Fundamentals of Management, 10e (Robbins)
Chapter 10 Understanding Groups and Managing Work Teams
1) Many managers in today’s business world have restructured work ________.
A) around individuals rather than teams
B) around teams rather than individuals
C) around both individuals and teams
D) around groups rather than teams
2) Of the following, which is the main advantage of teams within an organization?
A) increased organizational performance
B) increased organizational coherence
C) increased groupthink
D) decreased legal costs associated with diversity
3) Formal groups ________.
A) meet at a regular time and place
B) are defined by an organization’s structure
C) include people who share a common interest
D) include people who eat lunch together each day
4) This kind of work group is brought together to accomplish a specific job or single activity,
such as the development of a new product.
A) command group
B) formal group
C) informal group
D) task group
5) This kind of work group brings individuals together from different work disciplines with
different knowledge and skills.
A) formal group
B) cross-functional team
C) command group
D) self-managed team
6) The ________ stage of 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
7) This stage involves the most conflict during the entire group development process.
A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing
8) Norming is a stage of group development that occurs when ________.
A) the group struggles for leadership
B) the group defines its purpose
C) the group develops cohesiveness
D) the group defines its goals
9) In which group development process is the group’s energy directed to working on the group’s
task?
A) storming
B) forming
C) norming
D) performing
10) Permanent work groups are not likely to go through this stage.
A) storming
B) adjourning
C) forming
D) norming
11) During a recent meeting, a shouting match arose between a design manager and a marketing
representative about a marketing plan for a new product. This team seems to be at the ________
stage of group development.
A) conflict
B) forming
C) norming
D) storming
12) During the storming stage of group development, high levels of conflict ________.
A) are necessary for group cohesiveness
B) increase group cohesiveness
C) can contribute to group effectiveness
D) are never a factor in group effectiveness
13) A group that has gone through the norming stage of the group development process
________.
A) never returns to the storming stage
B) always returns to the storming stage
C) never returns to the forming stage
D) may return to the forming or storming stage
The Retreat (Scenario)
The first-line managers of ELH Inc. were sent on a retreat to Silver Falls for their inaugural
strategic planning meeting. Few people knew each other, but their task was clear: design a new
performance appraisal system for subordinates that would be effective and usable.
The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official
leader. Finally, Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the
group.
By the second day, the group seemed to begin working well. They spent the morning
determining group standards with respect to how they would make decisions within the group
and how to manage the idea-generation process.
On the third and fourth days, the managers got down to work and moved amazingly quickly,
with ideas flowing freely. By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed,
and they felt satisfied. That night they all signed off on a new document to be presented to the
regional manager the next day. They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group
and return to normal work life.
14) The official forming stage of the group development process wasn’t complete until group
members ________.
A) experienced conflict
B) introduced one another
C) felt themselves a part of the group
D) got acquainted with one another
15) The group was in the ________ stage when it was competing to see who would lead the
group.
A) performing
B) storming
C) forming
D) adjourning
16) When the management group was determining standards and establishing how it would make
decisions, it was in the ________ stage of group development.
A) norming
B) storming
C) forming
D) adjourning
17) In the third and fourth days of the retreat, the managers were in the ________ stage of group
development.
A) performing
B) storming
C) forming
D) adjourning
18) When the management team left Silver Falls to return to their own teams and departments,
they had just completed the ________ stage of group development.
A) performing
B) storming
C) forming
D) adjourning
19) A group consists of individuals who share specific goals.
20) Formal groups tend to form around friendships and common interests.
21) To be considered a group, a gathering must include at least five people.
22) Groups tend to go through five stages as they develop.
23) The norming stage of group development ends when members consider themselves a part of
the group.
24) Managers should especially try to avoid conflict during the storming stage of group
development.
25) In the norming stage of group development, the group becomes cohesive.
26) The group is likely to work on its primary task during the adjourning stage of group
development.
27) In a short essay, discuss the first stage of group development.
28) In a short essay, discuss the second stage of group development.
29) In a short essay, discuss the third stage of group development.
30) In a short essay, discuss the last two stages of group development.
31) What term describes the behavior patterns of someone who occupies a given position in a
group?
