Organizational Behavior, 17e (Robbins)
Chapter 9 Foundations of Group Behavior
1) Which of the following is true with regard to groups?
A) A group is characterized by the independence of its members.
B) A group typically lacks definite roles and structures.
C) A group influences our emotional reactions.
D) An informal gathering cannot be considered a group.
E) The membership of a group does not affect how its members treat outsiders.
2) Which of the following is true regarding formal groups?
A) They are natural formations that arise in response to the need for social contact.
B) They lack clearly defined structures and roles for their members.
C) They have negligible impact on employee performance and behavior.
D) A group of people who come together to protest against a new law make up a formal group.
E) They are marked by stipulated behaviors in pursuit of organizational goals.
3) An informal group is characterized by the ________.
A) stipulation of expected behaviors by the organization
B) predetermined designation of tasks of members
C) pursuit of particular organizational goals
D) fulfillment of the need for social contact
E) creation of timelines and rationale
4) Which of the following differentiates between formal and informal groups?
A) The timeline of reference for formal groups is greater than that for informal groups.
B) The impact of formal groups on organizational performance is less than that of informal
groups.
C) Formal groups pursue the goal of social contact, while informal groups have definite
organizational goals to attain.
D) Formal groups are typically smaller in size when compared to informal groups.
E) Formal groups involve clearly defined tasks and roles, while informal groups are neither
formally structured nor organizationally determined.
5) Our tendency to take personal pride or offense for the accomplishments of a group we are a
part of is the territory of the ________ theory.
A) social exchange
B) expectancy
C) social identity
D) reinforcement
E) equity
6) Which of the following is true with regard to the social identity theory?
A) It proposes that members take personal pride in accomplishments but dissociate from the
group in the event of any offenses or failures.
B) It proposes that people have emotional reactions to the failure or success of their group
because their self-esteem is tied into the group’s performance.
C) It proposes that people develop only one social identity in childhood that becomes more
defined and concrete in the course of their lives.
D) It proposes that social identities can never be detrimental as they have no effect on how
members of an ingroup view members of an out-group.
E) It proposes that members of an ingroup are viewed as being homogeneous, while members of
an out-group are seen as being heterogeneous.
7) ________ is defined as the tendency to see members of the group of which we are a part of as
better than other people.
A) Ingroup homogeneity
B) Xenocentrism
C) Ingroup favoritism
D) Black sheep effect
E) Hindsight bias
8) At Milton farms, where a large part of the management comes from the same sociocultural
background, many employees of diverse ethical or cultural origins are hired only to ensure legal
compliance with laws relating to diversity at the workplace. The company’s day-to-day
functioning leaves much to be desired in terms of promoting diversity. Recently, the owner’s
cousin was promoted to the post of a branch manager while three suitable candidates hailing
from different cultures were blatantly overlooked. This is an example of ________.
A) social loafing
B) ingroup favoritism
C) groupthink
D) contrast bias
E) social exchange
9) Aaron Dias was working on the last shift for the day at All Needs, a retail store owned by an
Asian man, when he opened the cash register and stole some money thinking that nobody would
witness him stealing. However, one of the customers watched him steal the money and reported
it to the manager the next day, and Aaron was terminated. Subsequently, the manager became
extremely strict with all his Caucasian employees and was often heard abusing them by saying,
“You guys are all the same.” This scenario depicts ________.
A) social loafing
B) ingroup favoritism
C) groupthink
D) contrast bias
E) social exchange
10) Similarity is a characteristic under the social identity theory that manifests itself in the
________.
A) tendency of ingroup members to notice and emphasize identities that reflect how different
they are from other groups
B) tendency of people who have greater uniformity in values and characteristics to have greater
group identification as well
C) tendency of people to link themselves to high-status groups in an attempt to define themselves
favorably
D) tendency of people to use the group as a means of understanding who they are and how they
fit into the world
E) tendency of ingroup members to prefer and endorse the products, ideas, and aspects of
someone else’s culture over their own
11) In the context of the social identity theory, distinctiveness refers to the ________.
A) tendency of people who have greater uniformity in values and characteristics to have greater
identification as well
B) tendency of people to link themselves to high-status groups in an attempt to define themselves
favorably
C) tendency of people to use the group as a means of understanding who they are and how they
fit into the world
D) tendency of ingroup members to prefer and endorse the products, ideas, and aspects of
someone else’s culture over their own
E) tendency of ingroup members to notice and emphasize identities that reflect how different
they are from other groups
12) Status is a characteristic under the social identity theory that reflects the ________.
