Chapter 10 Understanding Work Teams

MULTIPLE CHOICE
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
1.

Which of the following helps explain the current popularity of teams? Teams _____.
a. are easier to manage
b. are a way to better utilize employee talents
c. are less expensive
d. promote socialization
e. are very efficient

Differences Between Groups and Teams

2.

Which of the following statements best defines a work group?

a. The performance of a work group is generally greater than the sum of its inputs from individual
members.
b. A work group interacts primarily to share information, rather than to engage in work that
requires joint effort.
c. A work group consists of 3 or more people who take on self-supervising responsibilities.
d. A work group consists of 3 or more people from across departmental or functional lines.
e. A work group is a group comprised of 10 or more people.

3.

Which of the following qualities is not found in work groups?

a. energy
b. enthusiasm
c. synergy
d. objectives
e. security

4.

_____ results in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs.
a. Synergy
b. Enthusiasm
c. Energy
d. Initiative
e. Inversion

Types of Teams
5.

Which is not one of the most common types of teams?

a. problem-solving
b. interdepartmental
c. self-managed
d. virtual
e. cross-functional

6.

Which type of team meets to discuss ways to improve quality, efficiency, and the work
environment?
a. self-managed
b. virtual
c. problem-solving
d. cross-functional
e. committee
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7.

Which of the following types of teams would most likely be assembled to improve the efficiency of
a companys production process?
a. cross-functional
b. problem-solving
c. self-managed
d. virtual
e. co-evolving

8.

Which of the following types of teams would most likely empower its team members to make
work-related decisions?
a. technical
b. self-managed
c. problem-solving
d. management
e. reactive

9.

Self-managed teams are typically comprised of how many members?

a. 2-5
b. 5-10
c. 8-12
d. 10-15
e. over 100

10.

_____ teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level.
a. Problem-solving
b. Self-managed
c. Cross-functional
d. Multifaceted
e. Star matrix

11.

_____ teams are an effective way to allow people from diverse areas within an organization to
exchange information, develop new ideas and solve problems, and coordinate complex projects.
a. Self-managed
b. Problem-solving
c. Cross-functional
d. Multifaceted
e. Star matrix

12.

The early stages of development of a cross-functional team are time-consuming because _____.
a. most cross-functional team members are comprised of individuals from similar backgrounds
b. members must research the causes of problems which they are assigned to solve
c. most cross-functional team members have already established trust
d. members have to learn how to perform new functional tasks
e. members must learn to work with diversity and complexity

13.

Which of the following types of teams allows for collaboration between team members who are
physically dispersed?
a. local
b. interactive
c. real-time
d. virtual
e. global

14.

Which of the following is not true about virtual teams?

a. There is an absence of paraverbal cues.
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b.
c.
d.
e.

Members are more satisfied with the group interaction process.

There is limited social context.
They are more task-oriented.
Members are more focused on production than on process.

Creating Effective Teams

15.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the use of work teams?
a. Teams are unnecessary if an individual can do the job better.
b. Teams are necessary for encouraging individuals to work independently.
c. Within a company, teams perform best if they are structured similarly.
d. Employees are usually responsible for suggesting that teams be created.
e. In successful companies, teamwork is always preferable to individual work.

16.

Which of the following is not one of the key components of effective teams?
a. effective work design
b. recognized company identity
c. supportive contextual influences
d. well-managed team processes
e. appropriate team membership

17.

There are four contextual factors that appear to be most significantly related to team
performance. Which of the following is not one of those factors?
a. adequate resources
b. work autonomy
c. effective leadership
d. a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions
e. All of the above are contextual factors.

18.

To provide teams with adequate resources, a company must supply which of the following?
a. proper equipment
b. adequate staffing
c. encouragement
d. all the above
e. none of the above

19.

To succeed in achieving their goals, teams must _____.

a. have strong leadership
b. have autonomy
c. receive support from management
d. all of the above
e. none of the above

20.

In a ________ team the managers job becomes managing outside the team.
a. technical
b. self-managed
c. problem-solving
d. management
e. reactive

21.

Leadership is especially important in ________ -- where different teams need to coordinate their
efforts to produce a desired outcome.
a. technical teams
b. self-managed teams
c. problem-solving teams
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d. management teams
e. multi-team systems
22.