A) Status
B) A role
C) A norm
D) Leadership
32) Al is given two different “top priorities” from two different managers. Al is experiencing
________.
A) role conflict
B) role reversal
C) efficiency conflict
D) personal conflict
33) Most workers learn what is expected as far as performance on the job from group ________.
A) roles
B) size
C) cohesiveness
D) norms
34) Group norms typically are ________.
A) grading systems
B) not very powerful
C) accepted standards
D) always set by leadership
35) Which of the following would be an example of a group norm?
A) Company policies on absenteeism
B) Acceptable ways of dressing
C) Hiring policies prohibiting discrimination
D) Rules against sexual harassment
36) Solomon Asch carried out pioneering studies in understanding ________.
A) group status
B) group roles
C) group size
D) group conformity
37) Asch was surprised most by finding that in some conditions, group members would provide
information that they knew to be ________.
A) slightly exaggerated
B) vague
C) wrong
D) not fully substantiated
38) Asch’s subjects were seen to give incorrect answers that they knew were incorrect in
________ of his studies.
A) about half
B) more than half
C) about 35 percent
D) about 90 percent
39) Asch’s results are attributed to the tendency of people in groups to ________.
A) try to distinguish themselves
B) go along with the pack
C) stand up for what they know is right
D) swim against the current
40) Asch could feel fairly confident that his results were legitimate because ________ pressured
by the group.
A) 35 percent of respondents gave wrong answers when they were not
B) only 1 percent of respondents gave wrong answers when they were not
C) only 1 percent of respondents gave wrong answers when they were
D) 90 percent of respondents gave wrong answers when they were
41) Members of an organization typically ________ the status of other organizational members.
A) agree about
B) disagree about
C) cannot recognize
D) refuse to recognize
42) A low-ranking employee having the best parking space in the company parking lot is an
example of ________.
A) status congruence
B) status incongruence
C) a status category
D) a status level
43) Status incongruence can be upsetting to employees because it sends a signal that
organizational accomplishments ________.
A) are rewarded fairly and justly
B) are always rewarded
C) are never rewarded
D) are not always rewarded fairly and justly
44) Small groups appear to perform better when it comes to ________.
A) problem solving
B) getting diverse input into a problem
C) speed of performing tasks
D) finding facts
45) Large groups appear to perform better when the goal of the group is to ________.
A) find facts
B) create consensus on a new product
C) interpret facts
D) solve problems quickly
46) Small groups appear to perform better when it comes to ________.
A) gaining diverse input
B) finding facts
C) problem solving
D) completing task faster
47) As the size of a group increases, the output of ________.
A) each group member tends to increase
B) each group member tends to decrease
C) the group decreases
D) the group stays the same
48) The primary reason for why social loafing occurs is that output contributions from ________
easily be measured.
A) the entire group can
B) the entire group cannot
C) individuals can
D) individuals cannot
49) The only effective way to guard against social loafing is for managers to make special efforts
to do this.
A) be fair to all group members
B) treat all group members equally
C) assess individual contributions of group members
D) assess the group as a whole exclusively
50) Group cohesiveness is largely a measure of how ________.
A) clear the group’s goals are
B) much individuals share the group’s goals
C) attainable the group’s goals are
D) much the group’s goals match organizational goals
51) High cohesiveness combined with a strong alignment between group goals and
organizational goals typically results in this.
A) strong productivity increase
B) strong productivity decrease
C) small productivity decrease
D) no productivity change
52) High cohesiveness combined with a very weak alignment between group goals and
organizational goals typically results in this.
A) a small productivity increase
B) a productivity decrease
C) a large productivity increase
D) no productivity change
53) Low cohesiveness combined with a strong alignment between group goals and organizational
goals typically results in this.
A) a small productivity increase
B) a productivity decrease
C) a moderate productivity increase
D) no productivity change
54) Group norms have little to do with how hard a group member works.
55) The studies by Solomon Asch show that group norms are a powerful force.
56) Group norms affect dynamics such as effort and performance, but not superficial things like
what people wear at work.
57) As a group expands, individual productivity tends to decline.
58) High cohesiveness always results in a productivity increase.
59) In a short essay, discuss how the work of Solomon Asch might affect managerial behavior.