Management, 14e (Robbins/Coulter)
Chapter 13 Creating and Managing Teams
1) It is Black Friday. Several people are waiting outside the popular electronics store for
someone to unlock the doors. These people constitute a(n) ________.
A) formal group
B) informal group
C) social group
D) crowd
2) Which of the following is an example of a formal group?
A) people who assemble in the company library to read
B) a group of employees attending a colleague’s wedding
C) a functional department in an organization
D) a group of employees who meet after work to play basketball
3) Groups that are determined by the organization chart and composed of individuals who report
directly to a given manager are called ________.
A) command groups
B) task groups
C) cross-functional teams
D) self-managed teams
4) David supervises a group of employees who work towards achieving organizational goals.
This group can be called a ________.
A) self-managed team
B) task group
C) command group
D) cross-functional team
5) Every summer ABC Corp. hosts a picnic for employees and their families. The group that
plans and makes all the arrangements for this event would be called a ________.
A) self-managed team
B) task group
C) command group
D) cross-functional team
6) Which one of the following refers to independent formal groups whose members, in addition
to their regular jobs, take on traditional managerial responsibilities, such as hiring, planning and
scheduling, and evaluating performance?
A) command groups
B) task groups
C) self-managed teams
D) cross-functional teams
7) Which one of the following stages in group development involves defining the group’s
structure and leadership?
A) norming
B) storming
C) performing
D) forming
8) The first group meeting is in progress. The five attendees are exchanging contact information
and getting acquainted. This group is in the ________ stage.
A) forming
B) norming
C) storming
D) performing
9) The ________ stage in the group development process is complete when members begin to
think of themselves as part of a group.
A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing
10) During the ________ stage of the group development process, a relatively clear hierarchy of
leadership and agreement on the group’s direction emerge.
A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing
11) It became clear that both Cathy and Simon felt they should lead the group. Other group
members began aligning themselves with one or the other. This group is in the ________ stage.
A) forming
B) norming
C) storming
D) performing
12) For a new project, Eldon forms a team of individuals from various functional departments.
After a few days Eldon observes conflicts within the group over who will control it and what the
group needs to be doing. This team is now in the ________ stage of group development.
A) storming
B) forming
C) performing
D) norming
13) Group A has been meeting for one month and is having some difficulty appointing its leader.
At least three individuals are qualified to keep the group’s focus on its objectives, but the group
has yet to decide which person will lead. Group A is at the ________ stage.
A) forming
B) performing
C) storming
D) norming
14) The ________ stage of the group development process is one in which close relationships
develop and the group becomes cohesive.
A) norming
B) forming
C) storming
D) performing
15) In this meeting, the group is discussing a code of conduct to be observed by all members,
such as arriving on time and not interrupting the speaker. This group is in the ________ stage.
A) forming
B) norming
C) storming
D) performing
16) The ________ stage of group development is complete when the group structure solidifies
and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member
behavior.
A) storming
B) forming
C) performing
D) norming
17) Group C has been meeting for two months and seems to be progressing extremely well. You
observe that the group meets every morning and spends the first five minutes chatting. They then
review the decisions of the last meeting followed by a discussion on the status of their current
tasks. Group C is currently at the ________ stage.
A) norming
B) performing
C) storming
D) adjourning
18) In which stage of group development does the group focus its attention on wrapping up
activities instead of task performance?
A) storming
B) adjourning
C) forming
D) norming
19) Group D has been working on developing a product which is now ready to hit the market.
The group members are happy about the work they’ve done on this product. The focus has now
shifted from productivity to tying up loose ends. Group D is at the ________ stage.
A) forming
B) performing
C) norming
D) adjourning
20) Which one of the following is considered to be the last stage of group development for
permanent work groups?
A) performing
B) norming
C) storming
D) adjourning
21) Formal groups are work groups that are defined by the organization’s structure and have
designated work assignments and specific tasks directed at accomplishing organizational goals.
22) Task groups are permanent teams that take on special projects.
23) Self-managed teams function in an independent and informal manner.
24) In the group development process, the forming stage is complete when members begin to
think of themselves as part of a group.
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25) Under some conditions, high levels of conflict are conducive to high levels of group
performance.
26) Describe the differences between formal and informal groups, giving examples of each.
27) List and discuss the five stages of group development.
28) Employees were paid and evaluated based on quantity of output so it expected the
continuous improvement team to meet during the two daily 15-minute breaks. The only space
available for these meetings was the noisy breakroom. Then management wondered why the
group was not producing results. The most likely reason is ________
A) a lack of resources within the group
B) external conditions imposed on the group
C) a poor strategy for managing quality
D) a lack of group cohesiveness
29) Students often complain that having to work with assigned teammates results in a poorer
group project. They are complaining about a(n) ________.
A) external condition
B) internal condition
C) group member resource
D) group task
30) Which of the following personality traits is negatively related to group productivity and
morale?
A) unconventionality
B) self-reliance
C) independence
D) sociability
31) Whenever one of her group got within ten feet of her, Christine chirped, “Oh good! You’ve
come to help me.” This group is likely to have low productivity because ________.
A) Christine lacks sociability
B) Christine lacks self-reliance
C) Christine possesses authoritarianism
D) Christine is unconventional
32) This group should have worked well together. Each of them had at least five years seniority
and had scored well on past performance evaluations. They all knew what needed to be done.
But it seemed they were always in disagreement about something. This group probably lacked
________.
A) communication skills
B) independence
C) conflict resolution skills
D) sociability
33) A pattern of behavior expected of someone occupying a given position in a social unit is
called a ________.
