Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 12e (DuBrin)
Chapter 7 Group Problem Solving
7.1 Multiple Choice Questions
1) Research conducted with problem-solving groups indicated that collective intelligence
A) goes beyond the problem-solving ability of individual members.
B) tends to be lowered as more women join the group.
C) tends to be lowered when the social sensitivity of group members is high.
D) tends to increase when members frequently talk at the same time.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
2) You know that you are using the political decision model during group decision making when
you
A) search for the most democratic solution to the problem.
B) search for the most technically correct solution to the problem.
C) attempt to satisfy your own interests.
D) attempt to do what is best for the group.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
3) During decision making, a blind spot will often lead to
A) multiple analyses of the alternatives.
B) hesitancy in coming to a conclusion.
C) an over-emphasis on rational analysis.
D) distorted vision and impaired judgment.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
4) Two major contributors to political decision making are
A) concern for the welfare of others and being ethical.
B) greed and gluttony.
C) the search for being objective and rational.
D) the desires to be fair and just.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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5) An advantage of group problem solving is that if often leads to
A) better acceptance of the decision.
B) more rapid decisions than individual problem solving.
C) political approaches to decision making.
D) low commitment to implementing the decision.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
6) The decision-making step in which the group comes to agreement on the nature of the
problem is called
A) identify the problem.
B) analyze the cause.
C) search for alternative solutions.
D) clarify the problem.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
7) Ben is the supervisor of a group of commercial debt collectors who have high collective
efficacy. We can therefore anticipate that Ben’s group will
A) be confident when faced with a tough collection problem.
B) use heavy-handed tactics in attempting to collect money.
C) suffer a self-confidence problem from time to time.
D) become ineffective under high pressure.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
8) A study showed that disagreeing about major issues can lead to positive outcomes for the
group when the
A) team leader explains that disagreement will not be tolerated.
B) dissenters feel they have the freedom to express doubt.
C) dissenters are paid a small bonus to keep quiet.
D) rest of the group pokes fun at the dissenters.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
9) Dissension within the group tends not to lower group performance when
A) the dissenters play the devil’s advocate.
B) the rest of the group quickly votes on the best alternative.
C) the team leader instructs the dissenters to be quiet.
D) the dissenters want to work collaboratively despite their disagreement.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
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10) A study indicated that when a team takes the time to debate the issues,
A) team leadership usually changes hands.
B) considerable conflict arises within the group.
C) a suboptimal decision is more likely to be reached.
D) an optimal decision is more likely to be reached.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
11) Melissa takes an advocacy approach to group decision making. During a problem-solving
meeting she is likely to
A) advocate whatever is best for the company.
B) be extra courteous toward the other team members.
C) do whatever she can to get her alternative selected by the group.
D) be the first to offer constructive suggestions.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
12) A distinguishing characteristic of brainstorming is that participation by group members
A) takes place in a predetermined sequence.
B) follows the decision-making steps.
C) is spontaneous and unrestrained.
D) is discouraged by the group leader.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
13) A recommended group size for brainstorming is about how many members?
A) 2 to 4
B) 5 to 7
C) 8 to 14
D) 15 to 20
AACSB: Application of knowledge
14) In brainstorming, how should the group handle a seemingly outlandish idea?
A) Loudly discourage its originator.
B) Welcome it.
C) Ask for clarification.
D) Ask that it be put in writing.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
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15) A widely accepted suggestion for enhancing the effectiveness of brainstorming is for the
group to be composed of
A) homogeneous members.
B) diverse members.
C) members belonging to a similar age group.
D) are looking for a break from the usual job routine.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
16) You are seated alone in your cubicle at the office. You engage in brainwriting by
A) writing down a list of potential solutions to a problem you are facing.
B) sending messages to a few coworkers to ask them how they would handle the problem that
you are facing.
C) inviting a few coworkers to a group problem-solving session.
D) accessing your favorite social networking site in order to take a break.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
17) Which one of the following techniques is particularly recommended when you need to know
how people would react to the alternatives to the problem at hand?
A) group brainstorming
B) brainstorming individually
C) general problem-solving group
D) nominal group technique
AACSB: Application of knowledge
18) Alternative solutions developed by members in the nominal group technique are
A) submitted to a brainstorming group.
B) submitted to the leader who performs the evaluation.
C) rejected if they do not receive unanimous approval.
D) voted on by group members.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
19) A consequence noted of standup meetings is that participants are likely to
A) think that the meeting is not serious.
B) be more alert.
C) be more charitable toward ineffective members.
D) wind up sitting on the floor after a few minutes.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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20) With respect to interpersonal skills, standup meetings
A) represent a good opportunity to enhance these skills.
B) become unimportant because of limited time.
C) tend to suppress such skills.
D) discourage the ability to resolve disagreements on the spot.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
21) A frequent reason for using collaborative software is to
A) minimize written and spoken contact among group members.
B) communicate when it would not otherwise be possible.
C) eliminate the need for team leaders.
D) create more travel opportunities for group members.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
22) Social platforms for group problem solving refer to the idea that electronic approaches to
group problem solving
A) demand a high level of face-to-face interpersonal skills.
