BUAD309 Ch. 10 – Flashcards

A team consists of employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving the work environment but they do not have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions. This is most likely to be a(n) ________ team. A) cross-functional B) virtual C) self-managed work D) problem-solving E) independent

Problem-solving teams can ________. A) implement the recommended changes to resolve a problem B) assume responsibility for the outcomes of a solution they implemented C) provide recommendations after a discussion amongst department members D) resolve problems of different departments in an organization simultaneously E) combine the expertise of employees across different divisions and organizational levels

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

________ teams are defined as groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors. A) Independent B) Self-managed work C) Cross-functional D) Problem-solving E) Traditional

Nick, the director of manufacturing at a large electronics company, has created a team of eleven employees from quality control for working on high priority projects. Nick gives the team members the responsibility of planning and scheduling their own work, and making all functional decisions. Also, members of this team evaluate each other's performance. This is an example of a ________ team. A) problem-solving B) self-managed work C) cross-functional D) virtual E) task-resolution

Which of the following statements is true regarding self-managed work teams? A) Self-managed work teams typically consist of forty to fifty employees. B) Self-managed work teams typically manage conflicts well. C) Members of self-managed work teams typically report lower job satisfaction. D) Self-managed work teams are typically composed of employees from different departments who work independent of each other. E) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased importance.

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

To retain its edge in the organic health food market, Natura has established a high-priority team comprised of senior executives from the company's production, marketing, and research divisions. These employees work together closely to study consumer attitudes about organic health foods and come up with a closely monitored development and marketing strategy for new products. This ensures that each division is informed of the specific needs, timelines, and expected outcomes of the strategy. It also makes Natura a company that adapts to changes in market trends swiftly. The team Natura uses here is of the ________ type. A) problem-solving B) self-managed work C) cross-functional D) traditional E) departmental

GoAir, a low-cost airline, has created a team made up of employees from production, planning, quality control, tooling, design engineering, and information systems to automate the company's C-17 program. This team is most likely to be an example of a ________ team. A) command B) cross-functional C) self-managed work D) problem-solving E) task

Which of the following statements is true regarding a cross-functional team? A) A cross-functional team is made up of employees from different hierarchical levels. B) A cross-functional team is made up of employees from the same department. C) Cross-functional teams have decreased in popularity in the last few decades. D) In the case of a cross-functional team, the early stages of development are typically very short. E) Cross-functional teams are used for developing new ideas and coordinating complex projects.

Which of the following types of teams allows for collaboration between team members who are physically dispersed? A) problem-solving teams B) self-managed work teams C) task teams D) virtual teams E) command teams

Virtual teams are characterized by ________ in comparison to teams which interact face-to-face. A) low popularity among companies B) low social rapport and direct interaction C) low sharing of unique information D) low need for supervision E) low need for publicizing throughout the organization

Which of the following is desirable when a crucial project is delegated to a virtual team? A) encouraging less interaction among members so they completely focus on the project B) avoiding publicity of the team's progress and success in the organization C) promoting a sense of independence over group spirit to encourage competition D) engaging in close monitoring of the work being done by the team throughout the project E) discouraging the sharing of unique information as it benefits some employees unfairly

Which of the following represents the three general categories into which the key components of effective teams are grouped? A) internal, external, and peripheral factors B) basic, functional, and strategic factors C) cardinal, central, and secondary factors D) context, composition, and process factors E) standard, segregated, and advanced factors

Which of the following is not one of the key components of effective teams? A) team efficacy B) company reputation C) adequate resources D) member flexibility E) leadership and structure

With reference to the team effectiveness model, which of the following is one of the key components of an effective team, included under the category of contextual factors? A) team efficacy B) climate of trust C) common purpose D) social loafing E) specific goals

The team effectiveness model classifies the key components of effective teams into three general categories: context, composition, and process. Which of the following variables belongs to the composition category? A) adequate resources B) conflict level C) team efficacy D) performance evaluation system E) personality of team members

According to the team effectiveness model, which of the following is a process variable that influences effectiveness of a team? A) leadership and structure B) team efficacy C) member flexibility D) performance evaluation and reward systems E) abilities of members

