Effective Team Management Ch11 Test Questions & Answers

Essentials of Contemporary Management, 8e (Jones)

Chapter 11 Effective Team Management

1) All teams are groups, and all groups are teams.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

2) The creation and development of new products is known as synergy.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

3) Groupthink is when members strive to agree instead of trying to make an accurate assessment of the situation.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groupthink

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

4) Task forces are sometimes referred to as standing committees.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Task Forces

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

5) Shared rules of conduct that most group members follow are known as group roles.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

6) Generally, groups must "storm" before they can "form."

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

7) When a member's deviant behavior leads to a positive change in the group norm, it suggests that some deviant behavior can be functional for groups.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

8) When group cohesiveness is low, managers can often increase it by encouraging groups to develop their own identities and engage in healthy competition.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

9) Financial rewards should not be used to motivate members of teams.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

10) As the size of a group increases, so does the amount of social loafing that is likely to occur.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

11) Which of the following refers to two or more people who specifically interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs?

A) executives

B) group members

C) employees

D) participants

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

12) Which of the following is a characteristic that distinguishes teams from groups?

A) more member participation

B) the frequency of meetings conducted

C) the level of active member participation

D) the intensity with which members work together

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

13) Which of the following defines a team?

A) a group that managers or nonmanagerial employees form to help achieve their own goals or meet their own needs

B) a group whose members work intensely with one another to achieve a specific common goal or objective

C) a group composed of the CEO, the president, and the heads of the most important departments

D) a group of two or more people who interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

14) Gunnar, the Director of Operations at Fantastic Foods, has worked with other managers over the years to set up groups and teams to handle issues. One of the recent groups, which is also a team, is the

A) dean search committee that interacts frequently by various means over a period of several months.

B) group of sales representatives for a hardware company, each with his or her own geographical territory.

C) group of factory workers who belong to a labor union that typically meets once a month.

D) board of directors of a restaurant corporation that meets quarterly.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

15) Ahmed is a project manager for an electronics company that manufactures digital camera sensors. When he is tasked with overseeing the development of a new sensor that is both larger and more energy efficient, he assembles a cross-functional team of talented and creative people from the engineering, design, marketing, finance, and information technology departments. Despite the high caliber of people working on the team, the level of innovation it is achieving is lower than Ahmed believes is possible. In order to increase the team's ability to innovate, Ahmed's best course of action would be to

A) act as a sounding board for the team's concerns and step in to reprimand any members who are impeding the group's progress.

B) supervise the team and steer it in the direction he feels it needs to go, specifically, sensors that absorb solar power.

C) give the team room to come up with its own sensor designs, while providing guidance and resources as needed.

D) organize the team members into pairs that focus on one aspect of the new sensors and require each pair to submit weekly progress reports.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Innovation

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

16) In terms of group performance, the idea that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts" is the fundamental point in the concept of

A) cohesiveness.

B) synergy.

C) synchronicity.

D) group roles.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

17) Which of the following statements captures the essence of synergy?

A) Think outside the box.

B) There is no ‘I' in team.

C) Actions speak louder than words.

D) The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

18) Joanna, a manager, is responsible for organizing a team for the development of a new product. To be successful in creating synergy in the team, Joanna's top priority should be to

A) choose members of the most diverse backgrounds possible.

B) supervise the group closely and ensure that she is part of all decisions.

C) bring in members with complementary skills relevant to the work.

D) choose members who have worked together previously without any problems.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

19) In which of the following teams are the expertise and knowledge in different organizational departments brought together in the skills and knowledge of the team members?

A) top management team

B) task force

C) self-managed work team

D) cross-functional team

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

20) To take advantage of the potential for synergy in groups, managers should

A) create groups of similar individuals.

B) be strongly directive with the group.

C) reward individual performance.

D) appoint members with complementary skills.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

21) Active Appliances, an electrical appliance firm, forms a group to design a new software application. This group consists of a systems designer, a programmer, and a user representative. This is an example of a(n)

A) informal team.

B) ad hoc committee.

C) cross-cultural team.

D) cross-functional team.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

22) Who takes part in cross-functional teams?

A) subordinates who report to the same supervisor

B) members from different cultures

C) the CEO, the president, and the heads of departments

D) members from different departments

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

23) The strategic planning committee at Comfort Fabric Clothing Company consists of managers from engineering, R&D, production, marketing, and finance. This is an example of a(n)

A) cross-functional team.