Which of the following statements best serves to weaken the argument that trust contributes to
team effectiveness?
a. The most cooperative teams are those that share the greatest amount of trust.
b. Team members who trust each other tend to spend less time monitoring each others
behavior.
c. Regardless of trust level, most individuals resist exposing vulnerabilities to their co-workers.
d. Research shows that trust among team members is directly linked to members willingness to
take risks.
e. Teams with the highest trust ratings for their leadership tend to outperform teams with lower
leadership trust ratings.

23.

In addition to evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contributions, management
should consider using which of the following to reinforce team effort and commitment?
a. personalized incentives
b. consistent wages for all team members
c. individual performance evaluations
d. fixed hourly wages
e. profit sharing

24.

Effective teams require which of the following skills?

a. problem-solving skills
b. technical expertise
c. interpersonal skills
d. all of the above
e. none of the above

25.

Team members with good listening, feedback, and conflict resolution skills possess _____.
a. technical expertise
b. problem-solving skills
c. decision-making skills
d. interpersonal skills
e. cognitive appraisal skills

26.

A recent review of the literature suggested that ________ of the Big Five traits was/were
especially important for team performance.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5

27.

What types of people are valuable in teams because theyre good at backing up fellow team
members and at sensing when that support is truly needed?
a. conscientious people
b. extroverted people
c. introverted people
d. agreeable people
e. open people

28.

Evidence tends to suggest that performance across teams will be higher if an organization
________.
a. forms only teams high in conscientiousness
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b.
c.
d.
e.

forms only teams low in conscientiousness

forms both teams high in conscientious and teams low in conscientiousness
seeds each team with a few people who score high on conscientiousness
seeds each team with a few people who score low on conscientiousness

29.

One stream of research has identified potential team roles that people prefer to play. The
creator role is one who _____.
a. champions ideas
b. initiates new ideas
c. provides structure
d. coordinates and integrates
e. manages subordinates

30.

Of the nine key roles on teams, the promoter is the group member most likely to _____.
a. develop original ideas
b. defend and support newly-developed ideas
c. provide structure for the team
d. fight battles with those outside of the team
e. conflict with other team members

31.

Which of the following is not one of the nine potential team roles identified for successful teams?
a. organizer
b. allocator
c. controller
d. maintainer
e. promoter

32.

You find that in a team situation you prefer to be the one who examines details and is concerned
with enforcing rules and regulations. Your role is that of the _____.
a. maintainer
b. linker
c. controller
d. promoter
e. resource allocator

33.

On her work team, Michelle develops detailed tasks lists and work flow charts to help her team
members understand the steps involved in each project. She also maintains the project calendar
and receives periodic updates from each team member to ensure that projects are progressing
on schedule. Which role does Michelle most likely fill on her team?
a. assessor
b. organizer
c. maintainer
d. creator
e. promoter

34.

Sharon has an assertive personality and naturally tends to stand up for her team in conflicts with
other teams or departments. She is a strong defender and is fiercely loyal to the other members
on her team. Sharon is most likely suited for which of the following team roles?
a. controller
b. producer
c. maintainer
d. assessor
e. advocate

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35.

What is the degree to which members of a work unit share a common demographic attribute and
the impact of this attribute on turnover?
a. group demography
b. turnover rate
c. organizational demography
d. work demography
e. department demography

36.

The most effective teams tend to have _____ members.

a. 3 to 5
b. 5 to 15
c. less than 10
d. 10 to 20
e. more than 20

37.

Process variables include all of the following except _____.

a. climate of trust
b. member commitment to a common purpose
c. team efficacy
d. minimized social loafing
e. specific goals

38.

Effective teams usually have a common and meaningful purpose. In context, common most
nearly means _____.
a. ordinary
b. plain
c. routine
d. shared
e. mundane

39.

What is a team called when its members consider and adjust their master plan when necessary?
a. social facilitating
b. goal congruent
c. social loafing
d. mental models
e. reflexive

40.

Effective teams have confidence in themselves and believe they can succeed. This confidence is
termed _____.
a. social facilitation
b. goal congruence
c. social loafing
d. team efficacy
e. self serving bias

41.

