CH 10 Understanding Work Teams
CH 10 Understanding Work Teams
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
1.
Which of the following helps explain the current popularity of teams? Teams _____.
a. are easier to manage
b. are a way to better utilize employee talents
c. are less expensive
d. promote socialization
e. are very efficient
3.
4.
_____ results in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.
a. Synergy
b. Enthusiasm
c. Energy
d. Initiative
e. Inversion
Types of Teams
5.
6.
Which type of team meets to discuss ways to improve quality, efficiency, and the work
environment?
a. self-managed
b. virtual
c. problem-solving
d. cross-functional
e. committee
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7.
Which of the following types of teams would most likely be assembled to improve the efficiency of
a companys production process?
a. cross-functional
b. problem-solving
c. self-managed
d. virtual
e. co-evolving
8.
Which of the following types of teams would most likely empower its team members to make
work-related decisions?
a. technical
b. self-managed
c. problem-solving
d. management
e. reactive
9.
10.
_____ teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level.
a. Problem-solving
b. Self-managed
c. Cross-functional
d. Multifaceted
e. Star matrix
11.
_____ 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.
a. Self-managed
b. Problem-solving
c. Cross-functional
d. Multifaceted
e. Star matrix
12.
The early stages of development of a cross-functional team are time-consuming because _____.
a. most cross-functional team members are comprised of individuals from similar backgrounds
b. members must research the causes of problems which they are assigned to solve
c. most cross-functional team members have already established trust
d. members have to learn how to perform new functional tasks
e. members must learn to work with diversity and complexity
13.
Which of the following types of teams allows for collaboration between team members who are
physically dispersed?
a. local
b. interactive
c. real-time
d. virtual
e. global
14.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Which of the following statements best characterizes the use of work teams?
a. Teams are unnecessary if an individual can do the job better.
b. Teams are necessary for encouraging individuals to work independently.
c. Within a company, teams perform best if they are structured similarly.
d. Employees are usually responsible for suggesting that teams be created.
e. In successful companies, teamwork is always preferable to individual work.
16.
Which of the following is not one of the key components of effective teams?
a. effective work design
b. recognized company identity
c. supportive contextual influences
d. well-managed team processes
e. appropriate team membership
17.
There are four contextual factors that appear to be most significantly related to team
performance. Which of the following is not one of those factors?
a. adequate resources
b. work autonomy
c. effective leadership
d. a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions
e. All of the above are contextual factors.
18.
To provide teams with adequate resources, a company must supply which of the following?
a. proper equipment
b. adequate staffing
c. encouragement
d. all the above
e. none of the above
19.
20.
In a ________ team the managers job becomes managing outside the team.
a. technical
b. self-managed
c. problem-solving
d. management
e. reactive
21.
Leadership is especially important in ________ -- where different teams need to coordinate their
efforts to produce a desired outcome.
a. technical teams
b. self-managed teams
c. problem-solving teams
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d. management teams
e. multi-team systems
22.
Which of the following statements best serves to weaken the argument that trust contributes to
team effectiveness?
a. The most cooperative teams are those that share the greatest amount of trust.
b. Team members who trust each other tend to spend less time monitoring each others
behavior.
c. Regardless of trust level, most individuals resist exposing vulnerabilities to their co-workers.
d. Research shows that trust among team members is directly linked to members willingness to
take risks.
e. Teams with the highest trust ratings for their leadership tend to outperform teams with lower
leadership trust ratings.
23.
In addition to evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contributions, management
should consider using which of the following to reinforce team effort and commitment?
a. personalized incentives
b. consistent wages for all team members
c. individual performance evaluations
d. fixed hourly wages
e. profit sharing
24.
25.
Team members with good listening, feedback, and conflict resolution skills possess _____.
a. technical expertise
b. problem-solving skills
c. decision-making skills
d. interpersonal skills
e. cognitive appraisal skills
26.
A recent review of the literature suggested that ________ of the Big Five traits was/were
especially important for team performance.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5
27.
What types of people are valuable in teams because theyre good at backing up fellow team
members and at sensing when that support is truly needed?
a. conscientious people
b. extroverted people
c. introverted people
d. agreeable people
e. open people
28.
Evidence tends to suggest that performance across teams will be higher if an organization
________.
a. forms only teams high in conscientiousness
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b.
c.
d.
e.
29.
One stream of research has identified potential team roles that people prefer to play. The
creator role is one who _____.
a. champions ideas
b. initiates new ideas
c. provides structure
d. coordinates and integrates
e. manages subordinates
30.
Of the nine key roles on teams, the promoter is the group member most likely to _____.
a. develop original ideas
b. defend and support newly-developed ideas
c. provide structure for the team
d. fight battles with those outside of the team
e. conflict with other team members
31.
Which of the following is not one of the nine potential team roles identified for successful teams?
a. organizer
b. allocator
c. controller
d. maintainer
e. promoter
32.
You find that in a team situation you prefer to be the one who examines details and is concerned
with enforcing rules and regulations. Your role is that of the _____.
a. maintainer
b. linker
c. controller
d. promoter
e. resource allocator
33.
