Tb17

CHAPTER 17: MANAGING WORK TEAMS

Test Correlation Table Question Types/Level of Difficulty

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Easy Moderate Difficult

1. Explain the importance of work TF 1, 8 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 2
teams.
MC 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 16 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 2, 12, 15
14, 17, 18

ES 2 1 —

2. Identify four types of work teams. TF 12 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 11, 15, 17
18

MC 20, 22, 25, 31 19, 23, 24, 28, 21, 26, 27, 29,
32, 35, 36, 37 30, 33, 34

ES — 3 —

3. State the meaning and TF 19 20 21
determinants of team effectiveness.
MC — 38, 39, 41 40, 42, 43

ES — — 4

4. Describe the internal team TF 24, 31 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30
processes that can affect team 27, 29
performance.
MC 49, 57, 60, 61, 44, 45, 47, 48, 46, 58, 65, 69
64, 67 50, 51, 52, 53,
54, 55, 56, 59,
62, 63, 66, 68

ES 8 5, 6 7

5. Explain how to diagnose and TF 33, 43, 44, 46, 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 41, 48
remove barriers to poor team 47 37, 39, 40, 42,
performance. 45

MC 74, 75, 78 70, 71, 72, 76, 73, 80, 83, 88,
77, 79, 81, 82, 89, 91, 93
85, 86, 87, 90,
92

ES — 9, 11, 12, 14 10, 13

199


True/False Questions

Learning Objective 1

1. A team is a special type of group.

ANSWER: T, Knowledge, Easy, p. 480

2. Researchers estimate that 50 percent or more of the employees work in teams at 80
percent of the Fortune 500 companies.

ANSWER: T, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 481

3. Many top managers report spending close to 10 percent of their time in team meetings.

ANSWER: F, Knowledge, Moderate, pp. 481–482

4. A committee is another name for a work team.

ANSWER: T, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 481

5. Some informal groups may actually be opposed to organizational goals.


6. Companies such as Toyota and Honda, known for their product development skills,
require as many as 1,000 engineers working in teams for one to two years to develop a
new car.


7. In a recent study, half the managers responding believed that improving teamwork
processes to focus on customers was the strategic initiative with the greatest potential
for ensuring their organizations’ success.


8. Microsoft employees dislike working in teams because face-to-face communication and
problem solving at its headquarters is seldom possible.

ANSWER: F, Knowledge, Easy, p. 483


9. A work team may vary from short term to permanent.


10. A problem-solving work team usually consists of employees from different areas of the
organization.


200

11. Not all problem-solving teams have indefinite life spans.


12. Quality circles are also known as TQM teams.


13. Quality circles, used at Navistar International and Johnson & Johnson, look for and
propose solutions to quality-related problems continually.


14. Signicast Corporation, suppliers of metal parts for Harley Davidson and John Deere, use
task forces to solve problems.


15. A functional work team brought together as a task force to look at a specific issue or
problem would disband as soon as it had completed its specific assignment.


16. Task forces differ from multidisciplinary work teams in one important way: Task forces
are the primary vehicles for accomplishing the core work of the organization.

ANSWER: F, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 486

17. Pharmaceutical companies use product development teams, which are different from
multidisciplinary work teams.

ANSWER: F, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 486

18. A self-managing work team normally consists of employees who meet once a week to
make managerial decision for their unit.



19. The first step in fostering team effectiveness involves stating what effectiveness means.


20. Effectiveness is determined by one main set of influences: the external context in which
the team operates.


201


21. Jeanie Duck with the Boston Consulting Group advises new teams to get past the
startup phase quickly so that the team can focus on performance.



22. According to the stages of team development, no specified period of time is required for
a team to progress from one stage to the next.


23. All groups, according to the stages of team development, reach their performance
potential.


24. During the forming stage of team development, a work team focuses on orientation to its
goals and procedures.


25. The storming stage of team development is characterized by increased tension among
members while increasing output at the same time.


26. Harmony and conformity occur in the performing stage of team development.


27. Members who have achieved trust and openness among themselves are entering the
norming stage of team development.


28. As members of a team experience turnover, some recycling through earlier
development stages rather than adjournment may occur. Staggered terms of
appointment can minimize the amount of recycling required.


29. The greater the degree to which trust, openness, freedom, and interdependence are
present, the higher is the level of group cohesiveness.