B) informal group.

C) virtual team.

D) command group.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

24) While on his lunch break, Jamal, who works in IT at a kitchen appliance manufacturer, was talking with his friend Carolina from accounting about how long his daily commute was and how much worse traffic had gotten in the past couple of years. Carolina confessed she had the same experience and was frustrated at how long it took her to get to and from work. Although they were from different departments, they both had the same 8:00 A.M. start time, as did a majority of the company's staff. Jamal imagined how nice it would be to come to work at 7:00 A.M. and leave at 4:00 P.M., which would allow him to miss both the morning and evening peak rush hours. Carolina thought it was a great idea, as did other employees sitting nearby who were listening to their discussion. In order to have a good shot at persuading the management team to institute earlier start times, it makes the most sense for Jamal and his co-workers to

A) stage a "slow-in" by arriving late to work on purpose every day for a week and blame it on the traffic.

B) organize with other like-minded employees and present their ideas to management as a group.

C) approach each of their managers independently for approval to arrive at and leave work early.

D) go on strike and refuse to return to work until their demands for alternate hours are met.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

25) In an attempt to promote innovation in a work group, the supervisor should

A) provide little guidance to the group, and let the group members self-guide themselves.

B) provide detailed procedures to the group.

C) let group members self-coach within the group.

D) provide for only outside the organization resources for the group.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Innovation

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

26) The group who is responsible for developing the strategies that result in an organization's competitive advantage is the

A) informal group.

B) cross-cultural team.

C) top management team.

D) virtual team.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Management

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

27) A group of managers spend a great deal of time ensuring that they agree on important issues instead of working toward an accurate assessment of the situation. This scenario describes

A) a fundamental attribution error.

B) self-serving bias.

C) lack of synergy.

D) groupthink.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Management

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

28) Managers in technology-based industries often employ what kinds of teams specifically to create new products?

A) top management teams

B) cross-cultural teams

C) self-managed work teams

D) research and development teams

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

29) Managers choose members of research and development teams based on their

A) institutional knowledge.

B) expertise and experience.

C) departmental seniority.

D) cultural background.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

30) The salespersons who report to a common sales manager are known as a(n) ________ group.

A) formal

B) command

C) interest

D) virtual

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

31) When team leaders of various cross-functional groups report to the same manager, the team leaders form a ________ group.

A) research and development

B) command

C) virtual

D) self-managed work

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

32) Command groups are also known as

A) cross-cultural groups.

B) self-managed work groups.

C) friendship groups.

D) departments.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

33) Another name for a task force is a(n)

A) cross-cultural group.

B) top management team.

C) ad hoc committee.

D) cross-functional group.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Task Forces

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

34) What is one of the biggest challenges faced by members of virtual teams?

A) choosing team leaders

B) collaborating on projects

C) building trust and camaraderie

D) synchronizing communications

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Virtual Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

35) Teams that are empowered to take responsibility for acting autonomously in order to complete identifiable pieces of work are referred to as

A) formal groups.

B) research and development teams.

C) command groups.

D) self-managed work teams.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Self-Managed Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

36) Marco is the vice president of an athletic apparel company that sells clothing for bicyclists. Recently, the company has identified problems of cost control in all of its offices. Marco formed a team composed of the sales managers of all the four regions, along with some staff members from the company's informational technology and administration departments, to study the problem and make recommendations over a four-month period. This team is an example of a

A) functional group.

B) task force.

C) virtual assembly.

D) command group.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Task Forces

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

37) A major problem that self-managed work teams can encounter is

A) selection of members with the right skills and ability to work with others.

B) disciplining team members.

C) being given work that is sufficiently complex.

D) managers who are too "hands off".

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Self-Managed Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

38) Teams that rarely interact with each other on a face-to-face basis are referred to as ________ teams.

A) top management

B) command

C) virtual

D) cross-functional

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Virtual Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

39) Which of the following enables managers to disregard geographic distances?

A) virtual team

B) command team

C) informal team

D) task force

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Virtual Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

40) Blue Bay International has formed a virtual team to improve quality in its five plants, which are located across three continents. In order to give this team the best chance of succeeding, what could the management do?

A) insist that the team use only asynchronous technologies to communicate

B) expect that the team will be less cohesive than face-to-face teams and live with it

C) trust the team to do its job without any supervision

D) schedule periodic face-to-face meetings for all team members

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Virtual Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

41) Informal groups of workers who enjoy one another's company and meet socially either on or off the job are referred to as

A) cross-functional groups.

