessed a clear understanding of the ground realities which made them the best candidates to contemplate and implement the required changes. In order to reward them, she announced a hefty bonus for their collective performance. Six months later, after the changes were implemented, Diane realized that the group had made many questionable decisions which were resulting in problems. Which of the following, if true, would best explain this outcome?

A) Two of the branches of “Mint” were located in the suburbs, while the other three outlets were located in busy areas and witnessed more customers.
B) The team members had skills that were complementary to each other and added value to the project.
C) Typically, these managers viewed each other as competition as Diane only rewarded the highest earning outlet with incentives.
D) The team members had high levels of affective commitment to their jobs as Diane was a good leader.
E) The team members were clear about their duties and role ambiguity was minimal.

Answer 19

C) Typically, these managers viewed each other as competition as Diane only rewarded the highest earning outlet with incentives.

Question 20

20) The work of your group would be better done in teams if the members of the team are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.      				
A) reflexive				
B) independent				
C) individualistic				
D) autonomous				
E) interdependent

Answer 20

E) interdependent