60) Conflict in groups is generally thought to be ________.
A) universally harmful because it creates bad feelings among members
B) healthy because it promotes groupthink and conformity
C) harmful because it promotes groupthink and conformity
D) healthy as long as it is functional
61) When two or more people claim authority for the same tasks or functions, it implies which
type of conflict in groups?
A) reward conflict
B) process conflict
C) task interdependency conflict
D) overlapping authority conflict
62) When one person misses a deadline, everyone is affected. This implies which type of group
conflict?
A) reward conflict
B) process conflict
C) task interdependency conflict
D) resource conflict
63) What is the basis for resolving conflict in groups?
A) reward
B) trust
C) empathy
D) compromise
64) Which conflict resolution strategy has one party deferring to another?
A) compromise
B) collaboration
C) accommodation
D) avoidance
65) Which of the following is an effective strategy that HR can employ to build resonant teams?
A) increase pay rates
B) organize a retreat
C) have group gripe sessions
D) give the team a day off once a month
66) The ________ part of a message includes the speaker’s attitude toward the message.
A) subjective
B) referent
C) empathic
D) objective
67) Active listeners try to ________.
A) persuade the speaker to accept their own point of view
B) understand the message from the speaker’s point of view
C) ignore nonverbal communication and focus only the words that are being said
D) ignore the words that are being said and focus on nonverbal communication
68) Which of the following best describes a resonant team?
A) A resonant team can transcend the boundaries of individuals.
B) A resonant team is limited to the capacity of its weakest link.
C) A resonant team will never experience conflict.
D) A resonant team is effective, but not fun.
69) Mandy is conducting a workshop on communication in teams. She points out that listening
and hearing are not the same thing. What does Mandy mean?
A) Listening is passive reception of input. Hearing is active reception of input.
B) Hearing is passive reception of input. Listening is active reception of input and full
engagement with the speaker.
C) Hearing is passive reception of input. Listening is a conversation with the speaker in which
each person takes turns speaking.
D) Listening is passive reception of input. Hearing is a conversation with the speaker in which
each person takes turns speaking.
70) Kurt considers himself a no-nonsense guy, especially when it comes to communication. He
just wants the facts so he can move on to the next item of business. So he was surprised to hear a
seminar leader say that focusing on the person and the emotions that underlie his or her message
is critical to communication. What was the seminar leader referring to?
A) listening empathetically
B) not jumping to conclusions
C) judging content, not delivery
D) fully concentrating
71) Carolyn has a bad habit of interrupting people when they are speaking. She just wants to get
her ideas out on the table. From a communication standpoint, what problems may occur from
Carolyn’s approach?
A) hearing facts but not feelings
B) not providing feedback
C) judging delivery but not content
D) jumping to conclusions
72) Sanjay’s project team is running like a well-oiled machine. Everyone is focused on their
assigned tasks and people are moving into leadership roles as needed. Tuckman and Jensen
would say the team is in the ________ stage.
A) forming
B) performing
C) storming
D) norming
73) Lately Colleen isn’t sure if her work group is a high-performing team or a battle of
gladiators. It all started out so pleasantly, but Colleen was unfamiliar with Tuckman and Jensen’s
group concept of ________.
A) performing
B) storming
C) norming
D) forming
74) Roberto is attending a meeting of the student governing council as a freshman representative.
As he listens to other reps speak, he asks himself, “”Is it safe here? How do I fit in?” According
to Wheelan’s integrated model, the group is in ________.
A) Stage 1: Dependency and Inclusion
B) Stage 2: Conflict and Counterdependence
C) Stage 3: Trust and Structure
D) Stage 4: Productivity and Work
75) Marya’s task force is focusing on ways to measure its outcomes and ensure member
accountability. According to Wheelan’s integrated model, the group is in ________.
A) Stage 1: Dependency and Inclusion
B) Stage 2: Conflict and Counterdependence
C) Stage 3: Trust and Structure
D) Stage 4: Productivity and Work
76) Maxim’s project team agreed at the outset that he should serve as leader based on his
previous experience. But recently some members have been challenging his direction and
jockeying among themselves for dominance in the group. What dynamic is occurring here?
A) norming
B) convergence
C) counterdependence
D) adjourning
77) Andrea is director of HR for a major hospital. She is talking to a girls’ leadership conference
on building resonant teams. What does Andrea say is the first step in building a resonant team?
A) setting team ground rules and policies
B) describing your expectations for the team
C) focusing on knowing yourself
D) knowing exactly who team members are
78) Gary tends to hang back in project group meetings, but none of his team members mind.