B) friendship groups.

C) command groups.

D) task forces.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Self-Managed Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

42) What type of group helps satisfy employees' needs for interpersonal interaction and can provide needed social support in times of stress?

A) interest

B) formal

C) friendship

D) virtual

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

43) A group of college professors from the Jackson Business School meets once a week for lunch to discuss the college's accreditation efforts. This is an example of a(n)

A) formal group.

B) virtual team.

C) interest group.

D) command group.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

44) A group of employees at Swift Motors has initiated a marathon run with the aim of raising funds for the maintenance of a children's park in Chicago. This group can be defined as a(n) ________ group.

A) virtual

B) formal

C) command

D) interest

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

45) A number of people in the customer service department of Amazing Online Items have expressed their desire to be able to telecommute one day a week and believe this will increase their productivity and offer relief from the stress of traveling to the office in dense traffic. Sergei suggests they talk to their manager about instituting this change. Forming which type of group increases the likelihood of success when these employees approach their manager with their proposal?

A) interest

B) formal

C) command

D) virtual

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

46) Which of the following aspects of a group includes the characteristics and processes from which the group derives its function and effectiveness?

A) dynamics

B) norms

C) tasks

D) development

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

47) The set of behaviors and tasks that a member of the group is expected to perform because he or she is a member of the group is known as

A) a group role.

B) virtual teamwork.

C) group polarization.

D) a group norm.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

48) Splitting the work to be performed into particular tasks and assigning tasks to individual workers is called

A) division of labor.

B) performance.

C) role making.

D) formation.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

49) Sophia works as a project manager for a growing software company and oversees a group of 40 people. Recently she has noticed that the team is communicating less effectively than it has in the past, and she has overheard more than one employee confess to feeling that their ideas go unheeded in group meetings. Which of the following actions would best help Sophia turn the situation around?

A) requiring each person to contribute at least one new software idea at weekly meetings

B) hosting mandatory after-hours game nights where group members are free to vent their frustrations

C) assigning a new group leader on a weekly rotating basis so that each member has a chance to lead

D) splitting the employees into five distinct groups and giving each smaller group its own workspace

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

50) Tom, the marketing manager, who is a member of a task force for new product development, is expected to represent the marketing department's concerns to the task force. Tom and his involvement with the task force describe

A) formal leadership.

B) a group role.

C) a self-managed role.

D) group conformity.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

51) A new product development team for Fountain Cards Limited includes an artist whose job it is to draw the illustrations that will accompany new cards. This artist is acting according to his or her

A) virtual role.

B) interest group.

C) group role.

D) wishful thinking.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

52) A manager of a group encourages members of the group to take on additional responsibilities as they see the need. This is an example of

A) group polarization.

B) role making.

C) synergy.

D) virtual teamwork.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

53) Managers frequently assume a leadership role in which of the following groups or teams?

A) command groups and top management teams

B) research and development teams

C) task forces

D) standing committees

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

54) Task forces and standing committees are often led by

A) managers.

B) non-managers.

C) team captains.

D) executives.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

55) Formal leaders of groups and teams are

A) self-appointed.

B) appointed by team members.

C) appointed by managers.

D) hired as leaders.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

56) The head of a group who emerges naturally from within the group is called a(n)

A) interim manager.

B) organizational leader.

C) team captain.

D) informal leader.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

57) The members of a particular group are getting to know one another and attempting to reach an understanding of how each of them should act within the group. This stage of group development is known as

A) storming.

B) norming.

C) forming.

D) adjourning.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

58) The members of a task force have disagreements because some members do not want to do what some of the other members want them to do. This stage of group development is known as

A) forming.

B) norming.

C) performing.

D) storming.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

59) In which stage of group development is it particularly important for managers to strive to make each member feel that he or she is a valued part of the group?

A) forming

B) adjourning

C) norming

D) storming

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

60) During the first stage of group development, managers should

A) make sure that conflict does not arise between members.

B) make sure that each member feels like a valued part of the group.

C) encourage the formation of group norms.

D) give the group a lot of responsibility and authority.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

61) Close ties between the members of the group typically are formed during which stage of group development?

A) forming

B) adjourning

C) norming

D) storming

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

62) Which of the following stage of group development applies only to groups that eventually are disbanded, such as task forces?

