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1. Which of the following is a popular term for a small group?
A) Quality control circle
B) Network
C) Team
D) Congregation
2. If the members of a group are working interdependently, it means that they are
__________.
A) relying on one another to succeed
B) focused on their own goals rather than the group’s goals
C) working individually rather than as a team
D) working in opposition to one another
3. __________ are popular throughout our lives and offer us a way to understand our world.
A) Self-managed work teams
B) Task forces
C) Committees
D) Learning groups
4. A task force is a type of __________.
A) top management team
B) learning group
C) committee
D) self-managed work team
5. Which type of group is the result of an organization decentralizing and appointing
multiple managers to lead different units?
A) Top management team
B) Self-managed work team
C) Quality control circle
D) Task force
6. What is the best group size for most situations?
A) No more than three members
B) Three to six members
C) Seven to ten members
D) At least ten members
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7. Compared to pairs, groups __________.
A) tend to be less stable
B) debate their goals more subtly
C) are more likely to dissolve quickly
D) discuss their roles more overtly
8. When do new members find themselves fully integrated into a group?
A) As soon as they join the group
B) When they feel comfortable with the group, and vice versa
C) When an even newer member joins the group
D) While performing research on the group
9. What should group members do when a member leaves the group?
A) Talk openly about why the person left and its effect on the group
B) Talk quietly and privately to each other about what happened
C) Act as though the person is still there
D) Act as though the person was never there
10. Which statement about small groups is true?
A) Small groups have more difficulty gathering information than does an individual
working alone.
B) Working in a small group offers more diverse perspectives than does working alone.
C) When sharing information, group members tend to pay more attention to
information that they disagree on.
D) Working in a small group decreases each member’s commitment to the group’s
solution.
11. Compared to heterogeneous groups that find ways to coordinate multiple perspectives,
homogeneous groups __________.
A) run less smoothly but are more productive
B) run less smoothly and are less productive
C) run more smoothly and are more productive
D) run more smoothly but are less productive
12. What are the three basic types of small group roles?
A) Work, social, and neutral roles
B) Social, selfish, and dual roles
C) Work, social, and selfish roles
D) Individual, dual, and multiple roles
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13. Which type of group member offers supporting information to strengthen an argument
raised by another member of the group?
A) Synthesizer
B) Elaborator
C) Initiator
D) Information gatherer
14. Bryan sat quietly while several members of his group suggested ideas for solving the
problem the group was formed to address. After they spoke, Bryan offered his thoughts on their
ideas. What is Bryan’s role in the group?
A) Recorder
B) Norm facilitator
C) Evaluator
D) Dominator
15. Which is an example of a social role?
A) Harmonizer
B) Recorder
C) Blocker
D) Clarifier
16. Chloe’s instructor broke the class down into small groups and assigned each group a
topic for a research assignment. Although Chloe goes to the group’s meetings, she refuses to
participate in the discussion and makes no significant contribution. Which role is Chloe filling?
A) Dominator
B) Distracter
C) Withdrawer
D) Blocker
17. Which of the following is the opposite of a distracter?
A) Harmonizer
B) Withdrawer
C) Blocker
D) Encourager
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18. When a member of a group experiences role conflict, he or she will typically
__________.
A) drop both roles
B) continue in both roles
C) take on a third role in addition to the others
D) select the role most important to him or her
19. What are the five stages of group development, in order from first to last, according to
Tuckman’s model?
A) Forming, norming, performing, storming, and adjourning
B) Forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning
C) Storming, forming, performing, norming, and adjourning
D) Norming, forming, performing, storming, and adjourning
20. __________ group members value clarity over the nuance of expression.
A) Collectivist
B) Individualistic
C) Low-power-distance
D) High-power-distance
21. Which of the following would be expected in high-context communication?
A) Understanding subtle cues
B) The context of the communication being irrelevant
C) Not reading between the lines
D) Valuing the explicit meaning of a message
22. Groups can hold entirely remote, face-to-face meetings in real time with which of the
following technologies?
A) E-mail
B) Instant messaging
C) Videoconferencing
D) Electronic bulletin board services
23. To be an effective member of a small group, you should __________.
A) dominate group discussions
B) listen passively
C) encourage a competitive climate
D) be prepared for group meetings
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24. What should you do when challenging a point in a meeting?
