Chapter 8
TRUE-FALSE
T F 1. Effective critical analysis proceeds in a nonsystematic way.
T F 2. A systematic plan always yields clear thinking.
T F 3. If a team fails to establish criteria before selecting a solution, it may fail to see
problems with that solution.
T F 4. Before making a decision, a team should compare the pros and cons of the possible
solutions.
T F 5. Developing plans to implement a decision is rarely the concern of a problem-solving
team.
T F 6. Assessing the effectiveness of a team’s decisions is the full responsibility of the parent
organization or founder of the team.
T F 7. Using Dewey’s systematic approach to problem solving ensures clear critical
thinking.
T F 8. Incrementalism often creates new problems that were not anticipated when decisions
were made.
T F 9. Ethical questions and dilemmas can present critical issues in evaluating a solution to a
problem.
T F 10. Consensus decisions often lead to low commitment because they fail to consider all
members’ opinions.
T F 11. In a decision-making process called incrementalism, decisions are made by bits and
pieces, responding to pressures as they are applied.
T F 12. A way of tracking and visualizing cause-and-effect relationships is the fishbone
diagram, which shows multiple causes and effects and helps members think about and
see relationships among ideas.
T F 13. Opening up discussion so that members can discuss an issue fully, is not possible
under parliamentary procedure.
T F 14. One of the major benefits to an implementation plan is avoiding escalation of
commitment.
T F 15. According to Dewey, the first step in solving a problem is in feeling the difficulty.
T F 16. One of the easiest steps for a problem-solving team is in recognizing the causes of
problems.
T F 17. Setting up clear criteria for judging a solution helps a team to ensure a satisfactory
decision.
T F 18. A visual way to track multiple causes and effects is the Dewey diagram.
T F 19. Desirability issues in decision-making often represent ethical questions of worth or
value.
T F 20. Majority vote is a quick, direct way to a decision but may result in less commitment
to the decision by members who feel they were not heard.
T F 21. Teams often go astray at the implementation stage.
T F 22. One of the major benefits to an implementation plan is avoiding escalation of
commitment.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The quality of a team’s choices depends on how “vigilant” members are in their critical
thinking and analysis in:
A. Examining the problem
B. Clarifying objectives
2. Which of the following is not a critical issue to consider in selecting a solution to a problem?
A. The idea’s applicability to the problem
3. Using visual diagramming such as the fishbone diagram or the flowchart helps a team
because:
A. It reveals the causes of the problems
4. A decision-making team should keep the following in mind about taking a risk:
A. It may produce a failure or expensive side effects
B. It may produce an innovative success
5. Which of the following is not appropriate in dealing with an ethical disagreement in the
team?
A. Sometimes seeking an objective outsider to facilitate
B. Identifying exact points of difference
6. Feeling something is wrong and recognizing a problem, defining the problem and its causes
and effects, listing possible solutions, comparing solutions’ pros-and-cons, selecting the best
solution, implementing the solution, and reviewing the effectiveness of the solution are steps
in:
A. Phillips 66 groups
7. The “T-Chart” is useful for:
A. Creating consensus
8. Applicability, practicality, advantageousness, and desirability are suggested by the authors
as critical issues to consider in:
A. Generating ideas
9. The decision mode in which all members agree (at least to some extent) is known as:
D. Complementarity
10. The following are good guidelines for assessing the success of a group decision
EXCEPT:
A. Everyone involved in the plan should be involved in assessing it
ESSAYS
1. In what ways does systematic decision making help a team to arrive at good solutions? To
what extent should being systematic be a priority for a team? Are flexibility and openness to
creativity mutually exclusive to systematic problem solving? How can a team be sure it gets the
best possible information and ideas and still uses vigilant analysis to arrive at the best solution?
2. Imagine you are part of a team that is trying to decide on a plan. The plan seems to be
practical and applicable, but discussion breaks down on desirability. Some members see a
serious ethical problem with the plan, and others see nothing wrong with it. Describe how you
can use your leadership to work through this ethical issue.
3. Suppose you are a consultant to a self-managing team that makes high-level decisions for a
major corporation. You’ve been asked to help the team design an assessment process for its task
and transactional processes. What would you advise the team to include in its assessment? How
would you suggest the members go about assessing their processes?