A) forming

B) adjourning

C) norming

D) storming

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

63) Which of the following is the correct order of the stages of group development?

A) forming, storming, performing, norming, adjourning

B) forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

C) forming, norming, storming, performing, adjourning

D) forming, performing, norming, storming, adjourning

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

64) A task force submits its report supporting its recommendations on the project that the group has been working on. At which stage is this group operating?

A) forming

B) storming

C) adjourning

D) norming

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

65) Shared guidelines or rules of behavior that most group members follow are called group

A) deviance.

B) dynamics.

C) norms.

D) cohesiveness.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

66) When Sylvia recently left town on personal work, members of her team at TicketTime did not have issues getting in touch with her because she had left a number they could call in case of an emergency. This arrangement best represents

A) groupthink.

B) a group norm.

C) a synergistic requirement.

D) group polarization.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

67) When a member of a group fails to act consistently with a group norm, this is known as

A) synergy.

B) deviance.

C) groupthink.

D) group polarization.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

68) What do teams need to balance in order to effectively help an organization gain a competitive advantage?

A) behavior and group norms

B) conformity and deviance

C) performance and cohesiveness

D) tolerance and polarization

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

69) Deviance is functional for a group when

A) a group member gets punished for not acting consistently with the group norm.

B) a group member gets away with not acting consistently with the group norm on more than one occasion.

C) it causes group members to evaluate norms that may be ineffective but are taken for granted by the group.

D) it causes a group member to get suspended or expelled from the group.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

70) To ensure that the group can control their members' behavior and channel them in the direction of high performance and group goal accomplishment, the group should require

A) unanimity.

B) conformity.

C) norms.

D) consistency.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

71) To ensure that dysfunctional norms are discarded and replaced with functional ones, the group should require

A) some deviance.

B) social loafing.

C) group polarization.

D) conformity.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

72) When Julie started as customer service manager at a call center six months ago, she instituted a new policy insisting that no more than two group members could be off the phones at any one time. To that end she wrote a schedule that staggered break and lunch times throughout the day. At first, her team demonstrated total compliance, but lately she has noticed that group members are breaking the rule and gathering in larger groups at lunch time. Despite repeatedly disciplining her subordinates, the behavior continues. Based on what you know about conformity and deviance, which of the following actions best ensures that Julie's team regains its efficiency and competitive advantage?

A) After asking her team about their actions and learning that they miss chatting as a group over lunch, she should revise her policy to allow larger groups to congregate provided there are at least four people manning the phones at all times.

B) She should increase the punishment for those who leave their posts at unsanctioned times, including terminating any group member caught breaking the rule more than five times in a 30-day period.

C) She should set up a tiered system of rewards for employees, granting extra breaks to those who adhere to the policy for one or more consecutive weeks, and a full day off with pay for those with a month-long spotless record.

D) She should rescind the policy completely and let the chaos that she believes will ensue be a lesson to the group, thereby teaching her employees the value of discipline and the need for rules, particularly in a business setting.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

73) Who determines the extent of conformity and reactions to deviance within groups?

A) top management teams

B) executives

C) group members

D) friendship teams

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

74) Angela took over as manager of a group of warehouse order-pickers about a month ago. While the employees' performance is satisfactory, she has noticed that the group seems to squash any new ideas about how they might do their work more effectively. What should Angela do to increase tolerance for deviance?

A) take steps, such as weekly group lunches, to increase the cohesion of the group

B) order the group to accept at least half of the new ideas that are proposed

C) set up an incentive system for employees' suggestions about procedure changes

D) create competition between members of the group

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

75) When there is high conformity and low deviance in a group, the group's performance is likely to be

A) high because the group is well balanced.

B) low because the group cannot control its members' behaviors.

C) low because the group fails to change dysfunctional norms.

D) high because the group is satisfied.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

76) A high-performing group is most likely the result of

A) low conformity/high deviance.

B) moderate conformity/moderate deviance.

C) moderate conformity/low deviance.

D) high conformity/low deviance.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Norms

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

77) The degree to which the members of a group are attracted to membership in the group is known as group

A) organization.

B) cohesiveness.

C) uniformity.

D) tolerance.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

78) As group cohesiveness increases,

A) participation of members decreases.

B) members share more information.

C) members are less open with each other.

D) communication effectiveness declines.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

79) Regarding organizational effectiveness, the best level of cohesiveness in groups is

A) low.

B) moderate.

C) high.