A) tendency of people to use the group as a means of understanding who they are and how they
fit into the world
B) tendency of people who have greater uniformity in values and characteristics to have greater
identification as well
C) tendency of people to link themselves to groups of higher social standing in an attempt to
define themselves favorably
D) tendency of ingroup members to prefer and endorse the products, ideas, and aspects of
someone else’s culture over their own
E) tendency of ingroup members to notice and emphasize identities that reflect how different
they are from other groups
13) Uncertainty reduction is a dimension of the social identity theory that manifests itself in the
________.
A) tendency of people who have greater uniformity in values and characteristics to have greater
identification as well
B) tendency of people to use the group as a means of understanding who they are and how they
fit into the world
C) tendency of people to link themselves to groups of higher social standing in an attempt to
define themselves favorably
D) tendency of ingroup members to prefer and endorse the products, ideas, and aspects of
someone else’s culture over their own
E) tendency of ingroup members to notice and emphasize identities that reflect how different
they are from other groups
14) Often, our identification with our workgroups is stronger than with our organizations. Both
are important to positive outcomes in attitudes and behaviors. Additionally, if we have low
identification in relation to the group, there may be increased competition and decreased
organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by group members. If we have low identification with
our organizations, we may experience decreased satisfaction and OCB.
15) Ingroups and outgroups pave the way for social identity threat, which is akin to stereotype
threat.
16) Describe the characteristics of the social identity theory.
17) Describe the relationship between distinctiveness and groupshift.
18) Which of the following represents the second stage in the five-stage group development
model?
A) adjourning
B) performing
C) storming
D) forming
E) norming
19) Which of the following stages of the five-stage group development model is characterized by
a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s purpose, structure, and leadership?
A) introduction
B) storming
C) forming
D) evolution
E) norming
20) The second stage of the five-stage group development model is characterized by ________.
A) uncertainty about the purpose, structure, and leadership of the group
B) cohesiveness and close relationships among members of the group
C) strong feelings of group identity among members of the group
D) intragroup conflict within the group
E) pride in the accomplishments of the group
21) By the end of the stage of ________, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the
group is established.
A) norming
B) storming
C) forming
D) adjourning
E) performing
22) During the third stage of group development, ________.
A) conflicts over leadership are common
B) the group demonstrates cohesiveness
C) intragroup conflicts occur
D) members resist the constraints the group places on them
E) groups disband
23) Which of the following statements is true regarding the norming stage of group
development?
A) According to the five-stage group development model, this is the second stage in the group
development model.
B) This stage is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s purpose, structure,
and leadership.
C) During this stage, members accept the existence of the group but resist the constraints it
imposes on individuality.
D) During this stage, the group develops a common set of expectations of what defines correct
member behavior.
E) During this stage the group completes the task at hand.
24) When the group energy is focused on the task at hand and the group is fully functional, it is
said to be in the stage of ________.
A) storming
B) norming
C) inertia
D) forming
E) performing
25) Which of the following statements is most likely to be true regarding the performing stage?
A) The performing stage is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group’s
purpose, structure, and leadership.
B) During the performing stage, there is conflict over who will control the group.
C) The performing stage involves members trying out different behaviors in order to understand
which behaviors the group considers acceptable.
D) For permanent work groups, performing is the last stage in development.
E) During the performing stage, members accept the existence of the group but resist the
constraints it imposes on individuality.
26) Which of the following is true with regard to the five-stage group development model?
A) All permanent groups pass through the five stages of this model of group development
successively.
B) For temporary work teams, the performing stage is the last stage of group development.
C) The model assumes that employees are functioning at their most effective level beginning in
the first stage.
D) A positive social focus may aid a group in reaching the performing stage more rapidly.
E) Groups proceed through the stages of group development in similar speed and timelines.
27) Which of the following statements is true with regard to the punctuated-equilibrium model of
group development?
A) It applies to all permanent work groups.
B) It follows the five stages of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
C) It does not consider the changes in patterns of group activities in response to deadlines and
time constraints.
D) It involves the two strategies of groupthink and groupshift to break out of the phases of
inertia.
E) It characterizes groups as exhibiting long periods of inertia interspersed with brief
revolutionary changes.
28) Tabby Tolman is a project coordinator at Tristar Solutions. Whenever a new project comes
her way, she holds a project meeting and follows it up with repeated meetings to address any
concerns the team members may have and to monitor their progress. However, with the peak of
the business season arriving, she has been holding just one project initiation meeting for every
project to save on time. She has become increasingly worried about the team’s progress with no
inputs coming from the members, and she has had no time to check with them. With two weeks
left to go for a high priority project of a month’s duration, she has now begun to see some work
coming through and is relieved. This development reflects that the group is at the stage of
________.
A) forming
B) inertia following the first meeting
C) second phase of inertia before the group’s last meeting
D) storming
E) transition following the halfway mark in the timeline
29) The first phase of group development for temporary groups involves ________.