Jean Wills, a trainer with Leverage Inc., is infuriated because the conference hall that she had booked for her morning session with a new batch of trainees will be occupied by the HR team for the day. Jean feels that the company only superficially commits to training and that it is not a priority as this lack of facilities for training is a recurring phenomenon. Recently, she had asked the HR department to supply printed copies of her material for the orientation and training modules to the new trainees, and HR refused, saying the soft copies available on the systems would suffice. Which of the following contextual areas is the source of problem between the training department and the HR department in this scenario? A) performance evaluation B) reward systems C) adequate resources D) leadership E) structure

Araceli is a team member in a large corporation. She never speaks in team meetings because she has seen members talk behind each others' backs after the meetings. Members are constantly monitoring the other members' work and looking for mistakes to point out in a meeting. According to the information provided, which contextual factor is lacking in Araceli's team? A) adequate resources B) climate of trust C) team structure D) performance evaluations E) leadership

In which of the following teams is leadership of most importance to coordinate the efforts of various teams in order to produce a desired outcome? A) technical teams B) self-managed work teams C) problem-solving teams D) management teams E) multiteam systems

Which of the following reward systems is likely to reinforce team effort and commitment? A) job sharing B) gainsharing C) piece-rate pay D) merit-based pay E) skill-based pay

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

People scoring high on ________ are valuable in teams because they're good at backing up fellow team members and at sensing when their support is truly needed. A) conscientiousness B) positivity C) emotional stability D) agreeableness E) openness to experience

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

The controller role in a team is responsible for ________. A) initiating creative ideas B) examining details and enforcing rules C) offering insightful analysis of options D) coordinating and integrating group tasks E) providing directions and following up with implementation

The adviser role in a team is responsible for ________. A) providing structure B) fighting external battles C) offering insightful analysis of options D) coordinating and integrating group tasks E) encouraging the search for more information

Which of the following terms describes the degree to which members of a work unit share a common demographic attribute, such as age, sex, race, educational level, or length of service? A) social conformity B) organizational value C) organizational demography D) diversity E) organizational multiculturalism

Organizational demography suggests that attributes such as age or the date of joining should help the organization in ________. A) promoting diversity and multiculturalism B) reducing discrimination in the workplace C) determining appropriate compensation packages D) assessing the training needs at an occupational level E) predicting employee turnover in the company q

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

Which of the following is true with regard to the impact of diversity on team effectiveness? A) High levels of diversity among team members benefit the group from the stage of forming. B) Race and gender diversity bear the highest positive impact on team performance. C) Leadership has a negligible role to play in diverse teams because the members manage themselves autonomously. D) Elements of diversity are undesirable as they interfere with team processes in the long run. E) Cultural diversity serves as an asset for tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints once the team has worked out its differences.

Which of the following statements is true regarding a culturally diverse team? A) Elements of diversity do not interfere with team processes. B) Culturally homogeneous teams have more difficulty learning to work with each other and solving problems than culturally heterogeneous teams. C) Generally, newly formed culturally diverse teams underperform as compared to newly formed culturally homogeneous teams. D) Cultural diversity within a team is not advisable for those tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints. E) Culturally diverse teams are more affected by surface-level diversity than by deep-level diversity.

Diversity is an asset for teams where tasks ________. A) require a variety of viewpoints B) are simple and routine C) involve emotional labor D) are highly technical E) required for completing the work are highly independent

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

Which of the following statements represents a strategy that is desirable for making effective teams? A) Combining people with extremely high and extremely low abilities helps make a balanced team. B) Individuals should ideally have one role in a team as multiple roles reduce their effectiveness and efficiency. C) Diversity should be avoided as diverse teams involve a lot of conflict in day-to-day functioning. D) If a natural work unit is larger, its size must be maintained for the nature of the job requires large teams. E) The

Which of the following statements is true with regard to team processes? A) This category comprises variables that relate to how teams should be staffed. B) Effective teams invest time and effort to discuss and agree on a purpose that belongs to them both collectively and individually. C) Once a specific goal is chosen, effective teams resist making any changes in them so as to maintain the momentum of the team. D) Effective teams do not engage in task and relationship conflicts. E) Effective teams begin by selecting the right kind of people to be members of the team.