A) Interrupt the speaker with your point
B) First repeat back what the speaker said
C) Avoid making direct eye contact with the speaker
D) Simply declare that the speaker is wrong
25. When considering problems and solutions in a group, it is important to __________.
A) be guided by your political interests
B) avoid critiquing others’ ideas
C) be guided by honesty
D) value candor over tact
26. Learning to work effectively in a group is a valuable life skill.
A) True
B) False
27. Any time we’re interacting with others, they can (and often will) perceive our words and
actions in any number of ways—even those that we didn’t intend.
A) True
B) False
28. We are constantly moving in and out of different communication contexts throughout the
day. A) True
B) False
29. The size of a group does not affect the degree of effort and coordination needed to
communicate well within it.
A) True
B) False
30. The more centralized the network, the more members talk to each other and the group as
a whole.
A) True
B) False
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31. All groups are voluntary.
A) True
B) False
32. A group with diverse perspectives that values all those perspectives and is able to use
them effectively has the best chance of reaching its goals.
A) True
B) False
33. With social roles, communication focuses on the relationship or communication between
group members.
A) True
B) False
34. Your group role is dependent on two things: your abilities and what the group expects
from you.
A) True
B) False
35. Members can play no more than one role in a group.
A) True
B) False
36. For your group to be as successful as possible, you should match your strengths with
your group’s expectations.
A) True
B) False
37. It is safe to assume that a great harmonizer in a previous group will be just as effective in
the same role in a new group.
A) True
B) False
38. Gersick’s two-phase model states that no matter how long groups are working on a task,
a major turning point occurs at the midpoint of the project.
A) True
B) False
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39. Groups that don’t value diversity believe that there are much sharper differences between
members than do groups that do value diversity.
A) True
B) False
40. Effective groups balance the amount of input from each member.
A) True
B) False
41. High-power-distance cultures work to limit inequality.
A) True
B) False
42. People from more masculine countries value more direct leadership in a group.
A) True
B) False
43. Mindful communication is characterized by thoughtful reflection, openness, and a
willingness to bridge differences.
A) True
B) False
44. Members who see themselves in the minority in a diverse group tend to socialize more
with each other, which negatively influences communication when focused on the task at hand.
A) True
B) False
45. Research indicates that both Caucasians and ethnic minorities enjoy working in
minority-dominated groups more than majority Caucasian groups, and at no cost to their work.
A) True
B) False
46. In general, people prefer face-to-face communication to mediated communication.
A) True
B) False
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47. E-mail should not be used formally for group work.
A) True
B) False
48. Instant relay chat prevents multiple people from sending messages at the same time.
A) True
B) False
49. Services such as Wikispace, Google Docs, and Dropbox allow group members to work
on the same documents from different locations.
A) True
B) False
50. Listening is important throughout all the group processes.
A) True
B) False
51. A(n) _________________ is a limited number of people who work toward a common
goal and who believe that, together, they can achieve more than any one of them acting alone.
52. __________________ groups help us with our needs to be cared for and to connect
with others.
53. __________________ groups are task- or work-oriented groups that we form to help
influence others and solve problems.
54. ___________________ are composed of members with the skills and knowledge
necessary for the particular assignment.
55. ___________________ aim to find a way to better their company’s performance.
56. In _________________ teams, skilled peers oversee their own schedules and work
policies within the boundaries of their parent company—with little supervision.
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57. Patterns of information flow that group members have with certain others in a group are
called _________________.
58. __________________ requires all members to exhibit open and sensitive
communication.
59. __________________ occurs when a group is made up of different types of members.
60. All the ways members communicate with one another, both verbally and nonverbally,
are known as ____________________.
61. Those who facilitate the exchange of information among group members are called
___________________.
62. Those who show solidarity by focusing their behavior on promoting and valuing the
group itself are called ________________.
63. _________________ occurs when the multiple roles of a group member clash.
64. Positive __________________ occurs when the collective level of performance is
greater than that created by any single member.
65. A group’s _________________ is its emotional or relational atmosphere.
66. Compare and contrast the three basic types of work-related teams.
67. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of small groups.
68. Identify and describe seven of the work roles commonly seen in small groups. Which
three are you most comfortable in, and why?
69. Describe mindful communication. What three things do you need to keep in mind to
effectively manage group diversity? Please explain each of these three things.
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70. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face communication and mediated
communication.
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Answer Key
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. C
5. A
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