D) extremely high.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

80) Managers promote organizational identity and make the organization the focus of the group's efforts when groups are

A) heading in different directions.

B) less cohesive.

C) at the point of breaking up.

D) too cohesive.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

81) When group cohesiveness increases,

A) communication effectiveness declines.

B) conformity to norms increases.

C) emphasis on goal accomplishment declines.

D) members become more motivated to accomplish personal goals.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

82) In general, higher group cohesiveness is associated with

A) command groups.

B) similarity among group members.

C) cross-functional groups.

D) group norms.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

83) To encourage group cohesiveness, managers should

A) discourage the group from forming an identity.

B) promote intergroup competition.

C) reward cooperation between groups.

D) keep the measures of group performance confidential.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

84) The tendency of group members to exert less effort when they work in groups than they would exert if they were acting alone is known as

A) group cohesiveness.

B) undermining.

C) group tension.

D) social loafing.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

85) Mathias, who is part of the R&D team at Future Electronics, has been a key player in formulating new ideas and strategies. His contribution has resulted in more clients and higher production rates. Of late, John has not been regularly attending team meetings and even if he does, he leaves midway. John's behavior is an example of

A) synergy.

B) groupthink.

C) conformity.

D) social loafing.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

86) A member of a task force does not do much work related to the goals of the task force. This member is confident that the other members of the task force "will take up the slack." This group member is exhibiting

A) group deviance.

B) social loafing.

C) conformity.

D) division of labor.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

87) When Hideo first joined the marketing team at Purdy Coffee Roasters, he was an energetic member who inspired others with his enthusiasm and strong work ethic. As the marketing department grew in size, Hideo slowly slipped into the background of the group, putting less and less effort into his social media outreach work. The marketing manager, Charlene, noticed his absence at weekly meetings and asked other employees what was up. They revealed to Charlene that Hideo regularly failed to complete his work on time and that other team members had ended up picking up the slack to cover for him. Which of the following actions represents the most effective way for Charlene to address Hideo's poor performance within the group?

A) She should physically separate Hideo from the group by changing the seating arrangements so that his desk is just outside her office, thus allowing her to watch over him closely and prevent him from slacking off.

B) She should make it the group's responsibility to keep Hideo in line and assign the strongest performer in the group to watch over Hideo and keep track of how he spends his time.

C) She should assign Hideo to a smaller team with the three other online marketers in the department, and, since he is the social media expert, ask that he submit weekly reports charting his online activity on behalf of the brand.

D) She should offer incentives to the entire group for improving its performance in all areas of marketing, with rewards shared equally among members rather than basing them on individual performance.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

88) What can a manager do to discourage social loafing in a group?

A) create large groups with a high degree of diversity

B) focus on recognizing the group's performance as a whole

C) downplay individual contributions by splitting bonuses equally among all team members

D) assign tasks to group members and hold them accountable for their performance

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

89) Sam works for a large international manufacturing company. Managers at the company often assign team projects. Sam likes the group projects because he knows he will be team up with employees who will work hard on the projects, thus allowing him to do a minimal amount of work. He will undoubtedly miss some of his group's meetings. What can managers at the company do to help groups deal with workers like Sam?

A) assign groups so that good workers are only grouped with good workers

B) require group members to discipline other members when they "loaf"

C) assign more members to groups so there are more people to pick up the slack

D) help groups identify the potentially valuable contributions of each member

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

90) Members of virtual teams rely on information technology. Virtual team members communicate and interact with one another in real time simultaneously using technology such as videoconferencing, teleconferencing, and electronic meetings. This type of technology is known as

A) asynchronous technology.

B) synchronous technology.

C) virtuality.

D) global-synchronous technology.

Difficulty: 1 Easy

Topic: Virtual Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

91) All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. Discuss the two characteristics that distinguish teams from groups, and give two examples of each.

A group may be defined as two or more people who interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs. A team is a group whose members work intensely with one another to achieve a specific common goal or objective. As these definitions imply, all teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. Therefore, the two characteristics that distinguish teams from groups are the intensity with which team members work together and the inclusion of specific, overriding team goals or objectives. Two examples of groups are CPAs who work together in an accounting department and customer service representatives at a call center. Both of these sets of people work together toward a general goal, but they do not work closely together in support of a specific goal. Two examples of teams are product designers working to come up with a new tennis shoe design for an athletic apparel company and software engineers jointly developing a new smart phone app. Both of these teams work intensely together to achieve a common goal.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

92) Discuss how the use of groups and teams can help an organization to gain a competitive advantage.