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

Gerald Murphy is a manager at Wright & Wayner, a publishing house which is a very employee-friendly company. The demarcation between managers and subordinates is flexible and the nature of these reporting relationships is flexible and informal. Gerald recently assigned five of eight of his subordinates to work on a new publication project with a fairly tight deadline because he believed that these efficient employees would function even better with each other's support. A week before the deadline, however, Gerald realized that the group had been shirking work as each of the members thought that the project was not just his/her responsibility. Additionally, under the guise of working together, the team was actually doing their personal work, surfing the Internet, or just socializing. This scenario reflects ________. A) gainsharing B) high process gains C) reflexive goal-setting D) jobsharing E) social loafing

A team that has a good plan, but is also willing to adjust their master plan and adapt when conditions call for it demonstrates high ________, an important variable in successful team processes. A) goal specificity B) goal congruency C) conformity D) diversity E) reflexivity

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

Hank Murphy was selected to develop an advanced personal communication device with his own self-managed work team. Hank was assured that resource allocation and timelines were flexible for this project provided the work was a cut above that provided by the rest of the employees. As a part of the project guidelines, Hank included the demand that the device being developed by the team should also be marketed exclusively by them without resorting to franchising or cobranding. This was to ensure that customers recognized the product as reflecting the values of their company. Work on this project began with a lot of vigor and once the device was developed, Hank's team implemented their marketing strategy. However, even three months after the product's release, visibility remained low in the market and many reviewers did not consider the device to be much of an innovation. Which of the following statements, if true, would indicate a lack of reflexivity in Hank's self-managed work team? A) Hank's team members developed multiple blueprints of the device which were thoroughly discussed, improvised, and synthesized into the final plan for the product. B) In the first few weeks of the project, Hank had witnessed a moderate level of conflict between the team members as each one had his own idea about how best to go about this high-priority project. C) The device was later marketed as a part of a national level tie-up with E-store outlets and did remarkably well in its second stint in the market. D) In Hank's team, the members took accountability for the group's performance as a whole and reported their individual progress to him as well. E) Hank's team used e-mail and instant messaging to communicate unique information when some of the team members were not available for face-to-face interactions.

Effective teams translate their common purpose into ________ goals. A) universal B) generic C) vast D) specific E) diverse

The belief that effective teams have in their ability to succeed is called ________. A) goal specificity B) reflexivity C) mental model D) common purpose E) team efficacy

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

Which of the following is most likely to increase team efficacy? A) providing vast and generic goals B) helping the team achieve small successes C) creating a team such that it has diverse members D) ensuring that team goals are substantially difficult E) reducing the number of members on a team drastically

________ are defined as organized cognitive representations of the key elements within a team's environment that team members share. A) Path-goal models B) Task models C) Mental models D) Individual models E) Specific models

The existence of dissimilar mental models is likely to lead to ________. A) diverse but appropriate decisions being made by the team B) decisions being made on the basis of unanimous judgments C) specific and accurate goals being pursued by all team members D) disagreements over the methods to be applied for task completion E) higher levels of objectively rated performance

With a deadline approaching, all seven members of Sharon's product development team were working round-the-clock and still the work was not completed in time. After the project was completed, Sharon spoke individually with the members to determine the cause for this delay. Many members complained saying the work given to them was not in accordance with their roles, some were unclear about which team member to approach when faced with a problem, and many underestimated the time and effort the project demanded. This team is characterized by ________. A) a clear role allocation for all team members B) dissimilar mental models C) high degree of role clarity D) excessively large team size E) a strong climate of trust

Elle Appliances has recently released its "Elite" cooking range. The cooking appliances were advertised extensively with offers for early-bird buyers and assured refunds if the goods were found defective. This resulted in a lot of hype surrounding the goods and high levels of projected demand in the market. However, after its release in the market, the products failed to substantially add to the company's profits. When the venture failed to recover even the minimum projected returns, the marketing manager blamed the production department for the delays in production, while the production manager claimed that he was doing his best to dispatch stock on the predetermined days. Which of the following best explains the failure of this venture by Elle? A) The company priced the "Elite" cooking range at relatively low rates. B) The company minimized its operating costs by using efficient production techniques. C) The company followed a low inventory system. D) Elle was a reputed company which enjoyed the loyalty of customers. E) Elle had recently acquired one its major rival firms.