On her work team, Michelle develops detailed tasks lists and work flow charts to help her team
members understand the steps involved in each project. She also maintains the project calendar
and receives periodic updates from each team member to ensure that projects are progressing
on schedule. Which role does Michelle most likely fill on her team?
a. assessor
b. organizer
c. maintainer
d. creator
e. promoter
34.
Sharon has an assertive personality and naturally tends to stand up for her team in conflicts with
other teams or departments. She is a strong defender and is fiercely loyal to the other members
on her team. Sharon is most likely suited for which of the following team roles?
a. controller
b. producer
c. maintainer
d. assessor
e. advocate
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35.
What is the degree to which members of a work unit share a common demographic attribute and
the impact of this attribute on turnover?
a. group demography
b. turnover rate
c. organizational demography
d. work demography
e. department demography
36.
37.
38.
Effective teams usually have a common and meaningful purpose. In context, common most
nearly means _____.
a. ordinary
b. plain
c. routine
d. shared
e. mundane
39.
What is a team called when its members consider and adjust their master plan when necessary?
a. social facilitating
b. goal congruent
c. social loafing
d. mental models
e. reflexive
40.
Effective teams have confidence in themselves and believe they can succeed. This confidence is
termed _____.
a. social facilitation
b. goal congruence
c. social loafing
d. team efficacy
e. self serving bias
41.
42.
When teams are under acute stress, they are particularly likely to have ________.
a. wrong mental models
b. high self efficacy
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c. relationship conflict
d. resource conflict
e. high reflexivity
43.
If a teams members have similar mental models, what will they likely do?
a. loaf on others efforts
b. demonstrate high reflexivity
c. display low self efficacy
d. become involved in relationship conflict
e. focus on what needs to be done
44.
45.
Your company is considering implementing work teams in your Vietnam facility. You should find
this relatively easy because those employees will have strong _____ values.
a. acculturation
b. collectivist
c. creative
d. cultural
e. capitalistic
47.
Which of the following strategies would managers find least helpful for turning individuals into
team players?
a. selecting appropriate candidates
b. setting goals
c. providing training
d. rewarding cooperative efforts
e. encouraging mentorship
48.
49.
Exercises that help individuals become team players include workshops in _____.
a. negotiation
b. individualism
c. goal setting
d. event planning
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e. recruiting
Global Issues
50.
Only one-third of employees from ________ would likely say their organization has a high level of
teamwork?
a. Canada
b. Japan
c. Mexico
d. Indonesia
e. the United States
TRUE/FALSE
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
51.
Compared to traditional departments, teams tend to be less flexible and less responsive to
changing events.
(False; Moderate; Popularity of Teams; p. 323)
52.
Establishing teams provides an effective means for increasing democratic practices within an
organization.
(True; Moderate; Popularity of Teams; p. 323)
Differences Between Groups and Teams
53.
Work groups engage in collective endeavors that require collaborative effort.
(False; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
54.
Unlike work teams, work groups are most effective when their synergy is strongest.
(False; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
55.
Work groups typically generate more positive synergy than do work teams.
(False; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
56.
Work teams produce final results that exceed the sum of individual team member inputs.
(True; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
57.
The extensive use of teams creates the potential for an organization to generate greater outputs
with no increase in inputs.
(True; Easy; Work Groups; p. 323)
Types of Teams
58.
The four most common forms of teams are: problem-solving, self-managed, cross-functional, and
global.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 324) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
59.
Problem-solving teams generally consist of 5 to 12 hourly employees from the same department.
(True; Easy; Problem-Solving Teams; p. 324)
60.
You are a member of a team of eight individuals from the same department who meet for a few
hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. You
are most likely a member of a self-managed work team.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 324) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
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61.
A cross-functional work team takes on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
62.
Supervisory positions take on decreased importance for a problem-solving work team.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
63.
As a result of self-managed teams, supervisory positions may be eliminated.
(True; Moderate; Self-Managed Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
64.
Individuals on supervisory work teams report higher levels of job satisfaction.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
65.
Individuals on self-managed work teams have lower absenteeism rates than employees in
traditional work structures.
(False; Easy; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
66.
Turnover rates are higher for self-managed work teams than for employees working in traditional
work structures.
(True; Easy; Self-Managed Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
67.
Cross-functional teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level, but
from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.
(True; Easy; Cross-Functional Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
68.
Membership on virtual teams is usually restricted to employees living within the same country.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
69.
Cross-discipline teams usually function well only in small companies.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
70.
Cross-functional teams are very effective for coordinating highly complex projects.
(True; Easy; Cross-Functional Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
71.
One advantage of cross-functional teams is that they are easy to manage.
(False; Moderate; Cross-Functional Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
Creating Effective Teams
72.
Work design is more important than team composition for ensuring effective teams.
(False; Challenging; Components of Effective Teams; p. 328) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
73.
To perform effectively, a team requires three different types of skills: technical expertise, problemsolving and decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
(True; Moderate; Skills of Team Members; p. 330) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
74.
On a team, the role of the creator describes the person who analyzes decision options.
(False; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
75.
The role of the linker describes the person within the work team who coordinates and integrates
the work of team members.