30. Feelings refer to the negative emotional experiences of the individual team members.

ANSWER: F, Knowledge, Difficult, 494

202


31. One of the criteria for a performance norm is that rewards and punishments are used.



32. The use of subteams to compensate for the problem of having too large a team is
considered inappropriate by management experts.


33. Increasing the team size demands greater attention by the leader.


34. As work teams become larger, the team's tolerance of direction from the leader
diminishes.


35. Understaffed teams tend to outperform overstaffed teams.


36. For innovative decision making, the ideal work team size is probably between five and
nine members.


37. Intrapreneurial teams frequently set up skunkworks operations in a remote location,
away from distractions.


38. Virtual work teams are typically multidisciplinary teams and rarely functional teams.


39. Sabre found that technical skills were the primary essential requirement for virtual team
members.


40. In some cultures, such as China, Malaysia, and Thailand, societal values support
avoiding open conflict and instead strive for harmony and cohesiveness.


41. U.S. and Canadian cultures are individualistic and the workers are much more
comfortable with conflict than workers from many other countries.


203

42. In individualistic cultures, employees working in self-managing teams often report being
very satisfied with their work.


43. Team training usually involves the performance of a variety of tasks that enhance team
cohesiveness.


44. The greater the degree of self-management, the less the team has authority for making
decisions.


45. The more self-managing a team is, the more important it is for team members to receive
training that will enhance all their management competencies.


46. Consensus means that the team leader's decision is final.


47. Both experiential training and formal training are needed to develop successful team
management.


48. Team rewards are fairly easy to design because most organizations assign workers to
one primary full time team.

ANSWER: F, Knowledge, Difficult, pp. 504–505

Multiple Choice Questions
Preview
1. Until four years ago, Roche had its scientist divided into teams that were __________.
a. focused on common goals
b. competing with each other for resources
c. unable to produce a blockbuster drug
d. collaborating with other pharmaceutical companies

ANSWER: B, Knowledge, Easy, p. 480

2. Competitive teams at Roche led to all of the following except __________.
a. multidisciplinary structure
b. reluctance to share expertise
c. project commitment
d. competition for resources

ANSWER: A, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 480


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Work Teams and Other Groups
3. A __________is two or more individuals who come into personal and meaningful
contact on a continuing basis.
a. group
b. team
c. unit
d. division

ANSWER: A, Knowledge, Easy, p. 480

4. Teams and groups are __________.
a. essentially the same thing
b. divided between informal and formal functions
c. both important, but for different reasons
d. defined by either work or leisure

ANSWER: C, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 480

5. Nicole Summers works in the payroll department at Emerson Electric. She is part of
a(n) __________.
a. informal group
b. work team
c. formal group
d. task force

ANSWER: C, Application, Moderate, p. 480

6. To be a team, the members must have all of the following characteristics except
__________.
a. formal leadership
b. shared goals
c. communication
d. collaboration


7. A __________ consists of a small number of employees with complementary skills who
work together on a project, are committed to a common purpose, and are accountable
for performing tasks that contribute to achieving an organization’s goals.
a. formal group
b. work unit
c. work team
d. task force

ANSWER: C, Knowledge, Easy, p. 480

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8. A study that compared traditional repair garages to team-based garages found that
__________.
a. team workers were more satisfied
b. customers did not fully understand the team concept
c. team-based garages were faster
d. team-based garages were more profitable

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 481

9. The importance of teams is reflected in the amount of time that managers and others
spend in team meetings. All of the following statements correctly support this except:
a. many top managers report spending 50 percent or more of their time in team
meetings.
b. first-line managers and professionals may spend between 20 and 50 percent of their
time in team meetings.
c. team meetings are varied in purpose, style, length, format, and technology.
d. all of the above

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Moderate, pp. 481–482

10. A(n) __________ consists of a small number of individuals who frequently participate
together in activities and share feeling for the purpose of meeting their mutual needs.
a. team
b. informal group
c. formal group
d. social club


11. Six individuals who are employed by the City of Dayton regularly seek each other out
and almost always eat lunch together. Their interactions have become meaningful and
the individuals have developed expectations for each other's behavior. These
individuals are known as a(n) __________.
a. lunch group
b. work group
c. informal team
d. informal group

ANSWER: D, Application, Moderate, pp. 482–483

12. CommonHealth wanted to facilitate teamwork in every possible way when it renovated
its three buildings. All of the following worker-friendly spaces were provided except
__________.
a. alcoves
b. meeting rooms
c. workout rooms
d. bistros

ANSWER: C, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 482

206


13. CommonHealth designed workspace during their renovations that included a
cappuccino bar in order to __________.
a. keep workers from leaving the building for breaks
b. encourage workers to congregate informally
c. create a formal discussion area for team members
d. energize workers who are stuck in cubicles all day

ANSWER: B, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 482

14. What airline's pilots described in the text banded together in informal groups at major
hubs across the country and agreed to refuse to fly overtime?
a. United Airlines
b. Southwest Airlines
c. Northwest Airlines
d. Continental Airlines

ANSWER: A, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 483

15. Half the managers responding to one study believed what factor presents the greatest
potential for ensuring their organizations’ success?
a. innovation and on-time delivery of services
b. communication and cooperation among employees
c. improving team processes to focus on customers
d. networking and career growth for employees


16. What challenges must management meet in order to assure the success of teams?
a. figuring out how to cope with the mountains of work involved
b. integrating the efforts of the individuals working on the projects
c. organizing employees into numerous work teams
d. all of the above

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Easy, p. 483

17. Teams increase the speed of product development by adopting the use of what type of
development?
a. serial
b. prototyping
c. parallel
d. research


207


18. Which of the following statements correctly describes Jostens’ success with
implementing self-managing teams?
a. Productivity increased from 6 rings per employee per day to 16 rings per employee
per day.
b. Jostens includes peer evaluations in their teamwork plan.
c. The entire process, from order receipt to shipping, was shortened from 30 calendar
days to just 10 calendar days.
d. Jostens publishes Ring Wear magazine and a Web site to enhance communication
with the team members.



Types of Work Teams
19. All of the following are the types of work teams found in organizations except
________.
a. functional
b. informal
c. problem-solving
d. self-managing


20. Work teams differ in many respects. What are the key differences among work teams?
a. the education level of members
b. the longevity of their work
c. the membership of the team
d. both b and c are correct


21. What is the unique feature characterizing NASA’s mission control team?
a. It has a membership that includes both suppliers and customers.
b. Its goal focuses on product development.
c. The work team has been in existence for several decades.
d. It is a functional work team brought together as a task force to complete a particular
mission.


22. A(n) __________ team usually consists of employees from different areas of a
department who consider how something can be done better.
a. cross-functional
b. eclectic
c. employee participation
d. problem-solving


208


23. Mark Hansen is a member of a manufacturing quality circle team. His team meets one
or two hours a week on a continuing basis to discuss ways to improve quality, safety,
and productivity. Mark would accurately describe and categorize his team as a type of
__________ team.
a. cross-functional
b. problem-solving
c. eclectic
d. employee participation

ANSWER: B, Application, Moderate, p. 484

24. A __________ is a group of employees who meet regularly to identify, analyze, and
propose solutions to various types of workplace problems.
a. quality circle
b. problem-solving work team
c. TQM team
d. both a and c are correct


25. A __________ is a team that is formed to accomplish a specific, highly important task
for an organization.
a. multidisciplinary team
b. task force
c. functional work team
d. TQM team


26. What managerial competency did Signicast use when it adopted a team-based
organizational design in the manufacture of precision metal parts?
a. communication competency
b. strategic action competency
c. global awareness competency
d. self-management competency

ANSWER: B, Application, Difficult, p. 485

27. What type of team did Signicast Corporation use when it developed plans for a new
facility?
a. Signicast’s executives involved the employees in a functional work team.
b. The employees were placed in a multidisciplinary work team.
c. A problem-solving task force was developed.
d. Despite implementing the team-based approach, Signicast discontinued the use of
teams because of unanticipated negative side effects such as lingering unproductive
conflicts and turnover.


209


28. A team brought together as a task force to look at a specific problem __________.
a. disbands when its assignment is complete
b. endures as long as the organization maintains its basic structure
c. includes a manager and subordinates
d. is essential for accomplishing the core work of the organization

ANSWER: A, Knowledge, Moderate, p. 486

29. ConAgra, a diversified international food company, uses a team whose members are
the purchasing manager and the purchasing agents in the department. Their goals
include minimizing costs and ensuring that beef supplies are available to stores when
needed. To achieve their goals, these work team members coordinate their activities
constantly, sharing information on price changes and new products. What type of team
is ConAgra likely using?
a. functional work team
b. self-managing work team
c. problem-solving work team
d. task force

ANSWER: A, Application, Difficult, p. 485

30. All of the following statements are true concerning multidisciplinary work teams except:
a. the teams may consist of employees from various functional areas and sometimes
several organizational levels.
b. the use of such teams is spreading rapidly and crosses all types of organizational
boundaries.
c. product development teams are a common type of multidisciplinary work team.
d. the main disadvantage of this kind of team is the deliberate and slow rate of activity
that often occurs.

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 486

31. A(n) __________ team exists only for the period of time required to bring a product to
market.
a. customer needs
b. functional
c. product development
d. new production


32. __________ is not one of the competitive advantages of multidisciplinary work teams.
a. Creativity
b. Speed
c. Production
d. Differentiation


210


33. Tracie Corbin is a member of a work team that schedules members’ work and vacations,
rotates job tasks and makes assignments, and sets production goals. What type of
team is Tracie likely a part of?
a. self-managing work team
b. cross-organizational team
c. problem-solving team
d. functional team

ANSWER: A, Application, Difficult, pp. 486–487

34. The use of self-managing work teams has fundamentally changed how work is
organized, making an enormous impact on how businesses are run. All of the following
correctly describe the impact of self-managing work teams except:
a. each member frequently will learn and rotate the multiple skills and assignments
performed by the team.
b. these teams may rotate team leadership.
c. typically these teams require one or more managerial levels to be added to the
organization.
d. teams have a strong commitment to the organization’s mission.

ANSWER: C, Knowledge, Difficult, pp. 486–487

35. A __________ team normally consists of employees who work together daily to produce
an entire good or service.
a. cross-organizational
b. quality circle
c. life cycle
d. self-managing


36. What type of team does Lockheed Martin use to design new technology, meet with
customers and suppliers, and develop new products for the U.S. Navy?
a. problem-solving
b. high performance
c. multidisciplinary
d. temporary


37. When truly empowered, a self-managed team does all of the following except:
a. sees the final outcome of its efforts.
b. makes its own decision on when to disband.
c. has a strong commitment to the organization's mission.
d. has autonomy over its own activities.


211



A Framework for Team Effectiveness
38. Which of the following is not a key component of a model of work team functioning?
a. external context in which the team operates
b. informal behaviors
c. team design
d. internal team processes


39. According to the model of work team functioning, effectiveness is determined by
__________.
a. the external context in which the team operates
b. the design of the team
c. the internal team processes
d. the interaction of all of the above determine team effectiveness.


40. The first step in fostering team effectiveness involves __________.
a. knowing about the various complaints that team members are likely to have
b. stating what effectiveness is
c. knowing how to reward team members for getting their work done
d. stating how the team will be disbanded when the goal is met

ANSWER: B, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 488

41. All of the following are typical effectiveness criteria for teams except __________.
a. speed
b. creativity
c. discipline
d. accuracy


42. The second step in achieving team effectiveness involves __________.
a. knowing how to assess the effectiveness of each team member
b. knowing the factors that determine how well the team is doing with respect to the
effectiveness criteria
c. knowing the internal conflicts among team members
d. knowing the leader of the team and how decisions are made


212


43. Internal team problems would include __________, according to the model of team
function.
a. too much conflict
b. lack of a leader
c. a heavy work load
d. changing technology

ANSWER: A, Knowledge, Difficult, p. 489


Internal Team Processes
44. __________ refer(s) to the activities that enable a team to cooperate and coordinate the
efforts of team members, including the development of the team over time, personal
feelings, and behavioral norms.
a. Formation processes
b. External supports
c. Internal processes
d. Team culture


45. Bobby Bradford has just received the results from the Team Assessment Survey that
each team member was required to complete. Bobby should take all of the following
actions except __________.
a. compute the team’s average score for each question
b. provide feedback to the team
c. identify the team member with the lowest score
d. after awhile, reassess the members to measure if satisfactory progress has been
made


46. Ayako Liyama of Northern States Power Company has just administered the Team
Assessment Survey to each of the individual team members in his group. All of the
following are likely benefits of this survey except:
a. Liyama and the individual team members can learn how to manage more effectively
the work team’s internal process
b. Liyama can use the survey to pinpoint problems that the team needs to address
c. Liyama can provide feedback acknowledging what the team seems to be doing well
and identifying the things that need to be improved
d. all of the above

ANSWER: D, Application, Difficult, p. 491

213


47. All of the following statements are true concerning the developmental stages that teams
commonly go through except:
a. work teams’ time together is a key factor in determining team functioning.
b. work teams develop from immaturity to maturity.
c. work teams are measured on a scale of low responsibility to high responsibility.
d. work teams develop from first encounter to adjournment.

ANSWER: C, Knowledge, Moderate, pp. 491–492

48. Angela Cunningham is a member of a work team and has begun to develop a sense of
belonging and commitment. She feels that the rules of behavior are widely shared and
enforced by the member of the work team. What stage of team development has
Cunningham’s team reached?
a. forming stage
b. performing stage
c. norming stage
d. storming stage


49. What is the earliest stage of team development?
a. forming stage
b. norming stage
c. storming stage
d. performing stage

ANSWER: A, Knowledge, Easy, pp. 492–493

50. According to the stages of team development, a team that focuses on becoming
oriented to its goals and procedures is in the __________ stage.
a. storming
b. norming
c. forming
d. performing


51. The __________ stage, the second step in the stages of team development, is when
competitive or strained behaviors of team members emerge.
a. norming
b. forming
c. performing
d. storming


214


52. A production team has recently been formed at Goodman Manufacturing. The team
seems more focused on interpersonal fighting than on the assigned production tasks.
According to the stages of group development, the team is in the __________ stage.
a. developing
b. forming
c. storming
d. infighting


53. During the __________ stage of team development, team members become
increasingly positive about the team as a whole, the other members as individuals, and
what the group is doing.
a. socializing
b. performing
c. advancement
d. norming


54. A production team was formed last month at Carolina Textile Mills. The team went
through a period of infighting and now is beginning to sort out task-related and member
roles. According to the team development model, the team is in the __________ stage.
a. performing
b. optimizing
c. norming
d. resolving


55. If a team reaches the __________ stage of team development, members usually have
come to trust and accept each other.
a. forming
b. norming
c. reforming
d. performing


56. A production team was formed last year at Spartanburg Manufacturing. The team went
through a period of infighting and then a period where these conflicts were resolved.
Presently, the team seems to focus on getting things done and building interpersonal
relationship. According to the group development model, the team is now in the
__________ stage.
a. performing
b. norming
c. forming
d. none of the above

ANSWER: A, Application, Moderate, p. 493

215


57. During the __________ stage of team development, the team is involved with
terminating task behaviors and disengaging from relationships.
a. disengaging
b. adjourning
c. dissolving
d. resolving


58. Dr. Dana Valich is a member of a work team at a large HMO. He has just presented a
“wild” idea about patient services and was put down by other members of the team he
thought had come to trust and accept him. Clearly, Dr. Valich thought this team was in
what stage of team development?
a. norming stage
b. storming stage
c. performing stage
d. adjourning stage

ANSWER: C, Application, Difficult, pp. 493–494

59. Which of the following is not a feeling likely to influence work team effectiveness and
productivity?
a. trust
b. openness
c. freedom
d. all of the above


60. __________ refers to the emotional climate of a group.
a. Cohesiveness
b. Feelings
c. Behavioral norms
d. Groupthink


61. The greater the degree to which trust, openness, freedom, and interdependence are
present, the higher is the level of group __________. With this attribute, groups can
work effectively for or against organizational goals.
a. cohesiveness
b. competition
c. self-fulfilling prophesy
d. independence


216


62. __________ are the informal rules of behavior that are widely shared and enforced by
the members of a team.
a. Cohesiveness
b. Group social structures
c. Interactions
d. Behavioral norms


63. A performance norm exists when all of the following criteria have been met except:
a. there is a standard of appropriate behavior for the team.
b. members generally agree on the standard.
c. members are aware that the team supports the particular standard through a system
of rewards and punishments.
d. all of the above


64. A team member is engaged in __________ when not contributing fully to team
performance but still shares in team rewards.
a. anarchy
b. antisocial behavior
c. free riding
d. regressive behavior


65. As it acquires companies, Michael Foods likes to do all of the following except:
a. allow the acquired company to remain autonomous.
b. create an environment of open communication.
c. preserve the entrepreneurial qualities of the acquired company.
d. transfer its business practices to the new division.

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Difficult, pp. 494–495

66. A new culture arose when Michael Foods fully integrated the Papetti group that they
had acquired. One of the first goals was to __________.
a. get rid of managers who were resistant to change
b. identify the best practices in each division
c. bring the two divisions together in one production facility
d. all of the above


67. __________ is an agreement-at-any-cost mentality that results in ineffective team
decision making and possibly poor solutions.
a. Accentuation
b. Teamthink
c. Groupthink
d. Zero-sum thinking


217

68. __________ occurs when team members value different points of view and seek to
draw them out to facilitate creative problem solving.
a. Groupthink
b. Productive controversy
c. Team effectiveness
d. Team performing


69. Falling between the extremes of all-out warfare and groupthink are teams with norms
that support productive controversy. When is productive controversy not likely to
occur?
a. when team members value different points of view
b. when members facilitate creative problem solving
c. when members establish ground rules to keep them focused on people rather than
task issues
d. when members follow procedures that equalize sharing of power and responsibility



Diagnosing the Causes of Poor Team Performance
70. Important features of the external system are all of the following except __________.
a. culture
b. diagnosis of problems
c. team member selection
d. reward system


71. Design choices involved in creating a work team include all of the following except
__________.
a. team goals
b. team location
c. team termination
d. team membership


72. What is the optimal team size for innovative decision making?
a. less than 5 members
b. 5 to 9 members
c. 15 to 20 members
d. 25 members or more


218


73. As a team’s size increases, changes occur in the decision-making process. Which of
the following is not one of the effects of increasing team size?
a. demands on leader time and attention are greater
b. the team’s tolerance of direction from the leader is greater
c. the team’s decision making becomes more decentralized
d. the team atmosphere is less friendly


74. The purpose of __________ is to encourage all team members to share ideas when
analyzing problems, information, and alternative solutions.
a. subteams
b. proximity
c. empowerment
d. a standard operating procedure


75. __________ refers to the location of a team’s members relative to the organization and
relative to each other
a. Subteams
b. Proximity
c. Team empowerment
d. Spatial culture


76. Two aspects of team location are proximity to other work teams and __________.
a. proximity to the competitors
b. proximity to the task
c. proximity to each other
d. proximity to global opportunities


77. Which of the following companies described in your textbook benefits from teams
sharing close proximity to each other?
a. Lincoln Power Systems
b. Black and Decker
c. Microsoft
d. none of the above


219


78. Verifone, a worldwide supplier of transaction automation software and communications
systems, uses work teams that meet and do tasks without everyone being physically
present in the same place or even at the same time. What type of work team does
Verifone likely employ?
a. proximity-based team
b. virtual work team
c. e-team
d. technical work team

ANSWER: B, Application, Easy, p. 498

79. Because Sabre's virtual team members do not see each other very often, the company
has designed their jobs with all of the following except:
a. classroom training before a team's launch.
b. a small group of senior team managers who meet frequently.
c. setting of objectives and clarification of roles.
d. CD-ROM training modules.


80. Sabre invested in development of new measures for team effectiveness, which include
__________.
a. customer satisfaction ratings
b. electronic monitoring of team discussions
c. 360-degree performance assessments
d. all of the above


81. Eric Sorensen is developing rules and establishing practices for managing a new virtual
work team at his new company Soccer for Stars. Eric should adopt all of the following
practices except __________.
a. use a variety of communication technologies
b. pay attention to the quality of the communication transmissions
c. monitor the discussions of each member
d. encourage team members to discuss cultural differences


82. Tonia Brown has been a member of a virtual work team for several years. Which of the
following principles should Tonia’s team adopt?
a. Resist the temptation to hold a face-to-face meeting.
b. Assemble the team members to visit others only when all members are present.
c. If meetings are necessary, limit them to only one or two a year.
d. Schedule periodic face-to-face meetings to refresh connections.

ANSWER: D, Application, Moderate, p. 500

220


83. The __________ is likely to influence whether informal groups form to either embrace or
undermine organizational goals and authority relationships.
a. activities of the group
b. group social structure
c. co-optation system
d. organizational culture

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Difficult, pp. 500–501

84. Differences in norms for team behavior often reflect differences in national culture. All of
the following countries have strong societal values that support striving for harmony and
avoiding open conflict except __________.
a. China
b. Canada
c. Malaysia
d. Thailand


85. Of the managerial competencies listed, __________ is essential for working in all types
of teams.
a. self-awareness
b. communication
c. strategic action
d. planning and administration


86. To be a successful job candidate hired for the GE/Durham plant, 11 skills are required
and include all of the following except __________.
a. FAA certification
b. coaching
c. flexibility
d. all of the above


87. Which of the following is true concerning NASA’s team training?
a. The teams work together for six months before their space mission.
b. Due to the scientific nature of their work, formal training is emphasized more than
informal team training.
c. NASA understands that individual needs come before effective teamwork.
d. None of the above correctly describe NASA’s team training program.

ANSWER: D, Knowledge, Moderate, pp. 501–502

221


88. Work teams of all types are being empowered to perform tasks that previously were not
employees’ responsibility. Which of the following tasks requires the highest level of
team self-management and the most advanced competency for handling the task?
a. sharing leadership tasks
b. scheduling vacations and shifts
c. monitoring spending
d. dismissing team members

ANSWER: D, Application, Difficult, p. 502

89. Work teams of all types are being empowered to perform tasks that previously were not
the responsibility of employees. Which of the following tasks requires the lowest level of
team self-management and the least advanced competency for handling the task?
a. selection of new members
b. production scheduling
c. cross-training of team members
d. disciplining members

ANSWER: C, Application, Difficult, p. 502

90. __________ is an interactive, computer-based system that combines communication,
computer, and decision-making technologies to support group meetings.
a. GSA
b. GDSS
c. TQM
d. None of the above


91. Employees of Chrysler’s Evart Glass Plant were required to participate in a one-day
camplike program as a part of team training and team building. What teamwork lesson
was taught by having the members juggle several objects such as tennis balls,
simultaneously, as a team?
a. Each member has different strengths and bringing these strengths together leads to
task success.
b. Things that may seem impossible can be achieved when people work together.
c. Although everyone has a different role, each person touches and affects the
outcome.
d. Teams must find and use each individual’s hidden strengths.

ANSWER: C, Application, Difficult, p. 504

92. As a team leader choosing ways to reward your work team, you should ask all of the
following questions except:
a. How can nonmonetary rewards be used to recognize excellent team performance?
b. Should all members of the team receive equal rewards?
c. Who should be responsible for the allocation of rewards among team members?
d. All of the above should be asked.

ANSWER: D, Application, Moderate, p. 505

222


93. Which of the following correctly describes the reward systems for teams?
a. In the United States, the formal compensation systems in most organizations have
been designed to reward team performance.
b. Bonuses should be distributed based on the team success, and commissions should
reward individual performance.
c. Close to half of all companies currently offer “small group incentives.”
d. Most experts agree that different team structures call for different reward systems.


Essay Questions


1. Explain the importance of work teams.

The popularity of team-based organizational structures reflects the belief that teamwork
offers the potential to achieve outcomes that couldn’t be achieved by individuals
working in isolation. Several strategic objectives lead organizations to design their
structures around work teams, including customers’ demands for innovation, faster
response times, better quality, and lower prices.

Moderate, pp. 480–484

2. What is a group? Briefly describe the two types of groups within an organization.

a. A group is two or more individuals who come into personal and meaningful contact
on a continuing basis.
b. A formal group consists of people who jointly have and work toward goals that relate
directly to the achievement of organizational goals.
c. An informal group consists of a small number of individuals who frequently
participate together in activities and share feelings for the purpose of meeting their
mutual needs.

Easy, pp. 480–483


3. Briefly describe three of the four most common types of organizational teams.

a. Functional work teams include members from a single department who jointly
consider issues and solve problems common to their area of responsibility and
expertise.
b. Problem-solving work teams usually consist of employees from different areas of a
department who consider how something can be done better.
c. Multidisciplinary work teams may consist of employees from various functional areas
and sometimes several organizational levels who collectively work on specific tasks.
d. Self-managing work teams normally consist of employees who work together daily to
make an entire product or deliver an entire service.


223


4. State the meaning and determinants of team effectiveness.

The primary components of a model of work team functioning are the external context in
which the team operates, team design, internal team processes, and criteria for
assessing the team’s effectiveness. These four components are highly interrelated and
must be considered together in order to understand fully how a particular team
functions.

Effectiveness criteria measure the outcomes achieved by individual members and the
team as a whole. A particular work team may be effective in some respects and not in
others. A team's external context comprises outside conditions and influences that exist
before and after the team is formed. Its components include the societal and
organizational culture, member selection, team training, and reward system.

Difficult, pp. 488–489


5. Describe the internal team processes that can affect team performance.

Teams tend to develop over time, moving through several developmental stages.
These stages include forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Teams
may move through these stages in a variety of ways. In effective teams, members
develop feelings of trust, openness, freedom, and interdependence. These feelings
allow team members to cooperate and coordinate their actions. Behavioral norms also
develop within a work team. They function to regulate and standardize behaviors within
the team. Norms concerning how to handle conflict and controversy are especially
important for effective team decision making.


6. Describe three of the five stages of team development.

a. Forming occurs when a group focuses on orientation of its members to its goals and
procedures.
b. Storming occurs when competitive or strained behaviors emerge, usually the result
of resistance to or impatience with the lack of group progress.
c. Norming occurs when members of the group become increasingly positive about the
group as a whole, the other members as individuals, and what the group is doing.
d. Performing occurs when members usually have come to trust and accept each other
and a diversity of viewpoints is supported and encouraged. This is a stage that not
all groups fully reach.
e. Adjourning involves the termination of task behaviors and disengaging from
relationships.


224


7. Identify four characteristics that lead to high levels of team performance.

a. Members direct their energies toward the twin goals of getting things done (task
behaviors) and building constructive interpersonal ties and processes (relationship
behaviors).
b. Members use procedures for making decisions, including how to share leadership.
c. Members trust each other and are open among themselves.
d. Members receive help from and give help to one another.
e. Members are free to be themselves while feeling a sense of belonging with others.
f. Members accept and deal with conflicts.
g. Members diagnose and improve their own functioning.

Difficult, p. 493–494

8. Identify the four feelings most likely to influence work team effectiveness and
productivity and determine its significance.

The feelings are trust, openness, freedom, and interdependence. The greater the
degree to which the four feelings are present, the greater is the level of group
cohesiveness.

Easy, p. 494


9. Explain how to diagnose and remove barriers to poor team performance.

When teams are ineffective, the source of the problem may be internal team processes.
However, poor internal processes may be caused by factors in the team’s external
system. Managers who accurately diagnose the causes of work team problems will be
able to take appropriate corrective actions.

Moderate, p. 497

10. Identify what the external system comprises.

The external system comprises outside conditions and influences that exist before and
after the team is formed. These external influences may include team design, culture,
team member selection, team training, and the reward system.

Difficult, p. 497

225


11. Identify three effects caused by increasing the team size.

a. Demands on leader time and attention are greater. The leader becomes more
psychologically distant from the other team members.
b. The team’s tolerance of direction from the leader is greater, and the team's decision
making becomes more centralized.
c. The team atmosphere is less friendly, the communications are less personal, more
cliques form within the team, and in general, team members are less satisfied.
d. The team’s rules and procedures become more formalized.
e. The likelihood of some members being free riders increases.

Moderate, p. 497

12. Identify four general guidelines that all virtual work teams should follow to function
effectively.

a. Whenever possible, use a variety of communication technologies
b. Pay attention to the quality of the communication transmissions.
c. Encourage the team members to discuss culture differences.
d. Be sure that someone is responsible for facilitating the communication process.
e. Encourage team members to interact one on one, without feeling obligated to copy
every e-mail message to the entire team.
f. Train team members to match their choice of technology to the task.

Moderate, p. 500

13. Managers should consider several questions when designing work team rewards.
Identify four of these questions or choices managers must face.

a. How can nonmonetary rewards be used to recognize excellent team performance?
b. What portion of a person's total monetary rewards should be linked to performance
of the team?
c. If rewards are to be linked to results, which effectiveness criteria should be used to
evaluate team results? Individual results?
d. How should rewards be distributed among members of a team? Should all
members of the team receive equal rewards?
e. Who should be responsible for the allocation of rewards among team members?
f. For global teams, how should cultural differences among members of the team and
the pay systems used in different countries be addressed?

Difficult, p. 505

226


14. Describe how Chrysler’s Evart Glass Plant division developed its use of teams and
identify what competency its training emphasized.

Because most organizations cannot afford to give work team members a year or two of
training before the teams begin working on their tasks, many organizations use
experientially based, adventure training to develop team cohesiveness. Evart Glass
Plant, a division of Chrysler Corporation, involved its entire 250-person staff in such
training as a way to prepare them for working in self-managed work teams. The training
teams were cross-functional and included union members and managers alike.
Challenging activities requiring team efforts were designed to teach lessons in teamwork
and to develop planning and administration competencies such as problem-solving,
organizing projects, and time management.


227

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