Exam 2 Flashcards
(34 cards)
Which of the following is true, in general, in 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.
C: A group influences our emotional reactions.
Explanation: Our tendency to take personal pride or offense for the accomplishments of a group is the territory of social identity theory. Social identity theory proposes that people have emotional reactions to the failure or success of their group because their self-esteem gets tied into the group’s performance.
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.
E: Formal groups involve clearly defined tasks and roles, while informal groups are neither formally structured nor organizationally determined.
Explanation: A formal group is one that is defined by the organization’s structure, with designated work assignments establishing tasks. An informal group is neither formally structured nor organizationally determined.
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.
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.
Explanation: Social identity theory proposes that people have emotional reactions to the failure or success of their group because their self-esteem gets tied into the group’s performance.
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
A: role conflict
Explanation: When compliance with one role requirement may make it difficult to comply with another, the result is role conflict. Michael is experiencing conflict between his role as a church member and his role as an employee.
________ can dictate the experience of emotions for individuals and their groups.
A) Norms
B) Conforming ideas
C) Power divergences
D) Missions
E) Controls
A: Norms
Explanation: Norms can dictate the experience of emotions for individuals and their groups.
Chris Bradford thrives in his position as senior analyst for a major electric power project. Despite the high pressure and tight deadlines that shape his day, Chris finds his work fulfilling and meaningful. Chris recently assigned several of his best team members to work together on an important and urgent task and was happy to see the team meeting. Chris was in a state of disbelief however, when, at the halfway point on the project, he checked on the team’s progress only to find that the team was far behind schedule. This scenario reflects ________.
A) groupthink
B) collective efficacy
C) social loafing
D) groupshift
E) ingroup favoritism
C: social loafing
Explanation: Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working in a group than when working individually. Group performance increases with group size, but the addition of new members has diminishing returns on productivity.
A contributing factor with regard to social loafing is ________.
A) difficult task assignments
B) high collective efficacy
C) severe time constraints
D) diffusion of responsibility
E) heavy workload
D: diffusion of responsibility
Explanation: Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working in a group than when working individually. One explanation for social loafing is the diffusion of responsibility. Because group results cannot be attributed to any single person, the relationship between an individual’s input and the group’s output is clouded. Individuals may then be tempted to become free riders and coast on the group’s efforts.
GREEN is a non-profit organization that runs awareness campaigns and research programs that provide data to initiate the process of legislative changes on various aspects of the environment like forest cover, nuclear fuel, endangered species and others. GREEN operates through networks of grass-root level researchers who are grouped into flexible project teams whose roles and duties change with each new project. GREEN believes its employees to be like family, and an informal environment pervades its functioning without any compromises being made in the efficiency. Recently, the project manager of the rainwater harvesting pilot project in the suburbs has been informed of two delays in the project. When the third extension request came to him, he looked into the matter by speaking individually with the five team members. Which of the following complaints by the team members, if true, would indicate the presence of social loafing in the team?
A) A team member complained that the residents of the suburb in which they were working were uncooperative and did not accept their most cordial requests for helping in data collection.
B) Nancy, one of the new team members, reported that she felt the team was not cohesive enough.
C) Two of the most experienced employees on the team reported having to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the current workload and asked for an internal transfer.
D) The scarcity of funds was one of the major concerns that all the team members mentioned.
E) The team members were dissatisfied with the compensation package as they felt they were putting in a lot of work and being paid relatively less.
C: Two of the most experienced employees on the team reported having to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the current workload and asked for an internal transfer.
Explanation: The fact that a team member complained that the residents of the suburb in which they were working were uncooperative hints at an external cause for lack of performance and does not indicate social loafing. The fact that one of the new team members reported that she felt the team was not cohesive enough does not indicate social loafing; social loafing is typically a product of excessive cohesiveness. The fact that two of the most experienced employees on the team reported having to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the current workload does indicate the presence of social loafing. One explanation for social loafing is the dispersion of responsibility. Because group results cannot be attributed to any single person, the relationship between an individual’s input and the group’s output is clouded. Individuals may then be tempted to become free riders and coast on the group’s efforts. The scarcity of funds for the project is an external factor and cannot directly explain their bad performance. The fact that the team members were dissatisfied with the compensation package does not indicate the presence of loafing, especially since two employees have been working hard.
Increased ________ is an advantage of group decision making when compared to individual decision making.
A) ambiguous responsibility
B) conformity pressures
C) diversity of views
D) dispersion of accountability
E) pace of decision making
C: diversity of views
Explanation: By aggregating the resources of several individuals, groups bring more input as well as heterogeneity into the decision process. They offer increased diversity of views. This opens up the opportunity to consider more approaches and alternatives.
