Chapter 11

Question 1

Increases in potential performance that result from new ways of motivating and coordinating group members are called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ gains.
A. Potential performance
B. Process
C. Capital
D. Group performance

Answer 1

B. Process

Question 2

The performance level attained by a group is called:
A. Process gains
B. Process losses
C. Potential performance
D. Actual performance

Answer 2

D. Actual Performance

Question 3

To meet the challenge of ensuring that a group’s actual performance equals its potential performance, managers:
A. Must try to eliminate as many process losses as possible.
B. Shouldn’t worry about it.
C. Should fire everybody and start over.
D. Must spread the work among more employees through division of labor.

Answer 3

A. Must try to eliminate as many process losses as possible.

Question 4

The tendency of individuals to exert less effort when they work in a group than when they work alone is referred to as:
A. Social facilitation
B. Social loafing*
C. Sucker effec
D. All of the above terms are correct.

Answer 4

B. Social loafing

Question 5

Several studies have found that the tendency for group members to put forth less effort:
A. Increases as the size of the group decreases.
B. Decreases as the size of the group increases.
C. Increases as the size of the group increases.
D. Decreases as the size of the group decreases.

Answer 5

C. Increases as the size of the group increases.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a strategy to reduce social loafing?
A. Have group members evaluate each other’s contributions.
B. When work is performed in a group, let group members know that there is no “I” in the word “team.” In other words, contributions of the group, not the individual, are most important.
C. Keep work groups as small as possible.
D. Make individual contributions or levels of performance in a group identifiable.

Answer 6

B. When work is performed in a group, let group members know that there is no “I” in the word “team.” In other words, contributions of the group, not the individual, are most important.

Question 7

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a type of task interdependence that results when group members must perform specific behaviors in a predetermined order.
A. Synergy
B. Pooled task interdependence
C. Sequential task interdependence
D. Reciprocal interdependence

Answer 7

C. Sequential task interdependence

Question 8

Synergy occurs when:
A. Group members acting together produce more or better output than would have been produced by the combined efforts of each person acting alone.
B. Group members must perform specific behaviors in a predetermined order. It is difficult to
identify individual performance of group members because each member makes a contribution
to the same final product.
C. The extent to which the work performed by one member of a group affects what other members do.
D. When the activities of all work-group members are fully dependent on one another.

Answer 8

A. Group members acting together produce more or better output than would have been produced by the combined efforts of each person acting alone.

Question 9

Which of the following factors contributes to group cohesiveness?
A. Large group size
B. Absence of competition with other groups
C. Similarity or diversity of group members
D. Failure

Answer 9

C. Similarity or diversity of group members

Question 10

A team in which a significant amount of communication and interaction occurs electronically rather than face to face is referred to as:
A. A research and development team
B. A skunk works
C. A virtual team
D. A self-managed work team

Answer 10

C. A virtual team

Question 11

Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort when they work in a group than when they work alone.
A. True
B. False

Answer 11

A. True

Question 12

The tendency for group members to put forth less effort increases as the size of the group decreases.
A. True
B. False

Answer 12

B. False

Question 13

Pooled task interdependence makes it difficult to identify individual performance of group members because each member makes a contribution to the same final product.
A. True
B. False

Answer 13

B. False

Question 14

Group cohesiveness affects group performance and effectiveness.
A. True
B. False

Answer 14

A. True

Question 15

Both homogeneity and heterogeneity of group members can facilitate and contribute to group cohesiveness.
A. True
B. False

Answer 15

A. True

Question 16

A highly cohesive group whose goals are not aligned with organizational goals can cause big problems for the organization.
True
False

Answer 16

A. True

Question 17

An organization’s top management team is characterized by reciprocal task interdependence.
A. True
B. False

Answer 17

A. True

Question 18

The quality of decision making by the top management team is a function of the personal characteristics and backgrounds of team members. For that reason, top management teams with a homogeneous representation of team members make the best decisions.
A. True
B. False

Answer 18

B. False

Question 19

The job characteristics model of job design supports the notion that self-managed work teams are most effective when the work performed is sufficiently complex and it results in a finished end product.
A. True
B. False

Answer 19

A. True

Question 20

An R&D team that is created to expedite new product design and promote innovation in an organization is called a dream team.
A. True
B. False

Answer 20

B. False