After people have aired their views, Gary is able to synthesize the information and clearly point
out potential obstacles. What is Gary’s role in the group?
A) trust builder
B) information provider
C) evaluator
D) diagnoser
79) Yasmin recognizes the value of appropriate humor in group dynamics. When her team’s
stress level gets too high, she always manages to say something that makes everybody laugh,
keeps things in perspective, and gets them back on track. What is Yasmin’s role in the group?
A) diagnoser
B) encourager
C) tension reliever
D) trust builder
80) Midori is concerned that the members of her project team will easily lapse into conformity.
To avoid this problem, she assigns Sammy to the team to question the group’s decisions and offer
contrasting opinions. What is Sammy’s role in the team?
A) diverger
B) devil’s advocate
C) assimilator
D) referent observer
81) Which of the following is a good example of a member of a pro football team with high
informal social status?
A) a player on the team for eight years has been named captain
B) a member of the team who is married to the coach’s daughter
C) an all-star player who has been with the team only two years
D) the team quarterback who calls all of the team’s plays
82) In organizations, leadership of work teams should be determined based on ________.
A) social status
B) job seniority
C) meritocracy
D) referent power
83) Which statement best describes Jung’s view of rational behavior in people?
A) All people have either a rational, logical way of organizing information, or a nonrational,
emotional way of organizing information.
B) All people have both rational, logical ways and nonrational, emotional ways of organizing
information.
C) People process information either consciously or subconsciously.
D) People make important decisions using conscious information and unimportant decisions
using unconscious information.
84) Which statement best explains how authority can be considered a paradox?
A) A boss has power over subordinates, yet those subordinates have no power over their boss.
B) A boss has power to give orders to subordinates, yet those subordinates have no choice but to
listen to their superior.
C) A boss has power over subordinates, yet that power exists only if the subordinates accept the
boss’s authority.
D) A boss has the authority to reward subordinates, yet those subordinates must always earn
those rewards.
85) Which of the following is a tip for active listening?
A) Focus on the words of the speaker only. Block out all forms of nonverbal communication.
B) Avoid distracting the speaker. Withhold all forms of feedback until the person is finished
speaking.
C) Pay attention mindfully.
D) Don’t try to imagine what the speaker is feeling.
86) What do the experiments of Solomon Asch demonstrate?
A) People feel a strong pressure to conform to a group even when the direction seems misguided.
B) Groups feel a strong pressure to make individual members conform with the majority.
C) People conform only when they are forced to do so.
D) Most people will cheat if given the opportunity.
87) A work team has a conflict between two members. To resolve the conflict, the members
________.
A) compromise by working together without making any changes in their actions
B) collaborate by each changing their actions and then working together
C) accommodate by making equal concessions and working together
D) collaborate by working together to solve problems
88) Chou and Lynette were at odds over the direction of their work group. After the team leader
did some conflict management, both Chou and Lynette were happy with the outcome and
maintained a solid relationship in the team. Which conflict management strategy could the team
leader have employed to have both parties happy?
A) zero-sum negotiation
B) integrative bargaining
C) distributive negotiation
D) interdependency negotiation
89) Keisha was just named team leader on a work project. She tells you she will use an autocratic
leadership style because that is the “best way to get things done.” What is your response and
why?
90) Your work team has been meeting regularly for a few weeks. Recently, members are
disagreeing about the team’s leadership and overall direction. Should you be upset by this
development? Explain.
91) Explain how Wheelan’s integrated model of group development differs from Tuckman and
Jensen’s five-stage model. Which model do you think is more accurate?
92) Some people are considered to be “born leaders.” What type of group power do these people
tend to have? Give an example of a famous person who is not a leader, but who has this type of
power.
93) Do you think the results of personality tests such as MBTI and Golden are useful for people
in teams? Explain your reasoning.
94) Who would best fit the MBTI profile of an intuitive-feeling type: the famed artist Picasso,
former Federal Reserve Bank chairman Alan Greenspan, or physicist Stephen Hawking? Explain
your choice.
95) The mayor of a large city has formed a task force to create and implement a master plan to
decrease the high school dropout rate. From a learning-style perspective, the mayor’s candidates
are all divergers. Why might this task force not be successful, and who would you add to the
group to achieve its mission?
96) Betsy’s first job out of college is conducting focus groups for a market research company.
Before getting started, her boss recommended that she read up on the work of Solomon Asch.
Why?
97) Conflict in a group can be challenging, but beneficial. When is conflict not beneficial to a
group, and how can the problem be resolved?
98) What is the cause of overlapping authority conflict in groups? As a team leader, how would
you handle this situation?