The HR department at Bailey Services is considering offering telecommuting as an option to some experienced employees. At a meeting to formalize the move, the heads of the different departments met with Laura Watson, the HR manager. Laura, who thought this meeting would be a short one, was proven wrong when all the members, who had previously agreed that telecommuting would work in their company, began coming up with divergent views. By the end, two divisions claimed they had major concerns about allowing employees to telecommute, and those in favor of it were equally vocal. This scenario depicts the operation of ________.
A) conformity
B) groupshift
C) role conflict
D) groupthink
E) social loafing
B: groupshift
Explanation: Groupshift is a change between a group’s decision and an individual decision that a member within the group would make; the shift can be toward either conservatism or greater risk, but it generally is toward a more extreme version of the group’s original position.
Like many other marketing strategy specialists, Mark Fritz relies heavily on creativity and originality. Members of his team are selected on the basis of their ability to think divergently, and Mark often conducts activities to ensure that this ability is developed. For instance, before any new project, Mark invites his team to sit together and churn out possible ideas about the new product, its theme, and ways in which it can be projected best in the market. These sessions usually provide him with a bank of potential ideas from which the team selects some strong concepts and develops them into a campaign. To encourage freedom in these sessions, Mark has a no-evaluation policy. This is an example of ________.
A) ingroup favoritism
B) groupshift
C) brainstorming
D) groupthink
E) social loafing
C: brainstorming
Explanation: This is an example of brainstorming. Brainstorming is an idea-generation process that specifically encourages any and all alternatives while withholding any criticism of those alternatives.
Which of the following statements is true regarding a work team?
A) Work teams are rarely used in organizations today.
B) Work teams are generally less flexible than traditional departments.
C) Work teams generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.
D) Work teams are less responsive to changes in the internal and external environment of the company.
E) Work teams involve members of random and varied skill sets.
C: Work teams generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.
Explanation: Today most organizations use teams. Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort.
Groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors are called ________ teams.
A) independent
B) self-managed work
C) cross-functional
D) problem-solving
E) traditional
B: self-managed work
Explanation: Self-managed work teams are groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors.
To retain its edge in the organic health food market, Natura has established a high-priority team comprised of senior executives from the company’s production, marketing, and research divisions. These employees work together closely to study consumer attitudes about organic health foods and come up with a closely monitored development and marketing strategy for new products. This ensures that each division is informed of the specific needs, timelines, and expected outcomes of the strategy. It also makes Natura a company that adapts to changes in market trends swiftly. The team Natura uses here is of the ________ type.
A) problem-solving
B) self-managed work
C) cross-functional
D) traditional
E) departmental
C: cross-functional
Explanation: Cross-functional teams are teams made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas who come together to accomplish a task.
________ is not one of the key components of effective teams.
A) A climate of trust
B) Company reputation
C) Adequate resources
D) Member flexibility
E) Leadership and structure
B: Company reputation
Explanation: A well-established company reputation is not one of the key components of effective teams.
According to the concept of organizational demography, if team members have dissimilar experiences, it will lead to ________.
A) increased employee satisfaction
B) decreased level of conflicts
C) higher employee motivation
D) higher employee turnover
E) higher team efficacy
D: higher employee turnover
Explanation: The logic goes like this: Conflict will be greater among those with dissimilar
experiences because communication is more difficult. Similarly, the losers of
a conflict are more apt to leave voluntarily or be forced out.
Which of the following statements is true regarding the size of teams?
A) The most effective teams have twelve to fifteen members.
B) When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines.
C) As team size increases, social loafing decreases.
D) When teams have excess members, mutual accountability increases.
E) Members of large teams coordinate work better when pressed for time.
B: When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines.
Explanation: Generally speaking, the most effective teams have five to nine members. When teams have excess members, cohesiveness and mutual accountability decline, social loafing increases, and more people communicate less.
Which of the following statements represents a strategy that is desirable for making effective teams?
A) Combining people with extremely high and extremely low abilities helps make a balanced team.
B) Individuals should ideally have one role in a team as multiple roles reduce their effectiveness and efficiency.
C) Diversity should be avoided as diverse teams involve a lot of conflict in day-to-day functioning.
D) If a natural work unit is larger, its size must be maintained for the nature of the job requires large teams.
E) The preference of individual members to work as a part of groups must be considered when forming teams.
E: The preference of individual members to work as a part of groups must be considered when forming teams.