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

Which of the following is an example of a task conflict? A) Will and Hilda have been removed from the team they worked with after they were overheard making derogatory comments about one of their colleague's racial origin. B) Henry and Solomon have been reprimanded by their project lead for spending too much time using the Internet for personal use at work. C) Linda and Dorothy had a disagreement over which of their employees should be assigned to work on a high-priority project. D) Sally and her manager have just had a heated argument because Sally feels she has been overlooked for a promotion that was her rightful due. E) The company head has resigned after longstanding conflict between him and his top management employees

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

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

Shane Dermott is a manager at a software design firm that develops software programs for clients using multiple teams of specialists. One of his most successful teams has been performing very well for years and so it came as a surprise to Shane when he noticed a sharp drop in the team's performance. He decided to speak with the team individually and find a solution. After interviewing all 7 team members, he determined that one of the team members performed routine administrative tasks that were hardly visible to any of the other team members and understood that this was a case of social loafing which demotivated the entire group. Which of the following would most likely improve the performance of the employee who was social loafing? A) encouraging him to work more independently B) making him individually responsible for definite and crucial tasks C) empowering him to make decisions autonomously D) providing him with administrative training E) giving him additional assignments to complete

Jason Jones has been asked to assemble an eight-member self-managed work team of experienced employees to work on a project that combines the functional areas of research, production, marketing, and distribution. Jason is apprehensive about managing a team so large; he knows from prior experience that larger teams do not always result in greater productivity. Jason has also been informed by the management that this team is being established as the project must progress according to the predetermined timeline. The work lagging behind by one division will cause a cumulative delay in all the successive stages of the project's execution. Which of the following measures, if adopted by Jason, would best ensure that the team members are working efficiently? A) implementing a training program to provide the team members with the necessary technical and human relations skills for the project B) discouraging team members from restricting themselves to their own functional areas by experimenting with and learning the job done by other members of the team C) instructing the team members to finalize the plan for the project right at the beginning and ensuring that it is implemented without any changes D) assigning the specific tasks of the project to each team member by keeping in mind their preference and abilities E) implementing a group-based incentive he has planned for this team

Jason Jones has been asked to assemble an eight-member self-managed work team of experienced employees to work on a project that combines the functional areas of research, production, marketing, and distribution. Jason is apprehensive about managing a team so large; he knows from prior experience that larger teams do not always result in greater productivity. Jason has also been informed by the management that this team is being established as the project must progress according to the predetermined timeline. The work lagging behind by one division will cause a cumulative delay in all the successive stages of the project's execution. Jason plans to implement a group-based incentive that he feels would motivate each of the team members to work efficiently. Which of the following is an assumption made by Jason in implementing this plan? A) Increasing the number of experienced employees in the team will reduce the need for supervision. B) Each employee in the team is motivated to work equally hard to ensure that the group's performance is satisfactory. C) Since the team is comprised of employees who are highly skilled in their respective areas, the output of the group will be of high quality. D) Each employee will work well within the boundaries of their divisional functions and conflicts will be relatively fewer. E) Each employee will be committed to working within the resources allocated.

Which of the following will be useful in creating team players? A) technical training B) professional training C) job rotation D) cross-training E) negotiation training

Which of the following is true with regard to use of individuals and teams? A) Teams and individuals can be used interchangeably for all kinds of jobs without any significant impact seen on effectiveness. B) Team work requires less time and resources when compared to individual work. C) Individuals have increased communication, supervision, and conflict-management demands when compared to teams. D) Individuals are bound by a collective common purpose that is organizationally determined and this typically reduces their performance. E) Task complexity and requirement of different perspectives must be used as criteria when assigning work to teams over individuals and vice versa.

Work should be performed by an individual if ________. A) the work is complex and requires different perspectives B) the work creates a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group that is more than the aggregate of individual goals C) the work is simple and does not require diverse input D) several tasks that are interdependent are to be performed for completing the work E) performing the work requires learning a new technology or understanding a new system

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