Which of the following is most likely to increase team efficacy?

a. providing measurable goals
b. helping the team achieve small successes
c. limiting time spent in training
d. ensuring that team goals are challenging
e. reducing the number of members on a team

42.

When teams are under acute stress, they are particularly likely to have ________.
a. wrong mental models
b. high self efficacy
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c. relationship conflict
d. resource conflict
e. high reflexivity
43.

If a teams members have similar mental models, what will they likely do?
a. loaf on others efforts
b. demonstrate high reflexivity
c. display low self efficacy
d. become involved in relationship conflict
e. focus on what needs to be done

44.

Which type of conflict is almost always dysfunctional?

a. task conflict
b. efficacy conflict
c. relationship conflict
d. resource conflict
e. social conflict

45.

Coasting on the group effort is termed ____.

a. inconsistency
b. incompetence
c. social loafing
d. dysfunction
e. half-focus bias

Turning Individuals into Team Players

46.

Your company is considering implementing work teams in your Vietnam facility. You should find
this relatively easy because those employees will have strong _____ values.
a. acculturation
b. collectivist
c. creative
d. cultural
e. capitalistic

47.

Which of the following strategies would managers find least helpful for turning individuals into
team players?
a. selecting appropriate candidates
b. setting goals
c. providing training
d. rewarding cooperative efforts
e. encouraging mentorship

48.

If an employee is considered untrainable as a team member, he or she most likely_____.

a. will be willing to undergo training in order to learn team skills
b. can be successfully transferred from one team to another
c. lacks the technical skills necessary for a team position
d. will find it difficult to transition to working in teams
e. comes from a culture that upholds collectivist values

49.

Exercises that help individuals become team players include workshops in _____.
a. negotiation
b. individualism
c. goal setting
d. event planning
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e. recruiting
Global Issues
50.

Only one-third of employees from ________ would likely say their organization has a high level of
teamwork?
a. Canada
b. Japan
c. Mexico
d. Indonesia
e. the United States

TRUE/FALSE
Why Have Teams Become So Popular?
51.

Compared to traditional departments, teams tend to be less flexible and less responsive to
changing events.
(False; Moderate; Popularity of Teams; p. 323)
52.

Establishing teams provides an effective means for increasing democratic practices within an
organization.
(True; Moderate; Popularity of Teams; p. 323)
Differences Between Groups and Teams
53.
Work groups engage in collective endeavors that require collaborative effort.
(False; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
54.
Unlike work teams, work groups are most effective when their synergy is strongest.
(False; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
55.
Work groups typically generate more positive synergy than do work teams.
(False; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
56.
Work teams produce final results that exceed the sum of individual team member inputs.
(True; Moderate; Work Groups; p. 323)
57.

The extensive use of teams creates the potential for an organization to generate greater outputs
with no increase in inputs.
(True; Easy; Work Groups; p. 323)
Types of Teams
58.

The four most common forms of teams are: problem-solving, self-managed, cross-functional, and
global.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 324) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
59.
Problem-solving teams generally consist of 5 to 12 hourly employees from the same department.
(True; Easy; Problem-Solving Teams; p. 324)
60.

You are a member of a team of eight individuals from the same department who meet for a few
hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. You
are most likely a member of a self-managed work team.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 324) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
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61.
A cross-functional work team takes on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
62.
Supervisory positions take on decreased importance for a problem-solving work team.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
63.
As a result of self-managed teams, supervisory positions may be eliminated.
(True; Moderate; Self-Managed Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
64.
Individuals on supervisory work teams report higher levels of job satisfaction.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
65.

Individuals on self-managed work teams have lower absenteeism rates than employees in
traditional work structures.
(False; Easy; Types of Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
66.

Turnover rates are higher for self-managed work teams than for employees working in traditional
work structures.
(True; Easy; Self-Managed Teams; p. 325) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
67.