Explanation: Not every employee is a team player. When people who prefer to work alone are required to team up, there is a direct threat to the team’s morale and to individual member satisfaction. When selecting team members, managers should consider individual preferences along with abilities, personalities, and skills.
Gerald Murphy is a manager at Wright & Wayner, a publishing house which is a very employee-friendly company. The demarcation between managers and subordinates is flexible and the nature of these reporting relationships is flexible and informal. Gerald recently assigned five of eight of his subordinates to work on a new publication project with a fairly tight deadline because he believed that these efficient employees would function even better with each other’s support. A week before the deadline, however, Gerald realized that the group had been shirking work as each of the members thought that the project was not just his or her responsibility. Additionally, under the guise of working together, the team was actually doing their personal work, surfing the Internet, or just socializing. This scenario reflects ________.
A) gainsharing
B) high process gains
C) reflexive goal-setting
D) job sharing
E) social loafing
E: social loafing
Explanation: In the case of a team, when each member’s contribution is not clearly visible, individuals tend to decrease their effort. This is known as social loafing. Social loafing illustrates a process loss from using teams.
With a deadline approaching, all seven members of Sharon’s product development team were working round-the-clock and still the work was not completed in time. After the project was completed, Sharon spoke individually with the members to determine the cause for this delay. Many members complained, saying the work given to them was not in accordance with their roles. Some were unclear about which team member to approach when faced with a problem, and many underestimated the time and effort the project demanded. This team is characterized by ________.
A) a clear role allocation for all team members
B) dissimilar mental models
C) high degree of role clarity
D) excessively large team size
E) a strong climate of trust
B: dissimilar mental models
Explanation: Effective teams share accurate mental models which are organized mental representations of the key elements within a team’s environment that team members share. If team members have the wrong mental models, which is particularly likely with teams under acute stress, their performance suffers.
Shane Dermott is a manager at a software design firm that develops software programs for clients using multiple teams of specialists. One of his most successful teams has been performing very well for years and so it came as a surprise to Shane when he noticed a sharp drop in the team’s performance. He decided to speak with the team members individually and find a solution. After interviewing all 7 team members, he determined that one of the team members performed routine administrative tasks that were hardly visible to any of the other team members and understood that this was a case of social loafing which demotivated the entire group. Which of the following would most likely improve the performance of the employee who was social loafing?
A) Encouraging him to work more independently
B) Making him individually responsible for definite and crucial tasks
C) Empowering him to make decisions autonomously
D) Providing him with administrative training
E) Giving him additional assignments to complete
B: Making him individually responsible for definite and crucial tasks
Explanation: This team member is engaging in social loafing. Effective teams undermine this tendency by making members individually and jointly accountable for the team’s purpose, goals, and approach. Therefore, members should be clear on what they are individually responsible for and what they are jointly responsible for on the team.
Which of the following must occur in synchronous communication?
A) The sender and receiver must be in the same room.
B) The sender and receiver must be in different rooms.
C) The transmitter must be agreed to by both the sender and the receiver.
D) The sender and receiver must both be present, aware, and focused on the communication.
E) Messages must be received outside a physically or psychologically present communication.
D: The sender and receiver must both be present, aware, and focused on the communication.
Explanation: In a synchronous communication, the sender and receiver must both be present, aware, and focused on the communication.
Research shows that engaging in active listening ________.
A) reduces employee understanding of customer needs
B) distorts customer perspectives for employees
C) reduces employee anxiety during difficult customer interactions
D) limits employee confidence
E) decreases employees’ sense of self-efficacy
C: reduces employee anxiety during difficult customer interactions
Explanation: One study on customer service employees in a Fortune 500 company found that active listening training led these employees to better understand customers’ needs and perspectives, increased their sense of self-efficacy and confidence, and reduced their anxieties during difficult customer interactions.
Angel Suarez is meeting with team members to hear their ideas on improving company benefits. Angel wants to be sure her team knows that she hears what they’re saying, especially when it comes to the cost of health care insurance. To communicate her intentions, Angel frequently provides quick summaries of team member thoughts, saying “here’s what I think you’re saying.” Angel is engaging in ________.
A) active listening
B) emotional expression
C) filtering
D) reflective listening
E) encoding
D: reflective listening
Explanation: Angel is engaging in reflective listening. Reflective listening involves acknowledging, restating, or reformulating others’ messages to provide non-judgmental affirmation and encourage them to further elaborate or share. Sometimes reflective listening can be as subtle as a nod of encouragement, a “yes, I understand,” or an “I see”; sometimes it is as direct as a “Here’s what I think you are saying…”