A) the phase of inertia before transition
B) the determination of the group’s direction
C) the transition to plan the major changes
D) a period of accelerated activity
E) the adoption of new perspectives
30) The determination of the behavioral patterns and assumptions through which the group
approaches the project is a function of the ________ phase in the punctuated-equilibrium model.
A) performing
B) inertia
C) equilibrium
D) transition
E) first meeting
31) Which of the following represents the major determinants of group development and
functioning as depicted by the punctuated-equilibrium model?
A) better perspectives and patterns
B) group solidarity and collectivist goals
C) promotion of diversity
D) deadlines and time constraints
E) role perception and expectation
32) A batch of trainees has been assigned a new project, and the team is unsure of the details of
the project and how they will pursue its completion as a group with specific tasks and roles. This
batch of trainees is in the forming stage of group development.
33) During the forming stage of group development, close relationships develop and the group
demonstrates cohesiveness.
34) The development of temporary work groups is best understood in terms of the five-stage
group development model.
35) List and briefly describe the stages in the five-stage model of group development.
36) Describe the punctuated-equilibrium model.
37) Role perception is defined as ________.
A) the way others believe we should act in a given context
B) our view of how we are supposed to act in a given situation
C) the existence of roles that are at variance with one another
D) the socially defined position or rank given to group members by others
E) the degree to which members are motivated to stay in the group
38) Janice Cooper has recently joined a hospital as a part of the internship program prescribed by
the nursing school she attends. Janice, who was inspired to take up this profession by the story of
Florence Nightingale, has very strong ideals about how she should behave as a nurse. She feels
that as a nurse she must be gentle, pleasant, and caring at all times so she can serve her patients
well, and she often goes to great lengths as an intern by putting in extra hours at the hospital and
so on. The scenario reflects Janice’s ________.
A) role fuzziness
B) role ambiguity
C) role conflict
D) role perception
E) role status
39) Role ________ is defined as the way others believe you should act in a given context.
A) fuzziness
B) expectation
C) conflict
D) perception
E) enhancement
40) Most people assume that police officers should behave in a lawful manner, refrain from
demonstrating favoritism to any particular group, and do their best to uphold the law. Which of
the following terms best represents these beliefs?
A) diversity
B) similarity
C) role expectation
D) uncertainty reduction
E) dispersion of responsibility
41) When ________, the result is role conflict.
A) compliance with one role aids our performance in another role
B) compliance with the group is an attempt to understand who we are and how we fit into the
world
C) compliance with the group is marked by a tendency to notice and emphasize those aspects of
the group that are distinctive
D) compliance with one role requirement may make it difficult to comply with another
E) compliance with the group is strengthened by members who have similar values and
characteristics
42) Michael is devout and very active in his church. He is also a very dedicated employee. His
manager offers him a promotion, but the new role will require him to work Sundays. Michael
would like the promotion but realizes that it would force him to miss some church activities. In
this situation, Michael is most likely to experience ________.
A) role conflict
B) social loafing
C) groupthink
D) role fuzziness
E) groupshift
43) Role perception indicates our view of how we are supposed to act in a given situation.
44) Role expectations at work are often conveyed through the psychological contract.
45) Explain the following terms: role perception and role expectation.
46) Explain the relationship between role conflict and reference groups.
47) Which of the following represents the acceptable standards of behavior within a group that
are shared by the group’s members?
A) status
B) norms
C) dyads
D) goals
E) cliques
48) Which of the following is an example of performance norms?
A) dress codes
B) rules in informal groups
C) assignment of difficult jobs, pay, and equipment
D) distribution of pay
E) the manner in which a job must be done
49) The ________ norms dictate behavior such as with whom group members eat lunch and
friendships on and off the job.
A) appearance
B) social arrangement
C) performance
D) reference
E) organizational
50) A local government work crew cleans up parks and other public spaces. In this crew, the
dirtiest jobs are generally given to the newest members, while the more senior members of the
crew tend to do little except draw their pay. Which of the following classes of norms
encompasses arrangements like this?
A) performance norms
B) appearance norms
C) resource allocation norms
D) reference norms
E) leisure norms
51) ________ refers to the adjustment of one’s behavior to align with the norms of the group.
A) Deviance
B) Conflict
C) Divergence
D) Conformity
E) Appearance