Cross-functional teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level, but
from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.
(True; Easy; Cross-Functional Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
68.
Membership on virtual teams is usually restricted to employees living within the same country.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
69.
Cross-discipline teams usually function well only in small companies.
(False; Moderate; Types of Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
70.
Cross-functional teams are very effective for coordinating highly complex projects.
(True; Easy; Cross-Functional Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
71.
One advantage of cross-functional teams is that they are easy to manage.
(False; Moderate; Cross-Functional Teams; p. 326) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
Creating Effective Teams
72.
Work design is more important than team composition for ensuring effective teams.
(False; Challenging; Components of Effective Teams; p. 328) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
73.

To perform effectively, a team requires three different types of skills: technical expertise, problemsolving and decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
(True; Moderate; Skills of Team Members; p. 330) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
74.
On a team, the role of the creator describes the person who analyzes decision options.
(False; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
75.

The role of the linker describes the person within the work team who coordinates and integrates
the work of team members.
(True; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
76.

Your analytical skills are very good and you enjoy the role of integrating creative ideas for your
group. You will find that you are most effective in the role of the promoter.
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(False; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}

77.

Susan is well organized and enjoys providing structure for the group. Her role within the work
team may be described as the maintainer.
(False; Moderate; Key Roles of Teams; p. 332) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
78.
Given the option, many employees will select themselves out of team participation.
(True; Easy; Member Preferences; p. 334)
79.

The highest performing team members are usually employees who thrive on being rewarded for
their personal achievements.
(False; Challenging; Work Design; p. 334) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
80.
Teams that are completely void of conflict are likely to become apathetic and stagnant.
(True; Moderate; Conflict Levels; p. 336)
81.
Task conflict increases the likelihood of groupthink.
(False; Moderate; Conflict Levels; p. 337)
82.

Social loafing is most likely to occur within a team whenever one team members contributions
are invisible to the rest of the team.
(True; Moderate; Social Loafing; p. 337)
Turning Individuals into Team Players
83.
Teams tend to operate well within countries that score high on collectivism.
(True; Easy; Collectivist Societies; p. 337) {AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity}
84.

A large proportion of people raised on the importance of individual accomplishment can be

trained to become team players.
(True; Moderate; Training; p. 338)
85.
Competitive reward structures reinforce the importance of collaboration in work teams.
(False; Moderate; Rewards and Collaboration; p. 338)
86.
Work teams often provide intrinsic rewards, such as camaraderie.
(True; Moderate; Rewards; p. 339) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
Beware! Teams Arent Always the Answer
87.
Teamwork takes more time and often more resources than individual work.
(True; Moderate; Disadvantages of Teamwork; p. 339) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
88.

Teams make most sense to employ when the tasks to be accomplished are independent of one
another.
(False; Moderate; Teamwork; p. 339)
Global Implications
89.
The use of work teams is limited in the U.S. due to this countrys highly individualistic culture.
(False; Challenging; Teamwork; pp. 339-340) {AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity}
90.

In high power distance countries, work teams fare best if leadership roles are flexible and
deemphasize hierarchical authority.
(True; Challenging; Teamwork; p. 339) {AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity}
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Summary and Implications for Managers

91.
The most effective teams have between ten and fifteen members.
(False; Moderate; Size of Teams; p. 340)
SCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONS
Application of Types of Teams
You are the vice-president of a division of a large, multi-national company that makes electronic
equipment for consumers and the military. You have several managers that have created some teams.
Also, there are several projects underway and you need to decide what types of teams to use for each
situation.
92.

Joan, your director of accounting, has created a team of seven employees from the accounts
payable department who meet for three hours a week to discuss ways of improving quality,
efficiency and the work environment. This is an example of a ____ team.
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution

93.

Jack, your director of manufacturing, has decided to create a team of eleven employees from
quality control. Jack gives the team members the responsibility of scheduling their own work and
evaluating each others performance. This is an example of a _____ team.
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution

94.

Your company has recently landed a contract to design and manufacture a new state-of-the-art
electronic device for the military. This will be a very complex project, requiring many different
types of skills. Which of the following types of teams is most suited for the project?
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution

95.