(True; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
76.
Your analytical skills are very good and you enjoy the role of integrating creative ideas for your
group. You will find that you are most effective in the role of the promoter.
202
Susan is well organized and enjoys providing structure for the group. Her role within the work
team may be described as the maintainer.
(False; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
78.
Given the option, many employees will select themselves out of team participation.
(True; Easy; Member Preferences; p. 334)
79.
The highest performing team members are usually employees who thrive on being rewarded for
their personal achievements.
(False; Challenging; Work Design; p. 334) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
80.
Teams that are completely void of conflict are likely to become apathetic and stagnant.
(True; Moderate; Conflict Levels; p. 336)
81.
Task conflict increases the likelihood of groupthink.
(False; Moderate; Conflict Levels; p. 337)
82.
Social loafing is most likely to occur within a team whenever one team members contributions
are invisible to the rest of the team.
(True; Moderate; Social Loafing; p. 337)
Turning Individuals into Team Players
83.
Teams tend to operate well within countries that score high on collectivism.
(True; Easy; Collectivist Societies; p. 337) {AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity}
84.
Teams make most sense to employ when the tasks to be accomplished are independent of one
another.
(False; Moderate; Teamwork; p. 339)
Global Implications
89.
The use of work teams is limited in the U.S. due to this countrys highly individualistic culture.
(False; Challenging; Teamwork; pp. 339-340) {AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity}
90.
In high power distance countries, work teams fare best if leadership roles are flexible and
deemphasize hierarchical authority.
(True; Challenging; Teamwork; p. 339) {AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity}
203
Joan, your director of accounting, has created a team of seven employees from the accounts
payable department who meet for three hours a week to discuss ways of improving quality,
efficiency and the work environment. This is an example of a ____ team.
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution
93.
Jack, your director of manufacturing, has decided to create a team of eleven employees from
quality control. Jack gives the team members the responsibility of scheduling their own work and
evaluating each others performance. This is an example of a _____ team.
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution
94.
Your company has recently landed a contract to design and manufacture a new state-of-the-art
electronic device for the military. This will be a very complex project, requiring many different
types of skills. Which of the following types of teams is most suited for the project?
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution
95.
Janice is your director of sales. Since her employees are located in Europe, Asia, and North
America, she has decided to use instant messaging to tie her employees together in order to
develop a marketing strategy for a new product line. This is an example of a _____ team.
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution
Your team consists of the following members. Iris is a recent college graduate with a degree in
mathematics. She likes to keep an eye on the big picture and enjoys coordinating the work of others.
James has been with the company for 15 years and has had experience in several areas within the
company. He has a reputation for strong leadership and effective follow-through. Betty is highly motivated
and intelligent. She has several advanced degrees and is able to view situations from differing viewpoints.
You have decided that you are willing to take on any group role that is handed to you, but you are more
comfortable with implementing ideas than with initiating them.
96.
97.
98.
The person best suited for the role of adviser is probably ________.
a. Betty
b. James
c. Iris
d. you
e. none of the above
After interviewing all 7 team members, you determine that one of the team members performs
routine administrative tasks that are rarely visible to any of the other team members. You suspect
that this team member may be loafing off and lagging in his duties. You could most likely improve
that team members output by ________.
a. encouraging him to work more independently
b. making his work clearly visible to the other team members
c. hiring other team members who perform similar tasks
d. providing him with administrative training
e. giving him additional assignments to complete
100.
During an interview with one team member, you learn that several members of the team have had
conflicts regarding the content of a task to which the team was recently assigned. Are these
conflicts likely to be reducing the groups productivity?
a. Yes, because interpersonal conflicts always hurt a teams performance.
b. No, because conflicts based on personal animosity rarely affect team operations.
c. Yes, because task-related conflicts lead to poor team decisions.
d. No, because task-related conflicts usually benefit the performance of a team.
e. Yes, because disagreements about tasks usually lessen groupthink.
205
206
Provided that all of the team members are equally qualified, which of the following teams is likely
to be the least challenging to manage?
a. A team comprised of members drawn equally from all of the companys offices, because
culturally diverse teams tend to operate with minimal conflict.
b. A team comprised primarily of members from the United States, because employees from
countries with individualistic values tend to function well in teams.
c. A team comprised primarily of members from Canada, Britain, and Australia, because
employees from these countries usually grow up learning how to function in teams.
d. A team comprised of members from both Japan and Mexico, because employees from these
countries tend to focus on individual accomplishments.
e. A team comprised primarily of members from either Japan or Mexico, because employees
from countries with collectivist values tend to adjust easily to team structures.
Your management team suggests that the college recruitment process could be improved by
creating a cross-functional team to conduct the on-campus interviews. Based on your
understanding of team functioning, you reply that this solution is most likely ________.
a. an inappropriate use of teams, because individual interviews are better conducted by one
person
b. an appropriate use of teams, because recruitment is a quality issue
c. an inappropriate use of teams, because interviewing teams rarely have a common purpose
d. an appropriate use of teams, because interviewing is a highly complex task
e. an inappropriate use of teams, because team interviews risk breaking confidentiality
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