A) role
B) status
C) norm
D) persona
34) When Fred’s department head explained what was expected of him as a new professor in
terms of maintaining discipline in his classroom and providing students with a challenging
course, he was referring to Fred’s ________ at the university.
A) role
B) status
C) obligations
D) authority
35) The acceptable standards or expectations that are shared by a group’s members are referred to
as ________.
A) affiliations
B) norms
C) criteria
D) morals
36) Samantha is a single mom and the administrative assistant for the marketing department. Her
son’s soccer games begin right after school so Samantha often has to choose between supporting
her son at his games and working. Samantha is experiencing role ________.
A) overload
B) ambiguity
C) conflict
D) clarity
37) “Slow down, Mary. You’re making us all look bad.” These comments likely came from a
worker concerned about ________.
A) group roles
B) group norms
C) groupthink
D) social loafing
38) Which one of the following is a negative aspect of group norms?
A) Being part of a group has the ability to increase an individual’s antisocial actions.
B) The most widespread norms are those related to dress codes.
C) Groups become dysfunctional when they maintain strict norms.
D) Norms do not influence employees’ performance.
39) Asch’s experiment, which used lines of varying lengths to test group behavior, has shown the
existence of ________.
A) group norms
B) workplace conformity
C) social loafing
D) role conflicts
40) Her instincts told her the group was heading in a very wrong direction but Natalie didn’t want
to cause a scene by disagreeing, especially when she was apparently the only one with
reservations. Natalie has succumbed to ________.
A) group norms
B) social loafing
C) groupthink
D) groupshift
41) The reluctance of George’s group mates to voice their opposition to several issues in order to
maintain group harmony is an example of ________.
A) social loafing
B) group norms
C) groupshift
D) groupthink
42) Which one of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group?
A) role
B) status
C) stature
D) membership
43) Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________.
A) formal status categories
B) informal status categories
C) internal status categories
D) external status categories
44) Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?
A) Anything can have status value if others in the group evaluate it that way.
B) Status is a weak employee motivator even though it has behavioral consequences.
C) Status can only be formally conferred on individuals.
D) Status systems are independent of aspects such as prestige and grading.
45) She was the matriarch of the department, the most senior employee. She always sat
immediately to the right of the manager in all department meetings. No one dared take her chair.
That chair was a symbol of her ________.
A) importance
B) age
C) status
D) seniority
46) ________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates.
A) Informal status
B) Role conflict
C) Role ambiguity
D) Status incongruence
47) In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.
A) have shorter group tenure
B) are faster at completing tasks
C) have longer norming processes
D) are better at obtaining diverse input
48) Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones when the group is involved in
________.
A) getting things done
B) routine tasks
C) problem solving
D) long-term projects
49) Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when
working individually. Which one of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior?
A) social loafing
B) role conflict
C) role ambiguity
D) nonconformity
50) Stacey was invited to become a member of the class project team because the other members
knew she had a high GPA and worked hard on all her individual assignments. Although the other
members worked diligently to complete their parts, Stacey was not giving her best effort to this
team. Which of the following is a possible explanation for Stacey’s behavior?
A) social loafing
B) status incongruence
C) role ambiguity
D) group cohesiveness
51) Which one of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in
groups?
A) clearly identify individual responsibilities and efforts in the group outcome
B) provide group rewards instead of individual rewards
C) increase the overall size of the group
D) form homogeneous groups to increase group cohesiveness
52) A lot is riding on the success of this project. All nine members will share in the rewards. But
Ted just doesn’t have time to complete his assignment so he rationalizes that no one outside the
group will know what he did or did not do anyway. Ted is engaged in ________.
A) nonconventionality
B) group norms
C) groupthink
D) social loafing
53) This group really clicked. They got along well both professionally and socially. While at
work they focused on work. This group is likely to experience ________ in productivity.
A) a strong increase
B) a moderate increase
C) no change
D) a decrease
54) Group cohesiveness is most likely to produce strong increases in productivity when
________.
A) cohesiveness reduces internal strife
B) the group’s goals align with the organization’s goals
C) it reduces social loafing in the group
D) group members respect and uphold the group norms
55) Which one of the following statements is true about group decision making?
A) It generates more complete information and knowledge.
B) It takes less time to reach a solution than it would an individual.
C) It prevents any one minority from dominating or influencing the final decision.
D) It is most suitable for matters that need to be critically evaluated.
56) Which one of the following is true about group decision making?
A) Groups tend to foster equal participation in decision making.
B) The pressure to conform is low when working in groups.
C) Groups take more time to arrive at a decision.
D) Groups usually make decisions based on incomplete information.
57) Which one of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making
over group decision making?
A) Individual decisions tend to be more accurate.
B) Individual decisions are better when dealing with complex issues.
C) Individuals tend to be more creative than groups.
D) Individual decisions are made faster than group decisions
58) The ________ view of conflict management argues that conflicts must be avoided as it
indicates a problem within the group.
A) human relations
B) traditional
C) interactionist
D) obstructionist
59) Celine feels that the form of marketing their company is using isn’t working anymore. Merle
disagrees vehemently. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy
as bad and harmful have a(n) ________ view of conflict.
A) human relations
B) relational
C) traditional
D) interactionist
60) Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best way to promote a new product. Those in the
company who view the conflict over the promotion strategy as natural and inevitable have a(n)
________ view of conflict.
A) human relations
B) reactionist
C) traditional
D) interactionist