Janice is your director of sales. Since her employees are located in Europe, Asia, and North
America, she has decided to use instant messaging to tie her employees together in order to
develop a marketing strategy for a new product line. This is an example of a _____ team.
a. problem-solving
b. self-managed
c. cross-functional
d. virtual
e. task-resolution

Application of Key Roles on Teams

You have been assigned to a problem-solving team. You have never met any of the team members
before, but you have been given their resumes. It is your job to match the team members to the various
roles that are needed for successful completion of your project.
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Your team consists of the following members. Iris is a recent college graduate with a degree in
mathematics. She likes to keep an eye on the big picture and enjoys coordinating the work of others.
James has been with the company for 15 years and has had experience in several areas within the
company. He has a reputation for strong leadership and effective follow-through. Betty is highly motivated
and intelligent. She has several advanced degrees and is able to view situations from differing viewpoints.
You have decided that you are willing to take on any group role that is handed to you, but you are more
comfortable with implementing ideas than with initiating them.
96.

The role that might best suit Iris is that of ________.

a. creator
b. assessor
c. linker
d. maintainer
e. adviser

97.

James is best suited to which role?

a. organizer
b. maintainer
c. linker
d. adviser
e. producer

98.

The person best suited for the role of adviser is probably ________.
a. Betty
b. James
c. Iris
d. you
e. none of the above

Application of Team Process

You are the manager of a software design firm that develops software projects using teams of specialists.
One of your most successful teams has been together for nearly 5 years. In the past, this team has
performed effectively, and you have been very satisfied with the teams output. Recently, however, you
have noticed a marked decrease in the teams performance. You investigate to determine the problem.
99.

After interviewing all 7 team members, you determine that one of the team members performs
routine administrative tasks that are rarely visible to any of the other team members. You suspect
that this team member may be loafing off and lagging in his duties. You could most likely improve
that team members output by ________.
a. encouraging him to work more independently
b. making his work clearly visible to the other team members
c. hiring other team members who perform similar tasks
d. providing him with administrative training
e. giving him additional assignments to complete

100.

During an interview with one team member, you learn that several members of the team have had
conflicts regarding the content of a task to which the team was recently assigned. Are these
conflicts likely to be reducing the groups productivity?
a. Yes, because interpersonal conflicts always hurt a teams performance.
b. No, because conflicts based on personal animosity rarely affect team operations.
c. Yes, because task-related conflicts lead to poor team decisions.
d. No, because task-related conflicts usually benefit the performance of a team.
e. Yes, because disagreements about tasks usually lessen groupthink.
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Application of Turning Individuals into Team Players

You work for an international company that has offices around the world. You have been asked to pull
together a global virtual team to handle a specific project. The project is expected to take 3 to 5 years to
complete. You are free to include individuals from any of the companys offices, which are located in the
United States, Canada, Mexico, Britain, Australia, and Japan.
101.

Provided that all of the team members are equally qualified, which of the following teams is likely
to be the least challenging to manage?
a. A team comprised of members drawn equally from all of the companys offices, because
culturally diverse teams tend to operate with minimal conflict.
b. A team comprised primarily of members from the United States, because employees from
countries with individualistic values tend to function well in teams.
c. A team comprised primarily of members from Canada, Britain, and Australia, because
employees from these countries usually grow up learning how to function in teams.
d. A team comprised of members from both Japan and Mexico, because employees from these
countries tend to focus on individual accomplishments.
e. A team comprised primarily of members from either Japan or Mexico, because employees
from countries with collectivist values tend to adjust easily to team structures.

Application of Beware! Teams Arent Always The Answer

You are the plant manager of a manufacturing facility. Your plant has been experiencing a number of
problems and you have been directed to solve these issues. One of the problems concerns the low
quality of the manufactured product. Many products have failed to pass quality inspection, and your
superiors feel that the failure rate is unacceptably high. Another problem concerns the college recruitment
process. The current recruitment process has repeatedly brought unqualified candidates to the plant.
102.

Your management team suggests that the college recruitment process could be improved by
creating a cross-functional team to conduct the on-campus interviews. Based on your
understanding of team functioning, you reply that this solution is most likely ________.
a. an inappropriate use of teams, because individual interviews are better conducted by one
person
b. an appropriate use of teams, because recruitment is a quality issue
c. an inappropriate use of teams, because interviewing teams rarely have a common purpose
d. an appropriate use of teams, because interviewing is a highly complex task
e. an inappropriate use of teams, because team interviews risk breaking confidentiality

207