• Enhance its performance 
• Help it to become more responsive to customer needs
• Increase innovation 
• Increase workers' motivation and satisfaction with their jobs.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

93) Discuss how groups and teams can be utilized as performer enhancers.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

94) Provide one example of a cross-functional team that a manager might assemble to increase responsiveness to customers, and explain how this team helps the company better respond to its customers' needs.

Being responsive to customers often requires the wide variety of skills and expertise found in different departments and at different levels in an organization's hierarchy. Sometimes, for example, employees at lower levels in an organization's hierarchy, such as sales representatives for a computer company, are closest to its customers and the most attuned to their needs. However, lower-level employees, like salespeople, often lack the technical expertise needed for new product ideas; such expertise is found in the research and development department. Bringing salespeople, research and development experts, and members of other departments together in a group or cross-functional team can enhance responsiveness to customers. Consequently, when managers form a team, they must make sure the diversity of expertise and knowledge needed to be responsive to customers exists within the team; this is why cross-functional teams are so popular. In a cross-functional team, the expertise and knowledge in different organizational departments are brought together in the skills and knowledge of the team members. Managers of high-performing organizations are careful to determine which types of expertise and knowledge are required for teams to be responsive to customers, and they use this information in forming teams.

One example of a cross-functional team that can help increase responsiveness to customers is a team assembled from various departments at a hotel chain to improve the experience of guests at the company's properties. The team might be composed of front desk check-in clerks who are able identify logistical problems they have seen when working directly with customers; hotel managers who offer a broader view of operational effectiveness; and executives who provide industry experience and knowledge of past successes and failures. Such a team will be able to understand the customers' needs from many angles and levels of expertise and is likely to implement successful new policies and ways to improve the customer experience at the company's hotels.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Groups and Teams

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

95) Discuss how teams and groups contribute to increasing innovation.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Innovation

Learning Objective: 11-01 Explain why groups and teams are key contributors to organizational effectiveness.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

96) Distinguish between formal and informal groups, and provide one example of each.

To achieve their goals of high performance, responsiveness to customers, innovation, and employee motivation, managers can form various types of groups and teams. Formal groups are those managers establish to achieve organizational goals. The formal work groups are cross-functional teams composed of members from different departments. Sometimes organizational members, managers or nonmanagers, form groups because they feel that groups will help them achieve their own goals or meet their own needs. Groups formed in this way are informal groups.

An example of a formal group would be a research and development team at a pharmaceutical company tasked with developing a new flu vaccine. Such a group would be formally assembled by a manager to achieve an organizational goal. Conversely, an interest group formed by employees to organize a 5K run for charity would be an example of an informal group since it was organized by group members themselves to address the desire to give back to the community.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Types of Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

97) What does "top management" refer to? Write a note on the importance of top management.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Management

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

98) For what purpose do managers assemble self-managed work teams, and how do they ensure that the teams remains effective?

Managers usually form self-managed work teams to improve quality, increase motivation and satisfaction, and lower costs. Often, by creating self-managed work teams, they combine tasks that individuals working separately used to perform, so the team is responsible for the whole set of tasks that yields an identifiable output or end product. Managers can take a number of steps to ensure that self-managed work teams are effective and help an organization achieve its goals:

1. Give teams enough responsibility and autonomy to be truly self-managing. Refrain from telling team members what to do or solving problems for them, even if you (as a manager) know what should be done.

2. Make sure a team's work is sufficiently complex so that it entails a number of different steps or procedures that must be performed and results in some kind of finished end product.

3. Carefully select members of self-managed work teams. Team members should have the diversity of skills needed to complete the team's work, have the ability to work with others, and want to be part of a team.

4. As a manager, realize that your role with self-managed work teams calls for guidance, coaching, and supporting, not supervising. You are a resource for teams to turn to when needed.

5. Analyze what type of training team members need, and provide it. Working in a self-managed work team often requires that employees have more extensive technical and interpersonal skills.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Self-Managed Teams; Command Groups

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

99) Explain what is meant by a task force and a virtual team, and give at least two examples of each.

A task force is a committee of managers or nonmanagerial employees from various departments or divisions who form a group to solve a specific, mutual problem. Virtual teams are teams whose members rarely or never meet face-to-face but, rather, interact by using various forms of information technology such as email, text messaging, computer networks, telephone, fax, and videoconferences. As organizations become increasingly global, and as the need for specialized knowledge increases due to advances in technology, managers can create virtual teams to solve problems or explore opportunities without being limited by team members needing to work in the same geographic location.