B) result in isolation from coworkers.
C) function in the same manner as social networking sites.
D) diminish the need for human judgment.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
23) Josh is an effective meeting participant, so during a meeting, he is likely to
A) sit silently and let others do the talking.
B) avoid compromise solutions.
C) engage in sidebar conversations quietly.
D) be prepared, having studied support materials in advance of the meeting.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
24) Ashley is an ineffective meeting participant, so during a meeting, she is likely to
A) study support material including e-mails during the meeting.
B) stay to the end even if she has already contributed.
C) use constructive nonverbal behavior.
D) rely much more on intuition than data in defending her point.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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25) An important cultural factor that could inhibit a worker’s willingness to share decision
making is a society that values
A) collectivism.
B) aggressiveness.
C) equal distribution of power.
D) profit making.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
Job Scenario, Multiple-Choice
Kathy is an office manager at a growing law firm that specializes in pursuing awards for accident
victims. She is assigned as the head of a problem-solving group to decide where to locate a new,
expanded office downtown. A major decision facing the group is whether to rent space in a sleek,
new office building or renovate space in a former factory building. The space in the old factory
building would have brick walls, and resemble a large loft. During the second meeting on this
topic, the discussion has become quite heated, with comments such as these: “Are we going to
look like a law firm, or a bunch of wild, creative advertising types?” “The new office building
might give the impression that we are a rich law firm exploiting our poor clients. The converted
office building would look like we are human and caring.” The mood of the problem-solving
group is turning toward negativism and disagreement.
26) During the second meeting, group leader Kathy might deal with the situation by
A) insisting that no further discussion is warranted on how the office space will be perceived,
because the discussion has turned ugly.
B) encouraging the group to take a vote now by secret ballot, because emotions have peaked.
C) encouraging the group to explore further the possible client perceptions associated with space
in a modern office building versus a loft-type structure.
D) focusing on the economic model of decision making, and encouraging the group to analyze
the costs associated with the two types of office space.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
27) To help deal with some of the emotion that has surfaced during the second meeting, group
leader Kathy might
A) call for a standup meeting, which will probably shorten debate.
B) ask that each person with a strong preference for either type of rental space, fully express his
or her opinion including facts and feelings.
C) explain that since this is a law firm, only facts, not feelings, can be entered into debate.
D) explain to the group that disagreement on major issues is dysfunctional (harmful).
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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7.2 True/False Questions
1) An important aspect of interpersonal relations in organizations is working closely with others
in solving problems and making decisions.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
2) The rational decision-making model would be well-suited to discovering the cause of a
technical problem.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
3) Greed and gluttony will often contribute to decision makers abandoning the rational decision-
making model.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
4) The idea of collective intelligence in groups refers to the face that the intelligence of a group
is approximately the same as the average problem-solving ability of group members.
AACSB: Analytical thinking
5) When the proportion of women in a group is high, the group will tend toward having higher
collective intelligence.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
6) A frequent problem noted with group decision making is that it leads to low commitment
about implementing the decision the group agreed upon.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
7) A product development group at Yahoo stands up spontaneously and says, “We can do it, let‘s
go.” The statement suggests that the group has high collective efficacy.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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8) A problem with disagreement within a decision-making group is that the disagreement
encourages groupthink.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
9) For group decision making to proceed smoothly, it is important for the group leader to
suppress any dissent.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
10) A study showed that disagreement among members of cross-functional groups led to positive
outcomes for the group when the dissenters felt they had the freedom to express doubt.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
11) Using an advocacy approach, disagreement by group members tends to be positive and unify
the group.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
12) You are using the advocacy approach in group decision making when you approach group
decision making like a contest to see whose idea wins.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
13) An important feature of brainstorming is critical discussion of alternative solutions as they
surface.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
14) Brainstorming is likely to be the most productive when conducted in a dark, drab room
because the participants are better able to concentrate on the task.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
15) When brainstorming is conducted with a heterogeneous group of people, the diversity of
perspectives and viewpoints results in confusion and poor problem solving.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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16) Sitting alone at his desktop computer, Mohammed develops a list of possible solutions to a
problem facing his department. Mohammed is therefore using the technique referred to as
brainwriting.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
17) In an early phase of the nominal group technique, group members write down their ideas
independently without speaking to other members.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
18) In the nominal group technique, the idea chosen as the best idea is determined by a rating
procedure.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
19) Standup meetings typically last about 1.5 hours in order to test the physical stamina and
commitment of group members.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
20) Beth is a manager at UPS, so she finds that standup meetings fit the need for the type of
quick and decisive action that the company demands.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
21) Conducting meetings through e-mail has made person-to-person contact almost superfluous
for group tasks.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
22) An important purpose of using collaborative software is to bring together multiple
perspectives and expertise.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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23) Priscilla is a first-rate meeting participant, so she is likely to offer a compromise solution
when two other members are in a dispute over an issue.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
24) Yuri was raised in a culture that strongly accepts an unequal distribution of power in
organizations, so he will probably take quite readily to group decision making.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
25) Tanya was raised in a culture that values nurturing people, so she will probably take quite
readily to group decision making.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
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