Chapter 9
Communicating in Groups
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A work group is _______
2. A(n) _______ group is a group that forms out of a shared hobby, concern, or activity.
3. Which of these is an example of a service group?
4. An effective work group goal should be _______
5. Generally speaking, when we consider group size, _______
6. Cohesiveness is more likely to develop in groups in which
_______
7. Cohesiveness is more likely to develop in _______
8. Olivia volunteered to bring snacks to the first group meeting, and now she does it every week
even though it is not officially assigned to her. This is an example of a
_______
9. Which of the following characteristics of a group norm is accurate?
10.
A
_______ family is one in which all family members give input on a decision, but one person
makes the final decision.
11. Norms that evolve informally are different than formal norms because informal norms
_______
12. Synergy is _______
13. Which of the following statements about social friendship groups is accurate?
14. What is the purpose of a team-building activity?
15. Which of the following statements about support groups is accurate?
16. Group goals _______
17. Competent group communicators often identify developing group norms and then adapt their
communication styles to the group norms during the _______
18. Disagreements between people are usually not present in the _______ stage because
members like to appear flexible during this stage of group development.
19. During which stage of group development are members concerned with fitting in?
20. During which stage of group development are members concerned about expressing their
ideas and being heard?
21. Groupthink _______
22. During this stage of group development, members assign meaning to what they have done.
23. During this stage of group development, conversations are focused on problem solving and
sharing task-related information.
24. What should you do to change an informal norm in a group?
25.
A
_______ is an explicit expectation of behavior.
26. Which of the following statements about group evaluation is accurate?
27. Which of the following is an example of engaging in accountability?
28. What can you do to avoid groupthink?
29. Even though the Bluerays, a local swim team, did not have a single record-holding swimmer
on the team, their combined efforts and talents helped them to win the city’s championship
meet. This is an example of _______
30. If a group seems to be moving along quickly towards their goals with very little or no
dissention among group members and no change in their goals, what is probably happening?
31. In a _______ group, the members are very similar to one another.
32. A homogenous group may face which challenge?
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33. According to your textbook, which statement about online games like World of Warcraft is
accurate?
34. What makes a group different from an aggregation of people?
35. If two or more group members disagree about the scheduling of their meetings, this is an
example of _______
36. While preparing for a group meeting, Jacob sees that his contribution was not posted in the
minutes of the last meeting and he shows up to the meeting angry. The team leader explains
the mistake as he hands out the revised minutes. This is an example of a _______
True/False Questions
1. An interest group is made up of people who genuinely care about each other’s welfare.
2. Group norms can be counterproductive.
3. Groupthink is necessary in order for a group to be productive.
4. Performing is the most important stage of group development.
5. The adjourning stage of group development should include a termination ritual.
6. Nonverbal cues are not important in virtual groups because group members do not see each
other face-to-face.
7. Conflict should always be avoided within groups.
8. Virtual groups should communicate how they feel to close the gap created by a virtual work
environment.
Essay Questions
1. Your book identifies six characteristics of healthy groups. Briefly describe a group you have
been part of that you think is a healthy group. Using at least three of the characteristics (and
providing an example of each), explain why you think this group is/was healthy.
2. Think about the groups you are in or have been a part of. Describe the different roles you
have taken in groups. Do you always end up in the same types of roles? Why do you think
this does or does not happen?
3. Identify and explain the major stages of group development and identify what stage this class
is in right now. Justify and explain your answer using examples.
4. Define synergy. Then, give an example of a time that you experienced synergy in a group.
Based on what you know about group cohesiveness and group effectiveness, describe why you
think this group was able to achieve synergy. Be sure to use at least three terms from the text
in your answer.
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