California State University, Northridge

MGT 360

Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1

Bauer & Erdogan

FWK Test Item File

Chapter 9

TRUE/FALSE

1)In the 1980s, General Electric showed that empowering workers to work in teams can be a profitable venture.

2. A group is a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals while a team is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person’s actions have an impact on another’s.

3. Tuckman’s Group Development Stage Model sequences group evolution in the following order: forming to norming to storming to performing.

4. The forming stage of group development involves member examination of such questions as “What will my role be?” and “Will I be accepted?

5. The appointed leader is often tested during the performing phase of group development.

6. Because the storming stage is a very chaotic one, many groups get stuck in that phase of group development.

7. The norming stage of group development involves the establishment of ground rules for the group and an increased commitment to other members and the group goal.

8. The performing stage of group development involves attention to work content and process.

9. The adjourning stage of groups is seldom met with any emotional feelings or concern.

10. The punctuated equilibrium model proposed by Connie Gersick is a linear model.

11. The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups remain static for long periods of time experiencing only incremental change and radical, revolutionary change occurs in brief, punctuated bursts that provide opportunity for innovation.

12. Generally speaking, the more cohesive a group is, the less productive it is because the preservation of individual feelings supersedes any task oriented role.

13. The more similar group members are with regard to age, gender, education, and skill set, the more cohesive the group will be.

14. Groupthink is the tendency for individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group context.

15. Groups with high group cohesion and high task commitment generally have high performance.

16. Collective efficacy is generally influenced by verbal persuasion, group observation, and pay level.

17. Process loss is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning.

18. The key properties of a true team are collaborative action, sacrifice for the common good, and compensation based upon individual outcomes.

19. Research evidence exists to demonstrate that teams can reduce labor costs, increase product quality, and raise revenues.

20. If a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities is needed, if feedback from different organizational groups is needed, if tasks are largely independent, and if wide cooperation is needed to achieve mutual goals, then a team is needed.

21. Idea generation tasks include coming up with plans for actions and making decisions.

22. Pooled interdependence is when team members work independently and combine their efforts to create the team’s output.

23. Reciprocal interdependence exists when team members work on tasks simultaneously.

24. Task roles in a group include consul, cooperator, and completer.

25. Social roles in a group or team include cooperator, communicator, and calibrator.

26. A task force is a temporary team charged with addressing a specific problem or issue until it is resolved.

27. Virtual teams represent special management challenges because of issues related to trust and communication.

28. A firm’s top management team often represents a variety of functional areas.

29. Succession planning is the identification of future members of a top management team.

30. Empowered teams have the responsibility and authority to achieve their goals.

31. The difference between a self-managed and self-directed team is that the leader in the self-managed team has less decision-making responsibility.

32. As a rule of thumb, a good size for a team is between two and twenty members.

33. The more diverse a team is with regard to expertise, gender, age, and background, the more likely the team is to avoid groupthink.

34. Norms are shared expectations about how things operate within a group or team.

35. An effective way of dealing with overbearing behavior is to evaluate the balance of participation by team members.

36. When team members are found to be poor performers due to a lack of ability, the team is likely to try and train the individual.

37. Research suggests that sometimes replacing a hierarchy with self-managing teams decreases control over individual workers.

38. Collectivist societies value individual achievements over interpersonal relationships.

39. People in high power distance countries expect unequal power distribution and greater stratification in economic, social, and political settings.

40. The meaning of teamwork differs across cultures.

FILL IN THE BLANK

41. A                                 is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person’s actions have an impact on the others.

42. Two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization are a(n)                                                                                                                                    .

43. Tuckman’s four-stage model of group development features the forming-

                              -                                     and performing stages.

44. In the                           stage, group members can be defensive, competitive or jealous.

45. Many groups get stuck in the                                                  phase.

46. Group members establish ground rules and define operating procedures during the   phase of Tuckman’s model.

47. The                            stage was added to Tuckman’s original model and can feature participant emotions ranging from victory to grief to insecurity.

48. The                                                        model is a cyclical theory that suggests that change in groups occurs in radical spurts rather than incrementally over time.

49.                                   groups have a collective identity, share a sense of purpose, work together on meaningful tasks, and establish a structured pattern of communication.

50.                             is a group pressure phenomenon that increases the risk of the group’s making flawed decisions by allowing reductions in mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgment.

51. The Ringelmann effect, or                                                   is the tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group context.

52. A group’s perception of its ability to successfully perform well is                                          

                   .

53. A                        is a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals.

54. Team tasks include                                         tasks,                                                      tasks and

                                    tasks.

55.                                                                  is where team members work independently on items and then combine their efforts for a final product while                                                               

                               is where team members work on each task simultaneously.

56. The Team Role Typology suggests that                                        and                                    are boundary spanning roles.

57.                               ,                                        , and                                            are three task roles in the Team Role Typology.
58. The task role of                                             is includes “devil’s advocate” behavior.

59. The social role of                                                 serves to keep the team on track with regard to needed changes in team process.

60. A                                                             is a temporary team that is created to address a specific problem or issue until it is resolved.

61.                             teams are those where members are not located in the same physical place.

62. Empowered teams have the                                   as well as the                                 to achieve their goals.

63.                                                                 teams make all decisions internally about leadership and how work is done and have the potential for high autonomy.

64. Shared expectations of how things operate with a group or team are                                          .

65.                                                    include agreements on established ground rules, goals and roles.

 SHORT ANSWERS

66. List the stages in Tuckman’s model of group development including the phase added later in his work. Briefly describe the nature of each stage.

67. Briefly discuss the punctuated equilibrium model.

68. List and describe three factors which affect group cohesion.

69. What is the difference between a group and a team?

70. Hackman identified three major classes of tasks. List those classes and describe them.

71. Describe task interdependence levels as they relate to teams.

72. Describe the three general categories of work team roles and then give an example of each. Describe the nature of each example role given.

73. There are several types of temporary teams. Describe one such temporary team.

74. Teams vary in the manner in which they are led. Choose one type of team leadership and briefly describe it.

ESSAY

75. Think about a group that you belong or belonged to. Describe the phases of the Tuckman model that the group progressed through or the current phase at which it is now functioning.

76. Marta has just been appointed a project team leader for the first time. She is interested in understanding key characteristics that could impact the success of her team. You are her supervisor and she is coming to see you tomorrow for advice. What are some of the key elements you will mention to her and what impact do they have upon a team?