Multiple Choice Questions

Which one of the following characteristics is part of the definition of a group?

 

  interdependent effort

  personal accountability

  individual goals

  independent behavior

  unstable relationship

Sharon Moro, office manager at Willow Manufacturing stated, “We’d had manufacturing work cells in place for at least two years, but change didn’t really happen until we added teamwork.” To effectively integrate teamwork into their corporate strategy, all of the following actions were undertaken by Willow except:

 

  Old ways were readily discarded.

  Employees believed in what they were doing.

  An environment for team contribution was created.

  Individual employee success was recognized and celebrated.

  Everyone’s input was sought and valued.

While business firms have traditionally been organized around ________, athletic groups have long recognized the importance of ________.

 

  individuals; teamwork

  teams; individuals

  management; individuals

  groups; teamwork

  work groups; individuals

All of the following statements help to explain the current popularity of teams except:

 

  Teams can quickly assemble, deploy, refocus and disband.

  Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events.

  Teams are a way to better utilize employee talents.

  Teams expertly focus on individual performance.

  Teams typically outperform individuals when tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and experience.

You are a member of a work team whose goal is to improve the efficiency of the production process. Your team is best described as:

 

  Production-oriented.

  Goal-oriented.

  Self-managed.

  Cross-functional.

  Problem-solving.

Work groups of employees and supervisors that meet regularly to discuss their quality problems and recommend solutions is a form of participative management called:

 

  Department teams.

  Quality circles.

  Cooperative groups.

  Goal-oriented teams.

  Evaluation teams.

Self-managed work teams are generally:  

  Those who meet weekly to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and work environment.

  Comprised of people from different levels of the organization.

  Groups of employees who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors.

  Employees who take on responsibilities for other employees unable to make decisions.

  From different work areas, but at similar hierarchical levels, who work together to accomplish tasks.

____________ teams are employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.

 

  Re-engineering

  Self-managed

  Problem-solving

  Work-related

  Cross-functional

______________________ teams are an effective way to allow people from diverse areas within an organization to exchange information, develop new ideas and solve problems, and coordinate complex projects.

 

  Cross-functional

  Quality circle

  Multifaceted

  Self-managed

  Problem-solving

Virtual teams are characterized by:  

  Use of computer technology to communicate with individuals at different worksites.

  Employees who are given the authority to implement any of their suggested actions.

  Groups of employees who take on the added responsibilities of their former managers.

  Individuals from different work areas who come together to accomplish a task.

  Employees who meet regularly to take corrective actions to problems being experienced.

Virtual teams generally can perform the same functions and do the same things that other teams have traditionally accomplished. Many times, they can even be more efficient at tasks due to the establishment of systems and procedures, and acceptance of these by team members. Before this can happen, however, virtual teams must set the stage for effective interaction through all of the following except:

 

  Ensure that the tone of introductory messages facilitates trust.

  Be aware of any pessimists who may exist among them.

  Share some personal information about them.

  Recognize that eagerness and enthusiasm has no impact on team function.

  Assign clear roles for their members.

Which of the following is not useful in building trust?  

  Demonstrate that you’re working for others’ interests as well as your own.

  Demonstrate competence.

  Keep your feelings to yourself.

  Show consistency in the basic values that guide your decision making.

  Maintain confidences.

The stages of group development are:  

  Initiation, evolution, maturation, and decline.

  forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning.

  Introduction, high productivity, decline.

  Initiating, storming, norming, performing, adjourning.

  Idea generation, implementation, and termination.

In the second stage of group development:  

  The job task is performed.

  Intergroup conflict often occurs.

  Close relationships are developed.

  The group demonstrates cohesiveness.

  Group objectives are clearly formulated.

After which stage of a group’s development has the group formed a common set of expectations of member behaviors?

 

  planning

  forming

  storming

  norming

  performing

According to the punctuated-equilibrium model, all of the following are true about groups except:

 

  The transition initiates major changes.

  The first phase of group activity is one of inertia.

  The group’s last meeting is characterized by markedly accelerated activity.

  The first meeting sets the group’s direction.

  A transition takes place at the end of the first phase which occurs exactly when the group has used up one third of its allotted time.

In order to reinforce team effort and commitment, managers should consider the use of:

 

  Individual piece rate plans.

  Recognition and small financial rewards.

  Flexible benefits.

  Fixed hourly wages.

  Individual performance evaluations.

Successful teams translate their _______ into specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals.

 

  skills

  norms

  common purpose

  knowledge

  roles

_____________ is reliability, predictability, and good judgment in handling situations.

 

  Integrity

  Consistency

  Openness

  Competence

  Loyalty

_______________ is a characteristic of high performance teams where members believe in the integrity, character, and ability of each other.

 

  Loyalty

  Trust

  Worthiness

  Openness

  Reliability

All of the following are advantages of diversity except:  

  Increased flexibility.

  Multiple perspectives.

  Increased creativity.

  Greater openness to new ideas.

  Increased cohesiveness.

The strongest case for diversity on work teams centers around:  

  Quickly solving problems by eliminating ambiguity.

  The fact that complexity becomes a non-issue since the team is heterogeneous.

  The fact that miscommunication is unlikely to occur.

  Eliminating confusion and miscommunication.

  Bringing multiple perspectives to discussion and thus increasing unique solutions.

When managing a diverse team, it is important to keep in mind that:

 

  Diverse groups are generally less creative.

  The lack of a common perspective means that more time is spent on discussing issues.

  It will be easier to reach agreement on specific actions.

  The group may be less open to new ideas because of its diversity.

  Communication should be easier because the group is diverse.

The challenge of creating team players will be greatest where the national culture is:

 

  pluralistic

  competitive

  cooperative

  individualistic

  collectivist

The challenge of creating teams is less demanding for management when teams are introduced where employees have strong _________ values.

 

  individualistic

  collectivist

  cooperative

  competitive

  pluralistic

When designing reward systems for teams, it is best to encourage cooperative efforts rather than ____________ ones.

 

  pluralistic

  individualistic

  competitive

  cooperative

  collectivist

If companies value teamwork, then promotions, pay raises, and other forms of recognition should be given to individuals for how effectively the work as:

 

  leaders

  managers

  team members

  group members

  individuals