One example of a task force is a team put together by the owner of a small chain of grocery stores to come up with ways to reduce shoplifting. Such a team would meet for a specific period of time and come up with recommendations on how to solve the problem. Another task force would be a team assembled to re-divide sales territories after a company hired three new field sales representatives. After repartitioning the available geographies, the task force would disband as it had accomplished its goal. A software development firm might employ development teams from other countries as a cost-cutting measure for less critical tasks. In order to keep the foreign members in sync with those at the company headquarters, a manager would assemble a virtual team of employees from every region who communicate by email and/or videoconferencing. A second example of a virtual team would be a group of regional sales managers who spend the majority of their time on the road meeting with customers. Such a virtual team would communicate electronically or over the phone to coordinate plans and tactics.

Difficulty: 3 Hard

Topic: Task Forces; Virtual Teams

Learning Objective: 11-02 Identify the different types of groups and teams that help managers and organizations achieve their goals.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

100) "Groups function and, ultimately, their effectiveness hinge[s] on group characteristics and processes known collectively as group dynamics." With reference to this statement, explain the importance of group size.

• Interact more with each other and find it easier to coordinate their efforts 
• Be more motivated, satisfied, and committed 
• Find it easier to share information 
• Be better able to see the importance of their personal contributions for group success.

A disadvantage of small rather than large groups is that members of small groups have fewer resources available to accomplish their goals.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Understand

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

101) Explain the five stages of group development.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

102) Explain the importance of group leadership, and give one example each of a formal group leader and an informal group leader.

All groups and teams need leadership. Indeed, affective leadership is a key ingredient in high-performing groups, teams, and organizations. Sometimes managers assume the leadership role in groups and teams, as is the case in many command groups and top management teams. Or a manager may appoint a member of a group who is not a manager to be group leader or chairperson, as is the case in a task force or standing committee. In other cases, group or team members may choose their own leaders, or a leader may emerge naturally as group members work together to achieve group goals. When managers empower members of self-managed work teams, they often let group members choose their own leaders. Some self-managed work teams find it effective to rotate the leadership role among their members. Whether or not leaders of groups and teams are managers, and whether they are appointed by managers (often referred to as formal leaders) or emerge naturally in a group (often referred to as informal leaders), they play an important role in ensuring that groups and teams perform up to their potential.

An example of a formal leader would be a department head in a command group who was hired or assigned to the position by management. An example of an informal leader would be a member of a task force formed to plan the company's holiday party who took charge of the group through his or her own initiative, and whose leadership role was accepted by other team members.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Roles

Learning Objective: 11-03 Explain how different elements of group dynamics influence the functioning and effectiveness of groups and teams.

Bloom's: Apply

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

103) Explain the effects of cohesiveness on group participation.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

104) Explain the reasons why group members need to conform to norms.

1. They want to obtain rewards and avoid punishments.

2. They want to imitate group members whom they like and admire.

3. They have internalized the norm and believe it is the right and proper way to behave.

Failure to conform, or deviance, occurs when a member of a group violates a group norm. Deviance signals that a group is not controlling one of its members' behaviors.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Cohesiveness

Learning Objective: 11-04 Explain why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation

105) Social loafing can be a very detrimental practice to the effectiveness of an organization. Explain what is meant by this concept, and discuss three specific steps that managers can take to reduce or eliminate this undesirable work behavior.

• Making individual's contributions to the group identifiable: One way that managers can effectively eliminate social loafing is by making individual contributions to a group identifiable so group members perceive that low and high levels of effort will be noticed and individual contributions evaluated. Managers can accomplish this by assigning specific tasks to group members and holding them accountable for their completion. 
• Emphasizing the valuable contributions of group members: Clearly communicating to group members why each person's contributions are valuable to the group is an effective means by which managers and group members themselves can reduce or eliminate social loafing. 
• Keeping group size at an appropriate level: Managers should form groups with no more members than are needed to accomplish group goals and perform at a high level.

Difficulty: 2 Medium

Topic: Group Dynamics

Learning Objective: 11-05 Describe how managers can motivate group members to achieve organizational goals and reduce social loafing in groups and teams.

Bloom's: Remember

AACSB: Teamwork

Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation