BUSI 240 Ch 8 Notes
Employees in a department are considered a team only when they directly interact and
coordinate work activities with each other. true
Under stressful or dangerous conditions, people are more likely to stay together than
disperse, even when the other people are strangers. true
Social loafing is most common in teams that are very small FALSE - Social loafing is
higher when individual performance is hidden. Individual performance tends to be hidden
in very large teams.
Teams are well-suited to complex work that can be divided into more specialized roles.
True
Students experience sequential interdependence when they are lined up at the laser
printers trying to get their assignments printed just before a class deadline. False -
Interdependence is higher under sequential interdependence, in which the output of one
person becomes the direct input for another person or unit. Here, the output of a student's
printing is not the direct input for another student. Pooled interdependence happens in the
given situation, as the students are sharing the printer.
The Beswick Company has an organizational team whose members are highly
interdependent but have different goals. The organization should try to reduce the level of
interdependence. True
Team members typically hold one or more formal roles in the team as well as roles that they
informally fulfill at various times TRUE
Some team-building interventions clarify the team's performance goals and increase the
team's motivation to accomplish these goals. TRUE
Teams tend to have more cohesion when entry to the team is restricted. True
Self-directed work teams plan, organize, and control activities with little or no direct
involvement of supervisors. True
In most self-directed work teams, the supervisor assigns tasks that individual team
members perform. False - One of the distinctive features of self-directed teams is that
they have substantial autonomy over the execution of their tasks. In particular, these teams
plan, organize, and control work activities with little or no direct involvement of a higher-
status supervisor.
Having plenty of structure is a success factor for virtual teams. True
Evaluation apprehension is most common in meetings attended by people with different
levels of status or expertise. True
An important rule of brainstorming is that all of the participants should evaluate and
criticize the other team members' ideas. False - Brainstorming tries to leverage the
creative potential of teams by establishing four simple rules: (1) Speak freely, describe even
the craziest ideas; (2) don't criticize others or their ideas; (3) provide as many ideas as
possible, the quality of ideas increases with the quantity of ideas; and (4) build on the ideas
that others have presented.
The nominal group technique tends to produce more and better ideas than do traditional
interacting groups True
Groups are considered teams only when
A. they operate without any supervisor.
B. everyone in the department has the same set of skills.
C. employees directly interact with each other and coordinate work activities.
D. all employees are located in the same physical area.
E. most of the employees have the same level of motivation to accomplish goals. C.
employees directly interact with each other and coordinate work activities.
A task force refers to any
A. informal group that has the same members as the permanent task-oriented group.
B. formal group whose members work permanently and spend most of their time in that
team.
C. formal group whose members must be able to perform all of the tasks of the team.
D. temporary team that investigates a particular problem and typically disbands when the
decision is made.
E. temporary team that has members in different locations who depend on information
technologies to communicate and coordinate their work effort. D. temporary team that
investigates a particular problem and typically disbands when the decision is made.
Informal groups
A. are initiated by the organization for special purposes.
B. exist primarily for the benefit of their members.
C. perform routine organizational goals.
D. always have a high level of interdependence.
E. perform uncommon tasks of the organization. B. exist primarily for the benefit of their
members.
Synergie Inc. formed a team to improve revenues for its service stations along major
highways in Malaysia. This team, which included a service station manager, a truck driver,
and four or five marketing executives, disbanded after it had reviewed the Malaysian
service stations and submitted a business plan. This team is called a(n)
A. skunkworks.
B. bootleg group.
C. informal group.
D. community of practice.
E. task force. E. task force.
Which one of the following types of teams is best known for having members who are
organized around work processes that complete an entire piece of work requiring several
interdependent tasks and have substantial autonomy over the execution of those tasks?
A. self-directed
B. communities of practice
C. task forces
D. informal groups
E. production teams A. self-directed
According to social identity theory
A. teams are never as productive as individuals working alone.
B. the most effective teams have a large number of members.
C. the team development process occurs more rapidly for heterogeneous teams than for
homogeneous teams.
D. people define themselves by their group affiliations.
E. teams are less productive in performing complex tasks. D. people define
themselves by their group affiliations.
The drive to bond and the dynamics of social identity theory both explain why people
A. join informal groups.
B. tend to ignore team norms whenever possible.
C. have difficulty feeling cohesive in teams.
D. engage in social loafing.
E. work better alone than in teams. A. join informal groups.
Fellow team members often monitor performance more closely than a traditional
supervisor. This is particularly true where the team's performance depends on
A. technological factors.
B. the special efforts of members.
C. certain skills of members.
D. the aptitudes of members.
E. the worst performer in the group. E. the worst performer in the group.
In team dynamics, process losses are best described as
A. productivity losses that occur when individual members need to learn a new task.
B. information lost due to imperfect communication among team members.
C. resources expended toward team development and maintenance.
D. knowledge lost when a team member leaves the organization.
E. knowledge lost when tacit knowledge is converted to structural knowledge. C.
resources expended toward team development and maintenance.
Brooks's Law says that adding more people to a late software project only makes it later.
This law is mainly referring to
A. the lack of team cohesiveness.
B. the existence of process losses.
C. excessive team norms.
D. an unfriendly team environment.
E. the formation of informal teams. B. the existence of process losses.
Social loafing occurs
A. more in smaller rather than larger teams.
B. more when the task is boring than when it is interesting.
C. more in tasks with high interdependence.
D. more when employees believe the team's objective is important.
E. more among employees with collectivist rather than individualistic values. B. more when
the task is boring than when it is interesting.
Keeping the team size sufficiently small and designing tasks such that each team member's
performance is measurable are two ways to
A. minimize team cohesiveness.
B. add more roles to the team.
C. increase the risk of forming dysfunctional norms.
D. minimize social loafing.
E. minimize the process losses. D. minimize social loafing
________ are employees with similar or complementary skills that are organized into one
unit.
A. Self-directed teams
B. Developmental teams
C. Task force teams
D. Informal groups
E. Social networks B. Developmental teams
Employees are more motivated in teams because
A. they have a drive to bond.
B. they are not accountable to fellow team members.
C. they are given additional funding.
D. they consume time figuring out how to work together.
E. they exert less effort than working alone. A. they have a drive to bond.
A team has high skill diversity when its members
A. have similar abilities.
B. are interchangeable.
C. possess different skills and knowledge.
D. have decision-making responsibility.
E. have work that is complicated. C. possess different skills and knowledge.
Which strategy to reduce social loafing are you implementing if each team member's task
has high motivation potential?
A. form smaller teams
B. specialize tasks
C. measure individual performance
D. increase job enrichment
E. select motivated team-oriented employees D. increase job enrichment
Social loafing is minimized by
A. decreasing job enrichment.
B. forming larger teams.
C. using team members who are self-motivated.
D. maximizing each member's contribution through measurement.
E. assigning low task significance to the objectives. C. using team members who are
self-motivated.
Which of the following is not a factor that favors effective team behavior?
A. individual rewards for contributions to the team
B. information systems that support the team
C. close physical layout of team members
D. leadership that supports team behavior and structures
E. distinctive clusters of work assigned to the team A. individual rewards for
contributions to the team
Two company divisions produce completely different products but must seek funding from
the same head office for a capital expansion project. The relationship between these two
divisions would be best described as
A. total interdependence.
B. sequential interdependence.
C. reciprocal interdependence.
D. anticipatory interdependence.
E. pooled interdependence. E. pooled interdependence.
Pooled interdependence is
A. essential for team effectiveness.
B. the same as reciprocal interdependence.
C. stronger than sequential interdependence.
D. the best way to avoid social loafing.
E. the lowest level of interdependence. E. the lowest level of interdependence.
Employees with _____, in which work output is exchanged back and forth among
individuals, should be organized into teams to facilitate coordination in their interwoven
relationship.
A. pooled interdependence
B. reciprocal interdependence
C. counterproductive norms
D. high levels of social loafing
E. a very high level of heterogeneity B. reciprocal interdependence
Which of the following competencies would primarily assist team maintenance?
A. cooperating
B. coordinating
C. communicating
D. comforting
E. concentrating D. comforting
Which are the task-related characteristics in the "five C's" of effective member behaviors?
A. comforting and communicating
B. cooperating and conflict resolving
C. coordinating and communicating
D. conflict resolving and coordinating
E. comforting and cooperating C. coordinating and communicating
"Fault lines" are more likely to occur when teams
A. have very few members.
B. are involved in sequential interdependence.
C. engage in participative management.
D. are highly interdependent.
E. are diverse. E. are diverse.
Teams with strong fault lines
A. experience more dysfunctional conflict within the team.
B. proceed more quickly through the team development process.
C. have team members with similar demographic and professional backgrounds.
D. have very few members in the team.
E. have better interpersonal relations. A. experience more dysfunctional conflict within
the team.
Which one of the following is an environmental driver?
A. internal competition
B. changing societal expectations
C. lower safety standards
D. team-based rewards
E. coordinated information systems B. changing societal expectations
You have just been asked to lead a team of 50 people. How do you organize the work?
A. Break the team into smaller groups by abilities.
B. Tell your supervisor to reduce the number of people.
C. Ask for more people.
D. Encourage them to all hold each other accountable.
E. Convince them that they have a new social identity. A. Break the team into smaller
groups by abilities.
Of the five Cs, which one of the following has the behavior of accommodating others?
A. cooperating
B. coordinating
C. communicating
D. comforting
E. concentrating A. cooperating
In which of the following scenarios would a diverse team be better than a homogeneous
team?
A. representation bringing different viewpoints to the decision
B. on tasks requiring a high degree of cooperation
C. in situations where the team must reach the performing stage of team development
quickly
D. in most organizational activities because they will have fewer conflicts
E. if the team is working on a project that involves routine tasks A. representation bringing
different viewpoints to the decision
In which of the following scenarios would stakeholders be more likely to believe the team's
decision is fair?
A. representation bringing different viewpoints to the decision
B. on tasks requiring a high degree of cooperation
C. in situations where the team must reach the performing stage of team development
quickly
D. when the team mirrors the surface or deep-level diversity of its constituents
E. if the team is working on a project that involves routine tasks D. when the team mirrors
the surface or deep-level diversity of its constituents
Which of the following generally occurs during the storming stage of team development?
A. Members learn about each other and evaluate the benefits and costs of continued
membership.
B. Members shift their attention away from task orientation to a socio-emotional focus as
they realize their relationship is coming to an end.
C. Members learn to coordinate their actions and become more task-oriented.
D. Members develop their first real sense of cohesion and, through disclosure and feedback,
make an effort to understand and accept each other.
E. Members try to establish norms of appropriate behavior and performance standards.
E. Members try to establish norms of appropriate behavior and performance
standards.
During the _____ stage of team development, team members shift their attention away
from task orientation to a relationship focus.
A. forming
B. storming
C. norming
D. adjourning
E. performing D. adjourning
In which stage of team development is there a period of testing and orientation in which
members learn about each other and evaluate the benefits and costs of continued
membership?
A. forming
B. storming
C. norming
D. adjourning
E. performing A. forming
The team has developed its first real sense of cohesion and a consensus forms during which
stage?
A. forming
B. storming
C. norming
D. adjourning
E. performing C. norming
The _____ stage is marked by interpersonal conflict as members become more proactive
and compete for various team roles.
A. forming
B. storming
C. norming
D. adjourning
E. performing B. storming
A role is a set of behaviors that people are expected to perform because
A. they need to present a certain image in their organization.
B. they hold certain positions in a team and organization.
C. of certain aptitudes and tastes that they possess.
D. of the nature and type of the team environment.
E. of the interpersonal conflicts in the team. B. they hold certain positions in a team
and organization.
Which of the following is a major problem associated with team-building activities?
A. They cannot be used to clarify the team's performance goals.
B. They do not focus on improving relations among team members.
C. Team building consists of informal activities rather than formal activities.
D. Team building attempts slow down the team development process.
E. They are used as general solutions rather than specific solutions. E. They are used as
general solutions rather than specific solutions.
How do norms affect the behavior of team members?
A. They encourage members to try new behaviors not previously sanctioned by the team.
B. They encourage the members to think out of the box and provide innovative solutions.
C. They help the team regulate and guide the behaviors of its members.
D. They help the team move from the forming to storming stages of team development.
E. They enable team members to have complete autonomy in their functioning C.
They help the team regulate and guide the behaviors of its members
Team cohesiveness tends to be higher when
A. the team is large and established.
B. entry into the team is difficult.
C. the team has distinct fault lines.
D. members have limited interaction.
E. external competition is limited. B. entry into the team is difficult.
When compared to people in low-cohesion teams, members of high-cohesion teams
A. are less motivated to maintain their membership.
B. resolve conflicts swiftly and effectively.
C. are less sensitive to each other's needs.
D. are less likely to share information with each other.
E. have external locus of control. B. resolve conflicts swiftly and effectively.
Calculus, knowledge, and identification are the three
A. stages of team development.
B. ways to improve team cohesiveness.
C. foundations of trust in teams.
D. types of psychological contract.
E. stages of conflict among team members. C. foundations of trust in teams.
Which of the following is true about calculus-based trust?
A. It is the lowest potential trust in organizations.
B. It can sustain a team's relationship by itself.
C. It is mainly based on the other party's predictability.
D. It occurs when one party thinks, feels, and responds like the other party.
E. It is based on the knowledge of the other member's behavior. A. It is the lowest potential
trust in organizations.
Which of the following foundations of trust is determined mainly by the other party's
predictability?
A. calculus-based
B. identification-based
C. knowledge-based
D. relational
E. transactional C. knowledge-based
. Liam works in a team of four other accounting professionals within a company. Liam
doesn't particularly agree with many of his teammates' ideas, such as leaving work early
and failing to double-check some account entries. However, he works comfortably with the
group because their behavior and decisions are predictable. What foundation of trust does
Liam have in this team?
A. calculus-based
B. identification-based
C. knowledge-based
D. cooperative
E. collaborative C. knowledge-based
_____ are knowledge structures mutually held by team members about expectations and
ideals of the collective task and team dynamics.
A. Team identities
B. Coordinating routines
C. Team mental models
D. Roles
E. Interpersonal relations C. Team mental models
Which one of the following allows employees to collectively plan, organize, and control
work activities with little or no direct involvement of a higher-status supervisor?
A. gainsharing teams
B. production teams
C. virtual teams
D. advisory teams
E. self-directed teams E. self-directed teams
Which of the following describes virtual teams?
A. groups of employees who are almost (virtually) identical to each other in skills and
values
B. cross-functional groups of employees that operate across space, time, and organizational
boundaries
C. formal work teams in which most members do not feel that they are really part of the
team
D. informal groups that meet only in cyberspace
E. groups of employees from different departments who are located near each other B.
cross-functional groups of employees that operate across space, time, and organizational
boundaries
Which of the following is true about virtual teams?
A. People trust team members on virtual teams more easily than on face-to-face teams.
B. Cultural differences between group members can be easily overcome.
C. Virtual teams enable organizational learning and promote globalization.
D. Surveys report higher levels of satisfaction with virtual team members than co-located
team members.
E. Conflict is more easily resolved in virtual teams. C. Virtual teams enable
organizational learning and promote globalization.
Which of the following is not a skill or characteristic required of virtual team members?
A. higher emotional intelligence
B. good communication technology skills
C. strong self-leadership skills
D. extraverted personalities
E. good conflict resolution skills D. extraverted personalities
To manage virtual teams effectively, organizations should
A. provide documented work processes and clear objectives.
B. specify the communication technology that the teams should use.
C. avoid face-to-face contact among team members.
D. use virtual teams only for long-term projects.
E. monitor the progress of virtual teams closely and intervene quickly when problems arise.
A. provide documented work processes and clear objectives.
_____ are more successful when the work site and technology support coordination and
communication among team members and increase job enrichment.
A. Gainsharing teams
B. Production teams
C. Virtual teams
D. Advisory teams
E. Self-directed teams E. Self-directed teams
What makes a virtual team different from a conventional team?
A. size and heterogeneity
B. lack of co-location
C. joint optimization and primary work unit
D. norms and trust
E. independence from information technology B. lack of co-location
Virtual teams should have
A. a toolkit of communication channels.
B. external consultants.
C. vague operational objectives.
D. long-term assignments.
E. low level of bonding. A. a toolkit of communication channels.
_____ have become commonplace in most organizations.
A. Gainsharing teams
B. Production teams
C. Virtual teams
D. Advisory teams
E. Self-directed teams C. Virtual teams
David works in Connecticut, Tim is located in Canada, and Raj is in India. In order for them
to work together on a project, they will need to become a(n)
A. gainsharing team.
B. production team.
C. virtual team.
D. advisory team.
E. self-directed team. C. virtual team.
Production blocking and evaluation apprehension
A. improve the creative process in teams.
B. help teams to avoid excessive conformity pressure.
C. are two ways to overcome group polarization in a team.
D. reduce the discipline of a team in group meetings.
E. hinder organizational decision making in teams. E. hinder organizational decision
making in teams.
Which of the following statements about evaluation apprehension in team settings is true?
A. Evaluation apprehension increases with the individual's motivation to share his or her
ideas.
B. Evaluation apprehension is more likely to occur when team members formally evaluate
each other's performance throughout the year.
C. Evaluation apprehension motivates team members to generate creative solutions, no
matter how silly they may sound.
D. Evaluation apprehension tends to affect the discipline and functioning of team
meetings.
E. Evaluation apprehension can be extremely productive if the leader is skillful and
charismatic. B. Evaluation apprehension is more likely to occur when team members
formally evaluate each other's performance throughout the year.
Team efficacy can cause team members to be _____ their decisions.
A. uncomfortable with
B. confused about
C. hesitant and doubtful about
D. more aware of the characteristics of
E. overconfident in E. overconfident in
Which of the following is not one of the effects of team efficacy?
A. Teams set more challenging goals.
B. Teams are more motivated to achieve goals.
C. Teams feel invulnerable.
D. Teams have more positive moods.
E. Teams engage in more conflict E. Teams engage in more conflict
. In which decision-making structure do participants typically meet, but only interact with
each other during two of the three steps of the process?
A. delphi method
B. nominal group technique
C. brainstorming
D. constructive conflict
E. electronic brainstorming B. nominal group technique
What may cause team members to suppress their dissenting opinions?
A. team efficacy
B. self-efficacy
C. cohesion
D. conformity
E. team production D. conformity
The main reason teams become overconfident is because
A. it is a team-level variation of self-enhancement.
B. external threats weaken them.
C. there is strong internal threat.
D. it is a part of individual beliefs.
E. it is part of human nature. A. it is a team-level variation of self-enhancement.
_____ rules are supposed to encourage divergent thinking while minimizing evaluation
apprehension and other team dynamics problems.
A. Brainstorming
B. Brainwriting
C. Electronic brainstorming
D. Nominal group technique
E. Gainsharing A. Brainstorming
Which creative structure minimizes the problem of production blocking?
A. brainstorming
B. brainwriting
C. electronic brainstorming
D. nominal group technique
E. gainsharing B. brainwriting
_________ is a strategy that can be quite effective at generating creative ideas with
minimal production blocking, evaluation apprehension, or conformity problems.
A. Brainstorming
B. Brainwriting
C. Electronic brainstorming
D. Nominal group technique
E. Gainsharing C. Electronic brainstorming
Lorraine has worked at GHI Inc. for 14 years. GHI has a large building where each
divisional unit is located on a different floor. Lorraine works on the accounting floor and
belongs to the budget committee, where she met Sally from Engineering and Jonas from
Receiving. This committee provides recommendations to upper management on various
financial issues affecting the company. Each week, the three meet after work on Thursdays
to play darts at a local pub.
81. Lorraine works in the unit in Accounting that handles Accounts Receivable. What type
of team is this most likely to be?
A. leadership team
B. self-directed team
C. virtual team
D. task force team
E. departmental team E. departmental team
The budget committee is an example of a(n):
A. leadership team.
B. self-directed team.
C. advisory team.
D. task force team.
E. community of practice C. advisory team.
The three meeting after work to play darts is an example of a(n)
A. community of practice.
B. self-directed team.
C. informal group.
D. skunkworks.
E. advisory team. C. informal group.
Barry was assigned recently to a large team working on a major software release that was
taking longer than expected. Barry and the other latecomers into the project spent a
month partnered with a senior programmer who went over the project in detail with them
and got them up to speed. Unfortunately, this training put the project even farther behind
schedule. After a few months of working on the project with so many other programmers,
Barry's work output becomes noticeably lower than it was before when he was working
independently.
84. _____ is the loss of work time on the project due to training.
A. Process gain
B. The cost of doing business
C. Brooks's law
D. Mythical man-hours
E. Immeasurable results C. Brooks's law
Barry was assigned recently to a large team working on a major software release that was
taking longer than expected. Barry and the other latecomers into the project spent a
month partnered with a senior programmer who went over the project in detail with them
and got them up to speed. Unfortunately, this training put the project even farther behind
schedule. After a few months of working on the project with so many other programmers,
Barry's work output becomes noticeably lower than it was before when he was working
independently.
Barry's reduced work output is most likely due to
A. a lack of knowledge.
B. job dissatisfaction.
C. a hostile work environment.
D. social loafing.
E. lack of proper supervision. D. social loafing.
Jafina works for a Sunshine Manufacturing, where her team shares a machine and
materials with another team that works a different shift. Each team is responsible for
ensuring that the machine is in working order and the work area is fully stocked before
handing it over to the other team at shift change. While working, Jafina begins the
manufacturing process, then passes her work along to her teammate, Georgia, to complete
the next step of the process. After this, Georgia passes it along to Jeremy to complete the
process.
86. ______ interdependence occurs when two teams share a work space and a machine.
A. Reciprocal
B. Sequential
C. Complete
D. Pooled
E. Collective D. Pooled
Jafina works for a Sunshine Manufacturing, where her team shares a machine and
materials with another team that works a different shift. Each team is responsible for
ensuring that the machine is in working order and the work area is fully stocked before
handing it over to the other team at shift change. While working, Jafina begins the
manufacturing process, then passes her work along to her teammate, Georgia, to complete
the next step of the process. After this, Georgia passes it along to Jeremy to complete the
process.
Jafina's team functions with ______ interdependence.
A. reciprocal
B. sequential
C. complete
D. pooled
E. collective B. sequential
Janet works on a team of 15 people working in research and development for a toymaker.
They have weekly meetings to discuss new toy ideas. Occasionally Janet will have a good
idea that she wishes to discuss, but it takes so long for all of her other teammates to finish
talking that she will often just not bother to bring it up. Occasionally, there are arguments
about which new project should have the most resources devoted to it, but Janet finds her
coworkers always maintain respect for each other and work out a solution.
88. Having problem getting her ideas out in meetings means Janet is experiencing
A. groupthink.
B. evaluation apprehension.
C. team syndrome.
D. production blocking.
E. intentional sabotage D. production blocking.
What type of meetings is Janet participating in?
A. brainstorming
B. cross-functional
C. nominal
D. constructive
E. innovation A. brainstorming
DMI has several teams in their company. At any given time, the company may have teams
starting and ending. Kimberly is on a team where everyone is being polite and deferring
authority. Jose's team has just started to build consensus around the group's objectives.
Victor's team has learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts. Sheena's team has
just ended.
90. Kimberly is on a team that is
A. forming.
B. storming.
C. norming.
D. performing.
E. adjourning. A. forming.
DMI has several teams in their company. At any given time, the company may have teams
starting and ending. Kimberly is on a team where everyone is being polite and deferring
authority. Jose's team has just started to build consensus around the group's objectives.
Victor's team has learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts. Sheena's team has
just ended.
Jose is on a team that is
A. forming.
B. storming.
C. norming.
D. performing.
E. adjourning. C. norming.
DMI has several teams in their company. At any given time, the company may have teams
starting and ending. Kimberly is on a team where everyone is being polite and deferring
authority. Jose's team has just started to build consensus around the group's objectives.
Victor's team has learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts. Sheena's team has
just ended.
Victor is on a team that is
A. forming.
B. storming.
C. norming.
D. performing. D. performing.
DMI has several teams in their company. At any given time, the company may have teams
starting and ending. Kimberly is on a team where everyone is being polite and deferring
authority. Jose's team has just started to build consensus around the group's objectives.
Victor's team has learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts. Sheena's team has
just ended.
Sheena is on a team that is
A. forming.
B. storming.
C. norming.
D. performing.
E. adjourning. E. adjourning.
Identify and describe three reasons employees join informal groups in organizational
settings. Drive to bond: Group membership fulfills the drive to bond (as well as the
associated relatedness needs). We join friends for lunch or stop by their work areas for brief
chats because this interaction fulfills this drive.
Social identity: We define ourselves by our group affiliations. If we belong to work teams or
informal groups that are viewed favorably by others, then we tend to view ourselves more
favorably. We are motivated to become members of groups that are similar to ourselves
because this reinforces our social identity.
Goal accomplishment: People often join and remain members of informal groups to
accomplish goals that cannot be accomplished individually.
Emotional support: Under threatening circumstances, people are comforted by the mere
presence of other people and are motivated to be near others, including strangers. Thus,
even though they might accomplish the task well enough alone, people often join forces
with others to manage the stress of risky or threatening situations.
What is social loafing? Under what circumstances does social loafing become prominent?
How can it be minimized? Social loafing occurs when people exert less effort (and usually
perform at a lower level) when working in teams than when working alone. Social loafing
tends to be more serious when the individual's performance is less likely to be noticed, such
as when people work together in large teams. The individual's output is also less noticeable
where the team produces a single output (rather than each team member producing
output), such as finding a single solution to a customer's problem. There is less social loafing
when each team member's contribution is more noticeable; this can be achieved by
reducing the size of the team, for example, or measuring each team member's performance.
What is task interdependence? Identify the three levels of task interdependence and give
an organizational example for each. Task interdependence exists when team
members must share common inputs to their individual tasks, need to interact in the process
of executing their work, or receive outcomes (such as rewards) that are partly determined
by the performance of others. The three levels of interdependence are pooled, sequential,
and reciprocal.
Pooled interdependence exists where work units operate independently, except for
reliance on a common resource or authority. For example, several company divisions
depend on the same corporate pool of money to fund new capital projects.
Sequential interdependence occurs where one person's output is the direct input for
another person or unit. This interdependent linkage is found in manufacturing operations
where the final assembly team depends on subassembly teams to maintain quality parts
and sufficient inventory.
The highest level of interdependence is reciprocal interdependence in which work output
is exchanged back and forth among individuals or work units. This relationship exists in
work teams where work-in-progress is passed back and forth several times before the final
service or product is completed.
Identify and describe the "five C's" of member behavior in effective teams. The "five C's"
model includes cooperating, coordinating, communicating, comforting, and conflict
resolving.
Cooperating: Effective team members are willing and able to work together rather than
alone. This includes sharing resources and being sufficiently adaptive or flexible to
accommodate the needs and preferences of other team members.
Coordinating: Effective team members actively manage the team's work so it is performed
efficiently and harmoniously. This typically requires that effective team members know
the work of other team members, not just their own.
Communicating: Effective team members transmit information freely (rather than
hoarding), efficiently (using the best channel and language), and respectfully (minimizing
arousal of negative emotions). They also listen actively to coworkers.
Comforting: Effective team members help coworkers maintain positive and healthy
psychological states. They show empathy, provide psychological comfort, and build
coworker feelings of confidence and self-worth.
Conflict resolving: Conflict is inevitable in social settings, so effective team members have
the skills and motivation to resolve dysfunctional disagreements among team members.
The five stages of team development 1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing
5. Adjourning
Forming, the first stage of team development, is a period of testing and orientation in which
members learn about each other and evaluate the benefits and costs of continued
membership. People tend to be polite, will defer to authority, and try to find out what is
expected of them and how they will fit into the team.
The storming stage is marked by interpersonal conflict as members become more proactive
and compete for various team roles. Members try to establish norms of appropriate
behavior and performance standards.
During the norming stage, the team develops its first real sense of cohesion as roles are
established and a consensus forms around group objectives and a common or
complementary team-based mental model.
By the performing stage, team members have learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve
conflicts. In high-performance teams, members are highly cooperative, have a high level of
trust in each other, are committed to group objectives, and identify with the team.
Finally, the adjourning stage occurs when the team is about to disband. Team members
shift their attention away from task orientation to a relationship focus
What are team norms? How are they developed in an organization? Norms are the
informal rules and shared expectations that groups establish to regulate the behavior of
their members. Norms develop when teams form because people need to anticipate or
predict how others will act. Even subtle events during the team's formation, such as how
team members initially greet each other and where they sit in the first meetings, can
initiate norms that are later difficult to change. Norms also form as team members discover
behaviors that help them function more effectively.
What is team cohesion? List the factors affecting team cohesion Team cohesion refers
to the degree of attraction people feel toward the team and their motivation to remain
members. It is a characteristic of the team, including the extent to which its members are
attracted to the team, are committed to the team's goals or tasks, and feel a collective sense
of team pride. The following factors affect team cohesion: member similarity, team size,
member interaction, difficult entry, team success, and external competition or challenges.
. Describe the distinctive features of a typical self-directed team. Self-directed teams
(SDTs) complete an entire piece of work requiring several interdependent tasks, whether
it's a product, a service, or part of a larger product or service. Team members are highly
dependent on each other to complete the entire work, while at the same time minimizing
interdependence and interaction with employees outside the team. For example, one team
might be responsible for assembling the entire engine block.
Secondly, SDTs have substantial autonomy over the execution of their tasks. Such teams
plan, organize, and control work activities with little or no direct involvement of a higher
status supervisor
potential constraints of team based decision making time, evaluation apprehension,
pressure to conform, groupthink
A key characteristic of formal teams is that:
A.) they exist to achieve common goals associated with organizational objectives
B.) their members work interdependently of each other
C.) they exist primarily for the benefit of their members
D.) their members do not attempt to influence each other A.) they exist to achieve
common goals associated with organizational objectives
Social loafing is more likely to occur:
A.) in smaller rather than larger teams
B.) when the team produces a single output rather than separate outputs for each team
member
C.) when the team's overall task has high task significance
D.) when the team has high cohesion B.) when the team produces a single output
rather than separate outputs for each team member
Two company divisions produce completely different products but both must seek funding
from the corporate office for a capital expansion project. The relationship between these
two divisions would be best described as ____ interdependence.
A.) total
B.) pooled
C.) reciprocal
D.) anticipatory B.) pooled
Which two team member behaviors in the "Five C's" model primarily assist team
maintenance rather than the team's task performance?
A.) comforting and communicating
B.) cooperating and conflict handling
C.) coordinating and communicating
D.) conflict handling and comforting D.) conflict handling and comforting
Team cohesion tends to be higher:
A.) in larger teams
B.) in teams whose members are demographically, occupationally, and psychologically
diverse
C.) in teams where entry into the team is difficult
D.) in teams where members have limited interaction with each other C.) in teams where
entry into the team is difficult
Calculus, knowledge, and identification are the three:
A.) stages of team development
B.) ways to improve team cohesion
C.) foundations of trust in teams
D.) stages of conflict among team members C.) foundations of trust in teams
Virtual teams are more effective when:
A.) management assigns one specific communication technology for the team to use
throughout the project
B.) their members have no specific roles or responsibilities
C.) their members meet face to face fairly early in ten team development process
D.) their members have low emotional intelligence C.) their members meet face to
face fairly early in ten team development process
When a team has inflated team efficacy, all of the following occur except:
A.) the team actively seeks out information located outside of the team
B.) the team develops a false sense of invulnerability about its capabilities
C.) the team becomes less vigilant about risks when making decisions
D.) the team engaged in less constructive debate A.) the team actively seeks out
information located outside of the team
Which of the following tends to be best at minimizing production blocking in team
decision making?
A.) brainstorming events
B.) self directed team structures
C.) electronic brainstorming events
D.) departmental team structures consisting of a department manager and his/her direct
reports C.) electronic brainstorming events
Teams require which of the following task characteristics to operate effectively?
A.) the work is unstructured
B.) the work can be divided into more specialized roles
C.) the work cannot be coordinated when performed by two or more people
D.) the work has low task analyzability B.) the work can be divided into more specialized
roles
Brainstorming A team event in which participants try to think up as many ideas as
possible
Brainwriting a variation of brainstorming that minimizes the problem of production
blocking by removing conversation during idea generation
electronic brainstorming Similar to brainwriting but uses computer technology to
document and share ideas.
Nominal Group Technique (NGT) Variation of brainwriting consisting of three stages in
which participants silently and independently document their ideas, then collectively
describe these ideas without critique, and finally silently and independently evaluate the
ideas presented
Team efficacy the collective belief among team members in the team's capability to
successfully complete a task. Can result in overconfidence.
Production blocking Time constraint when only one person can speak at a time.
Influences on Team Cohesion member similarity, team size, member interaction,
somewhat difficult entry, team success, external competition and challenges
Calculus Based Trust Logical calculation that other team members will act
appropriately because they face sanctions if their actions violate reasonable expectations.
Lowest level of trust.
Knowledge based trust Based on the predictability of another team member's
behavior. Medium potential level of trust.
Identification based trust Based on mutual understanding and an emotional bond
between team members. When team members think, feel, and act like each other. Highest
level of trust
Stages of Team Development forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning
Forming the first stage of team development, in which team members meet each other,
form initial impressions, and begin to establish team norms
Storming the second stage of development, characterized by conflict and
disagreement, in which team members disagree over what the team should do and how it
should do it.
Performing the fourth and final stage of team development, in which performance
improves because the team has matured into an effective, fully functioning team
Adjourning members prepare for disbandment
Norming the third stage of team development, in which team members begin to settle
into their roles, group cohesion grows, and positive team norms develop
Five C's of Effective Team Member Behavior Cooperating
Coordinating
Communicating
Comforting
Conflict handling
task interdependence the extent to which team members must share materials,
information, or expertise in order to perform their jobs
pooled interdependence When an employee or work unit shares a common resource,
such as machinery, administrative support, or a budget, with other employees or work units.
sequential interdependence work completed in succession, with one group's or job's
outputs becoming the inputs for the next group or job
reciprocal interdependence work completed by different jobs or groups working
together in a back-and-forth manner
Brook's Law Principle that adding more people to a late software project only makes it
later
Social loafing the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their
efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
True Job evaluations systematically evaluate the worth of each job within the
organization by measuring its required skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.
False Skill-based pay plans give an employee a higher pay rate for those days that he or
she performs two or more jobs at the same time.
True Employee stock ownership plans and stock options tend to create an "ownership
culture" in which employees feel aligned with the organization's success.
False Decision making is a nonconscious process of moving toward a desirable state of
affairs
True The last step in the rational decision-making model is to evaluate the decision
outcomes.
True Intuition allows us to draw on our tacit knowledge to guide our decision preferences
False Escalation of commitment occurs when employees increase their support for a
decision because most of their colleagues also support that decision.
Which of these is also referred to as participative management? Employee
Involvement
Preparation The first stage of the creative process is:
True Teams are groups of two or more people who have equal influence over each other
regarding the team's goals and means of achieving those goals.
False Informal groups exist primarily to complete tasks for the organization that
management doesn't know about.
False The norming stage of team development is marked by interpersonal conflict as team
members compete for leadership and other positions on the team.
True The storming stage of team development is marked by interpersonal conflict as
team members compete for leadership and other positions on the team.
True Norms are the informal rules and shared expectations that groups establish to
regulate the behavior of their members.
True When highly cohesive teams have norms that conflict with organizational goals,
team performance is reduced.
False Knowledge-based trust is confidence in one's own ability or knowledge.
True Identification-based trust is potentially the strongest and most robust form of trust
in work relationships.
Temporary team that investigates a particular problem and typically disbands when the
decision is made. A task force refers to any:
highly confident in Groupthink characteristics cause team members to be _____ their
decisions.
True Communication refers to the process by which information is transmitted and
understood between two or more people.
True In the communication process model, encoding the message refers to selecting the
appropriate medium and sending your ideas through that medium.
False When sender and receiver have shared mental models, more communication is
necessary to clarify meaning about that context.
False E-mail is a very good medium for communicating emotions.
False Flaming refers to the capacity of an organization to transmit information more
quickly through computer networks than through traditional paper media.
False E-mail helps organizations to significantly reduce the problem of information
overload.
True Active listeners constantly cycle through the three components of listening during
a conversation and engage in various activities to improve these processes.
False The sensing stage of active listening includes empathizing and organizing
information.
Use the grapevine as a signal of employee anxiety and view it as a valid competitor to the
company's formal communication system. Which of the following should corporate leaders
should do with the organizational grapevine?
employee privacy and social interaction. Research suggests that effective workspace
design mainly balances the trade-off between:
False Power is the act of changing another person's attitudes and behavior.
True People might gain power by convincing others that they have something of value.
True Legitimate power is created whenever the organization assigns a supervisor with
formal authority over subordinates.
True Peer pressure typically represents a form of coercive power.
True Referent power is mainly developed through a person's interpersonal skills.
False Reward power is associated with charisma.
True Networking is a form of influence that tends to increase the individual's expert and
referent power.
Power requires interdependence in the relationship. Which of the following statements
about power is true?
countervailing power In order to maintain the exchange relationship, the dependent
party has _____ over the dominant party.
coercive power Employees have _____, ranging from sarcasm to ostracism, to ensure
that coworkers conform to team norms.
bonus and gainsharing team rewards include:
organizational rewards include: profit sharing plans and stock purchase plans and stock
options
calculates bonuses from the work unit's cost savings and productivity improvement
gainsharing plans
give employees the right to purchase company stock at a future date at a predetermined
price stock options
employees receive a percentage of the previous year's company profits profit-
sharing plans
job design model that relates the motivational properties of jobs to specific personal and
organizational consequences of those properties job characteristics model
5 core job characteristics: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy
extent to which employees must use different skills and talents to perform tasks within
their jobs skill variety
degree to which a job requires completion of a whole or an identifiable piece of work
task identity
degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the organization and/or larger society
task significance
degree to which a job gives employees the freedom, independence, and discretion to
schedule their work and determine the procedures used in completing it autonomy
3 critical physiological states: meaningfulness, responsibility, knowledge of results
belief that one's work is worthwhile or important meaningfulness
sense of being personally accountable for the work outcomes responsibility
awareness of the work outcomes based on info from the job itself results
minimizes health risks from repetitive strain and heavy lifting, supports multi-skilling,
potentially reduces the boredom of highly repetitive jobs job rotation
adding tasks to an existing job job enlargement
practice of giving employees more responsibility for scheduling, coordinating, and
planning their work job enrichment
conscious process of making choices among alternatives with the intention of moving
toward some desired of affairs decision making
process limited and imperfect info and rarely select the best choice bounded rationality
ability to know when a problem or opportunity exists to select the best course of action
without conscious reasoning intiution
tendency to repeat an apparently bad decision or allocate more resources to a failing
course of action escalation of commitment
development of original ideas that make a socially recognized contribution creativity
selecting an alternative that is satisfactory or "good enough" rather than the alternative
with the highest value satisficing
creative process model: preparation, incubation, illumination, verication
groups of two or more people who interact and influence one another; are mutually
accountable for achieving common goals associated with organizational objectives teams
have little or no interdependence and no organizationally mandated purpose
informal groups
team development stages: forming, storming, norming, performing
defining purpose, structure, and leadership forming
conflict as members resist control by group and disagree over leadership storming
group becomes cohesive and establishes norms norming
fully functional group structure allows focus on the task at hand performing
predictability of another team member's behavior knowledge-based trust
mutual understanding and an emotional bond among team members identification-based
trust
influence of others in a group that causes individual members to change their opinions to
conform to that of the group groupthink
process by which info is transmitted and understood between two or more people
communication
communication transmitted without words ex: facial gestures, physical distance, and
silence nonverbal communication
being confronted with a quantity of info that exceeds an individual's capacity to process it
information overload
stages of active listening: sensing, evaluating, and responding
process of recieving signals from the sender and paying attention to them sensing
component of listening includes understanding the message meaning, evaluating the
message, and remembering the message evaluating
providing feedback to the sender, which motivates and directs the speaker's
communication responding
informal communication network active in almost every organization the grapevine
the capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence to others power
sources of power: legitmate, reward, coercive, expert, referent
agreement among organizational members that people in certain roles can request certain
behaviors of others legitmate
person's ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove
negative sanctions reward
ability to apply punishment coercive
based upon knowledge, skills, abilities expert
based upon attractiveness, respect, likability, charmisa referent
Effective communication is of vital importance to organizations because employees work
interdependently, and interdependence requires communication. True
Communication supports employee well-being and can improve employee well-being.
True
The effectiveness of the encoding-decoding process is independent of the sender's and the
receiver's proficiency with the communication channel. False
The sender's and receiver's abilities and motivations to communicate through the
communication channel is an important factor determining the effectiveness of the
communication channel
Email is a very good medium for communicating emotions. False
Email is a poor medium for communicating emotions. People rely on facial expressions and
other nonverbal cues to interpret the emotional meaning of words. Email lacks this parallel
communication channel.
In quiet settings, most information is communicated verbally rather than nonverbally.
FALSE
Nonverbal communication includes facial gestures, voice intonation, physical distance,
and even silence. Nonverbal communication occurs even during silence. Even in quiet,
face-to-face meetings, most information is communicated nonverbally.
Emotional contagion fulfills our drive to bond with others. True
A communication channel with high media richness should be used in routine situations
where the sender and receiver have common understanding and expectations False
Lean media work well because the sender and receiver have common expectations
through shared mental models. In nonroutine situations (such as an unexpected and
unusual emergency), the sender and receiver have little common experience, so they need
to transmit a large volume of information with immediate feedback.
Compared to lean media, rich media have fewer social distractions False
Channels with high media richness tend to involve more direct social interaction. This
social presence sensitizes both parties to their relative status and self-presentation, which
diverts their attention from the message. This may offset the benefits of channel richness by
social distractions from the message content, whereas lean media have much less social
presence to distract or distort the transmitted information.
Language differences among people can produce communication noise. True
Jargon improves communication efficiency when both the sender and receiver understand
this specialized language. True
Talking while someone is speaking to you is interpreted by the Japanese as the person's
interest and involvement in the conversation. False
Talking while someone is speaking to you is considered quite rude in Japan, whereas
Brazilians and French are more likely to interpret this as the person's interest and
involvement in the conversation
Active listeners constantly cycle through the three components of listening during a
conversation and engage in various activities to improve these processes. True
The sensing stage of active listening includes empathizing and organizing information
False
Sensing is the process of receiving signals from the sender and paying attention to them.
Evaluating, which follows the sensing stage, includes empathizing and organizing
information
The grapevine is an important social process that fulfills the employees' drive to bond
True
The best way to manage the organizational grapevine is to ignore the information it
communicates. False
Management should listen to the grapevine as a signal of employee anxiety and then
correct the cause of this anxiety. Some companies also listen to the grapevine and step in to
correct blatant errors and fabrications
Effective communication occurs when
A. information is sent through informal rather than formal channels.
B. information is collected from various sources but sent to a limited audience.
C. the sender convinces the receiver to accept the information sent.
D. information is transmitted and understood between two or more people.
E. the sender transmits information that is received by someone other than the intended
receiver. D. information is transmitted and understood between two or more people.
_____ refers to the process by which information is transmitted and understood between
two or more people.
A. Communication
B. Jargon
C. Flaming
D. Grapevine
E. MBWA A. Communication
Which of the following represents the first step in the communication model?
A. encode message
B. form message
C. decode message
D. transmit message
E. form feedback B. form message
According to the communication process model
A. information flows through channels between the sender and receiver.
B. the sender and receiver are at different levels and communicate only when the levels
match.
C. communication is a free-flowing conduit.
D. information transmission is minimal in a formal communicative process.
E. the sender is the dominant and more important partner A. information flows
through channels between the sender and receiver.
Which of the following represents the first three steps in the communication model in the
correct order?
A. decode message, encode message, and provide feedback
B. form message, transmit message, and decode message
C. encode message, transmit message, and receive message
D. form message, transmit message, and receive message
E. form message, encode message, and transmit message E. form message, encode message,
and transmit message
In the communication process model, decoding the message occurs immediately
A. before the sender forms the message.
B. after the receiver receives the message.
C. after the sender forms feedback of the original message.
D. after the receiver transmits the message.
E. before the receiver receives the message. B. after the receiver receives the message.
What effect does "noise" have in the communication model?
A. It distorts and obscures the sender's intended message.
B. It prevents the sender from forming a message.
C. It helps the sender to select a more appropriate medium to transmit the message.
D. It helps the receiver to decode the message more carefully.
E. The concept of noise is not significant in the communication model. A. It distorts and
obscures the sender's intended message.
The encoding-decoding process is generally more effective when both parties
A. have a diverse set of skills and capabilities.
B. differ in their level of expertise and knowledge.
C. come from different cultures.
D. are skilled in using the selected communication channel.
E. have formed perceptions and varying beliefs about interpersonal communication. D. are
skilled in using the selected communication channel.
Talking with others can be a soothing balm during difficult times. This demonstrates which
drive?
A. drive to succeed
B. drive to defend
C. drive to bond
D. drive to acquire
E. drive to achieve C. drive to bond
When conveying information to others, we are often trying to alter their beliefs, feelings,
and ultimately their
A. behavior.
B. decisions.
C. support.
D. drives.
E. emotions. A. behavior.
After the receiver decodes the message, what happens next?
A. The sender receives confirmation that the message has been understood.
B. The receiver confirms with the sender that the message sent was intended to be a
message.
C. The receiver decodes the received message.
D. The receiver encodes the message.
E. The receiver forms a direct feedback in response to the received message. E. The
receiver forms a direct feedback in response to the received message.
The sender and receiver encode and decode more effectively when they have similar
A. messages.
B. vocabularies.
C. codebooks
D. conversations.
E. experiences. C. codebooks
Shared _____ enable more accurate transmission of the message content and reduce the
need for communication about the message context.
A. codebooks
B. mental models
C. dictionaries
D. messages
E. conversations B. mental models
Which of the following is an advantage of using email communication?
A. It reduces the problem of information overload.
B. It reduces the frequency of flaming.
C. It is easier to interpret emotional meaning in email messages as they are less formal.
D. It increases the politeness and respect of communication.
E. It significantly alters the flow of information within groups. E. It significantly alters the
flow of information within groups.
Which of the following communication media tends to be the best for transmitting
emotions?
A. newsletters
B. e-mail messages
C. telephone conversations
D. face-to-face meetings
E. written messages D. face-to-face meetings
In organizational communication, flaming generally refers to
A. telling an employee in front of other people that he or she is fired.
B. ranting and raving in front of a large audience.
C. an emotionally charged e-mail or other electronic message, usually one that
communicates strong negative emotions.
D. using any signal with the hands that conveys an obscene meaning to the receiver.
E. interrupting the speaker before he or she has finished talking. C. an emotionally
charged e-mail or other electronic message, usually one that communicates strong
negative emotions.
Which of the following conditions would necessitate the use of nonverbal communication
instead of verbal communication?
A. low physical distance
B. need for immediate feedback
C. personal nature of communication
D. familiarity with the listener
E. increased noise E. increased noise
Emotional contagion occurs when
A. we share the emotions of other people.
B. we are required to show or hide our emotions, based on rules prescribed by the job.
C. two or more people experience different emotions even though they are observing the
same object.
D. the communication medium has different meaning for the receiver and the sender.
E. two or more people experience the same emotions even though they are observing
different objects. A. we share the emotions of other people.
John slams his finger while closing a cabinet drawer. Mary winces and shakes her hand.
This is an example of
A. passive listening.
B. emotional contagion.
C. emotional intelligence.
D. tacit knowledge.
E. flaming. B. emotional contagion.
What effect does emotional contagion have on the communication process?
A. It distorts the communication process and causes dissatisfaction to all the parties
involved.
B. It provides feedback to the sender that the receiver understands and empathizes with
the message.
C. It reduces the level of actual communication among colleagues.
D. It makes it more difficult for the receiver to receive the emotional meaning of the
sender's experience.
E. It forms a strong communication barrier between the sender and the receiver. B. It
provides feedback to the sender that the receiver understands and empathizes with the
message.
Listeners often engage in an automatic process of "catching" or sharing another person's
emotions by mimicking that person's facial expressions and other nonverbal behavior.
Which of the following drives causes this effect?
A. drive to defend
B. drive to bond
C. drive to achieve
D. drive to learn
E. drive to protect B. drive to bond
Email and other forms of written digital communication potentially reduce stereotyping
and prejudice because the
A. age, religion, and ethnicity of the participants are unknown or less noticeable.
B. age, race, and other features of the participants are unknown or less noticeable.
C. gender, experience, and education of the participants are unknown or less noticeable.
D. age, background, and past experiences of the participants are unknown or less
noticeable.
E. vocabulary, skills, and age of the participants are unknown or less noticeable B. age,
race, and other features of the participants are unknown or less noticeable.
Senders try to clarify the emotional tone of their messages by using all of the following
except
A. expressive language.
B. highlighting phrases.
C. inserting emojis.
D. sending short messages.
E. using capital letters or quotation marks D. sending short messages.
Information overload can occur through
A. electronic company magazines.
B. annual performance reviews with supervisors.
C. Intranet websites.
D. email.
E. the corporate grapevine D. email.
Unlike traditional websites that merely "push" information from the creator to the
audience, _____ are more conversational and reciprocally interactive between sender and
receiver, resulting in a sense of community.
A. nonverbal behaviors
B. emails
C. social media
D. newsletters
E. electronic corporate magazines C. social media
The other difference between verbal and nonverbal communication is that the former is
typically conscious, whereas most nonverbal communication is
A. noise.
B. universal.
C. automatic.
D. standardized.
E. hardwired. C. automatic.
Which of the following is a factor in social acceptance?
A. the symbolic meaning of the chosen channel
B. the media richness of the selected channel
C. the bandwidth of the channel
D. the diplomatic acceptance of the message
E. the content and accuracy of the message A. the symbolic meaning of the chosen
channel
Several employees in a newly formed group must work together to develop a new product.
No one in this group has worked with anyone else in this group before, and the
development of this product has not been attempted previously. According to the media
richness model, which of the following communication channels is most appropriate in this
situation?
A. written documents
B. email
C. face-to-face meetings
D. bulletin boards
E. financial statements C. face-to-face meetings
Which of the following communication channels has the highest media richness?
A. newsletter
B. email
C. telephone call
D. video conference
E. instant messaging D. video conference
Which of the following communication channels has the lowest media richness?
A. newsletter
B. email
C. telephone call
D. video conference
E. instant messaging A. newsletter
Employees can expand the data-carrying capacity of a lean media channel if they
A. avoid emotional contagion.
B. are highly proficient with that communication channel.
C. are unfamiliar with the receiver of the information.
D. avoid using jargon and short-hand symbols in the communication.
E. are new to using that communication medium. B. are highly proficient with that
communication channel.
Which of the following communication channels is most effective when the sender wants to
persuade the receiver?
A. a formal memorandum sent to the receiver
B. an informal speech to a large audience
C. a personalized letter to the receiver
D. a personal face-to-face meeting with the receiver
E. an informal memorandum issued to the receiver D. a personal face-to-face meeting
with the receiver
Which of the following is an advantage associated with using written communication
channels in persuading people?
A. It can make better use of the social perceptions of individuals.
B. It can be used as a medium for richer communication.
C. It is better in presenting technical details.
D. It can be used to obtain high-quality immediate feedback.
E. It sends emotional and logical messages to receivers. C. It is better in presenting
technical details.
The extent to which communication channels require or allow both sender and receiver to
be actively involved in the conversation at the same time is called
A. synchronicity.
B. social presence.
C. social acceptance.
D. media richness.
E. bandwidth. A. synchronicity.
Asynchronous communication is better when
A. the issue is difficult.
B. the issue has high time urgency.
C. getting both parties together at the same time is costly.
D. the receiver would not benefit from time to reflect on the message before responding.
E. the information is required quickly. C. getting both parties together at the same time
is costly.
_____ refers to how much the communication channel creates psychological closeness to
others, awareness of their humanness, and appreciation of the interpersonal relationship.
A. Synchronicity
B. Social presence
C. Social acceptance
D. Media richness
E. Communication hierarchy B. Social presence
The leadership team meets weekly to update each other on what events are taking place in
each unit. Each division director completes an update report to be attached to the minutes.
Since many of the division directors meet with each other, there are rarely any surprises.
This weekly communication calls for
A. an active corporate grapevine.
B. high emotional contagion in communication.
C. the use of nonverbal communication.
D. an increased number of face-to-face meetings.
E. lean media. E. lean media.
According to media richness theory, rich media are better than lean media when the
communication situation is nonroutine and ambiguous. In nonroutine situations (such as an
unexpected and unusual emergency), the sender and receiver have little common
experience, so they need to transmit a large volume of information with immediate
feedback. Lean media work well in routine situations because the sender and receiver
have common expectations through shared mental models.
During a personal meeting with the company's vice president, you concentrate more on
your how you look in what you are wearing than on what he is saying to you. In fact, you
ask him to repeat a question/statement more than once. In this scenario, _____ has
disrupted the efficient flow of information.
A. communication proficiency
B. low social presence
C. high social presence
D. multitasking
E. emotional contagion C. high social presence
Communication noise can exist even when people speak the same language. This occurs
because of the
A. skill differences among people.
B. lack of necessary aptitudes.
C. richness of the communication channel.
D. reduced channel bandwidth.
E. cultural differences among people. E. cultural differences among people.
When a sender and receiver belonging to the same group want to transmit technical
information more efficiently, they should use
A. jargon that they both understand.
B. information filtering.
C. mediators in communication.
D. nonverbal communication.
E. formal written communication. A. jargon that they both understand.
Senior executives at a large tire company learned that a line of tires had a tendency to fall
apart in very warm weather. This resulted in several vehicle accidents in the Middle East
and South America. However, the executives did not hear about these problems until
several weeks after the lower-level managers learned about the same. Although the senior
executives encourage staff to openly communicate all information, the lower-level staff
held back the information for fear that they might lose their jobs. Which communication
concept best describes this communication situation?
A. media richness
B. persuasive communication
C. filtering
D. flaming
E. information overload C. filtering
Buffering, summarizing, and omitting are ways to
A. reduce information overload.
B. avoid organizational risk.
C. avoid the risk of flaming.
D. improve communication between men and women.
E. increase media richness. A. reduce information overload.
In Alphatech Systems, email software screens incoming messages by organizing them into
mailboxes and identifying junk mail. As a result, employees in this company can quickly
identify the most important email messages and overlook the junk mail. This email feature
improves communication by
A. increasing media richness.
B. reducing information load.
C. minimizing emotional contagion.
D. reducing the use of jargon.
E. increasing social acceptance of mails. B. reducing information load.
Which of the following has the same meaning around the world?
A. silence
B. shaking one's head
C. smiling
D. raising one's eyebrows
E. eye contact C. smiling
How do men and women generally differ in their communication styles in organizational
settings?
A. Men are more likely than women to communicate to strengthen relationships.
B. Women have a more dominant conversation style.
C. Women are usually more sensitive than men to the listener's nonverbal cues.
D. Men tend to engage less in report talk than women.
E. Men apologize more often in their conversations and interactions than women. C.
Women are usually more sensitive than men to the listener's nonverbal cues.
Report talk is characterized by
A. giving advice indirectly.
B. apologizing less frequently.
C. flexible conversation style.
D. sensitivity to nonverbal cues.
E. relationship building. B. apologizing less frequently.
In the communication process, filtering is less likely to occur when
A. the sender carefully selects words that the receiver is most likely to understand
correctly.
B. the receiver removes noise from the communication process so that the sender's message
is more accurately understood.
C. corporate leaders create a culture of candor.
D. people communicate mainly positive information about themselves by screening out
negative information.
E. the receiver avoids receiving messages from a sender. C. corporate leaders create a
culture of candor.
Employees have a certain _____, which is the amount of information that they are able to
process in a fixed unit of time.
A. information overload
B. information-processing capacity
C. information load
D. buffering
E. filtering B. information-processing capacity
Information load can be reduced by all of the following except
A. buffering.
B. omitting.
C. summarizing.
D. filtering.
E. time management. E. time management.
Haruyuki stops talking when he is interrupted and considers those who did that to be rude.
Which culture does he most likely associate with?
A. French
B. Japanese
C. Canadian
D. Middle Eastern
E. Indian B. Japanese
Men engage in more _____, in which the primary function of the conversation is
impersonal and efficient information exchange.
A. codebook
B. rapport talk
C. report talk
D. empathy talk
E. gender talk C. report talk
The three main components of active listening, in order, are
A. sensing, evaluating, and responding.
B. encoding, decoding, and transmitting.
C. inferring, deferring, and referring.
D. summarizing, encoding, and responding.
E. buffering, summarizing, and omitting. A. sensing, evaluating, and responding.
Active listeners improve their sensing activities by
A. forming an opinion early in the process.
B. postponing evaluation of the message.
C. clarifying the message during presentation.
D. estimating the learning often.
E. maintaining a casual posture when listening. B. postponing evaluation of the message.
Active listeners can improve their responding by
A. keeping their feedback to themselves.
B. not making eye contact.
C. keeping silent.
D. rephrasing speaker's ideas at appropriate breaks.
E. asking irrelevant questions D. rephrasing speaker's ideas at appropriate breaks.
Which of the following active listening processes includes showing interest and clarifying
the message of the speaker?
A. evaluating
B. responding
C. persuading
D. recording
E. sensing B. responding
Layton and Lester have had a disagreement. Douglas is coming into the conversation at the
end. His first strategy would be to
A. evaluate.
B. sense.
C. respond.
D. buffer.
E. filter. B. sense.
Which of the following is a strategy specifically identified to improve face-to-face
communication among employees?
A. filtering
B. buffering
C. encouraging an active grapevine
D. open workspace arrangements
E. use of jargon D. open workspace arrangements
_____ are collaborative web spaces in which anyone in a group can write, edit, or remove
material from the website.
A. Blogs
B. Podcasts
C. Wikis
D. Intranets
E. Local area networks C. Wikis
Done correctly, MBWA most likely occurs on a(n) _____ basis.
A. annual
B. semiannual
C. quarterly
D. monthly
E. daily or weekly E. daily or weekly
The ______ is the unstructured and informal organizational network that is founded in
social relationships rather than organization charts or job descriptions.
A. codebook
B. jargon
C. grapevine
D. rumor mill
E. jungle C. grapevine
Which of the following is true about the organizational grapevine?
A. The grapevine presents a true picture of reality by providing fine details to substantiate
the content.
B. The grapevine typically works by sending information downward rather than upward
through the organizational hierarchy.
C. The grapevine is usually founded on organizational charts or job descriptions rather
than social relationships.
D. The grapevine is a structured and formal network for transmitting organizational
information.
E. The typical pattern of a grapevine is a cluster chain, whereby a few people actively
transmit rumors to many others. E. The typical pattern of a grapevine is a cluster chain,
whereby a few people actively transmit rumors to many others.
The organizational grapevine is useful because it
A. is an effective way for management to inform employees about future organizational
changes.
B. provides detailed information that more formal communication channels tend to ignore.
C. reduces information overload.
D. bonds employees together and fulfills their need for interaction.
E. allows organizations to hide important information from employees. D. bonds employees
together and fulfills their need for interaction.
Which of the following should corporate leaders do with the organizational grapevine?
A. Try to use the grapevine as a channel of communication from executives to employees as
much as possible because of its high speed and low cost.
B. Use the grapevine as a signal of employee anxiety and view it as a valid competitor to
the company's formal communication system.
C. Use the grapevine when the communication requires high media richness, but otherwise
use meetings when communicating with employees.
D. Make every effort to destroy the grapevine, including firing employees who actively
support it.
E. Ignore grapevines because providing more attention to it would increase the speed of
grapevine communication. B. Use the grapevine as a signal of employee anxiety and view
it as a valid competitor to the company's formal communication system.
Some organizations are improving communication among staff by tearing down walls. This
improves interaction but increases all of the following except
A. noise.
B. distraction.
C. privacy.
D. nonverbal communication.
E. buffering. C. privacy.
Jennifer, a new manager, walks through the unit every morning and has set up
appointments to shadow all of the employees. She is employing which communication
approach?
A. management by walking around
B. buffering communication
C. filtering communication
D. Internet-based organizational communication
E. face-to-face dialogue A. management by walking around
Disadvantages of the grapevine include
A. reduction in anxiety.
B. the drive to bond.
C. exaggerating key points.
D. it is the main conduit of organizational stories.
E. it is a sign of inclusion. C. exaggerating key points.
What do employees think about the grapevine?
A. Employees turn to the grapevine when they have many other options.
B. Employees actively transmit information to just a few.
C. It is less active where employees have similar backgrounds and are able to communicate
easily.
D. Almost all employees use the grapevine, but very few of them prefer this source of
information.
E. It reduces rather than escalates employee anxiety D. Almost all employees use the
grapevine, but very few of them prefer this source of information.
At Sunshine Toys, several employees must work together to develop a new product. No one
in this group has worked with any of the others before, and the development of this product
has not been attempted previously.
The most effective medium in this situation would be one that is
A. routine.
B. non-ambiguous.
C. lean.
D. rich.
E. oversimplified. D. rich.
At Sunshine Toys, several employees must work together to develop a new product. No one
in this group has worked with any of the others before, and the development of this product
has not been attempted previously.
According to the media richness model, which of the following communication channels is
most appropriate in this situation?
A. written documents
B. email
C. face-to-face meetings
D. bulletin boards
E. weblogs C. face-to-face meetings
You have completed an important presentation to several Japanese executives regarding
a proposed partnership between your American company and their Japanese firm. The
Japanese executives were very silent during the presentation.
With regard to cross-cultural communication, this silence most likely means that the
Japanese executives
A. didn't understand what you were saying.
B. disagree with your proposal and can't think of a polite way of telling you about their
rejection.
C. weren't listening to your presentation.
D. have agreed to the proposal made by you.
E. are showing respect for your presentation. E. are showing respect for your
presentation.
Shanti recently went to a communication workshop to help improve her workplace
performance. She learned that in effective communication, she should resist forming an
opinion until the speaker has finished, then attempt to empathize with the listener, and
finally effectively respond to the speaker. She learned techniques regarding maintaining
eye contact and sending back channel signals to show interest.
In the communication workshop, Shanti learned _______ listening.
A. participative
B. dynamic
C. active
D. evaluative
E. communicatory C. active
Shanti recently went to a communication workshop to help improve her workplace
performance. She learned that in effective communication, she should resist forming an
opinion until the speaker has finished, then attempt to empathize with the listener, and
finally effectively respond to the speaker. She learned techniques regarding maintaining
eye contact and sending back channel signals to show interest.
When Shanti attempts to empathize with the speaker, she is
A. sensing.
B. evaluating.
C. understanding.
D. responding.
E. identification. . evaluating.
Shanti recently went to a communication workshop to help improve her workplace
performance. She learned that in effective communication, she should resist forming an
opinion until the speaker has finished, then attempt to empathize with the listener, and
finally effectively respond to the speaker. She learned techniques regarding maintaining
eye contact and sending back channel signals to show interest.
The techniques Shanti learned in regard to showing interest will help her improve in the
_______________ of listening.
A. sensing
B. evaluating
C. understanding
D. responding
E. identification D. responding
At the end of a long meeting with many new people, four people are overheard having a
heated conversation. Isabel and Linda are debating the project outcomes. Pietro keeps
interrupting them trying to share his opinions, and Yuki is standing with her arms folded
waiting for her chance to speak.
To help calm Isabel and Linda, you begin by
A. sensing the situation.
B. evaluating the situation.
C. filtering the situation.
D. buffering the situation.
E. responding to the situation. A. sensing the situation.
At the end of a long meeting with many new people, four people are overheard having a
heated conversation. Isabel and Linda are debating the project outcomes. Pietro keeps
interrupting them trying to share his opinions, and Yuki is standing with her arms folded
waiting for her chance to speak.
Based on Pietro's reaction, he might be from
A. England.
B. Brazil.
C. Japan.
D. Canada.
E. India. B. Brazil.
At the end of a long meeting with many new people, four people are overheard having a
heated conversation. Isabel and Linda are debating the project outcomes. Pietro keeps
interrupting them trying to share his opinions, and Yuki is standing with her arms folded
waiting for her chance to speak.
Yuki is from Japan, so she views Pietro's reaction as
A. appropriate.
B. rude.
C. empathetic.
D. polite. B. rude.
At the end of a long meeting with many new people, four people are overheard having a
heated conversation. Isabel and Linda are debating the project outcomes. Pietro keeps
interrupting them trying to share his opinions, and Yuki is standing with her arms folded
waiting for her chance to speak.
Now that you have assessed the situation, you can use your skill in _____ to help end the
disagreement.
A. buffering
B. filtering
C. social presence
D. active listening
E. social acceptance D. active listening
communication the process by which information is transmitted and understood
between two or more people
importance of communication - coordination
- organizational learning
- decision making
- change behavior
- support employee well-being
problems with digital message channels - poor communication of emotions
- less politeness and respectfulness
- cumbersome medium for ambiguous, complex, and novel situations
- contributes to information overload
emotional contagion the nonconscious process of "catching" or sharing another person's
emotions by mimicking that person's facial expressions and other nonverbal behavior
synchronicity the extent to which the channel requires or allows both sender and receiver
to be actively involved in the conversation at the same time (synchronous) or at different
times (asynchronous)
factors in choosing best communication channel - synchronicity
- social presence
- social acceptance
- media richness
social presence The extent to which a communication channel creates psychological
closeness to others, awareness of their humanness, and appreciation of the interpersonal
relationship
media richness A medium's data-carrying capacity -- that is, the volume and variety
of information that can be transmitted during a specific time.
High richness = convey multiple cues (verbal & nonverbal), allows timely feedback,
allows sender to customize message, makes use of complex symbols
exceptions to media richness theory - ability to multi-communicate
- communication proficiency
- social presence effects
persuasion the use of facts, logical arguments, and emotional appeals to change another
person's beliefs and attitudes, usually for the purpose of changing the person's behavior
jargon specialized words and phrases for specific occupations or groups
information overload a condition in which the volume of information received
exceeds the person's capacity to process it
information-processing capacity the amount of information that one can process in a
fixed unit of time
information load the amount of information to be processed per unit of time
active listening Constant cycle throughout conversation of:
- sensing
- evaluating
- responding
improving communication throughout the hierarchy - workspace design
- internet-based organizational communication
- direct communication with top management
management by walking around (MBWA) a communication practice in which
executives get out of their offices and learn from others in the organization through face-
to-face dialogue
grapevine an unstructured and informal communication network founded on social
relationships rather than organizational charts or job descriptionse
