CH-9 Managing Teams – Effective Management : Exam Guide

Chapter 9: Managing Teams TRUE/FALSE 1. A work team consists of a small number of people who have been assigned responsibility for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes. Answer: False The term work team is used to describe a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes. That is, these individuals must accept the responsibility and hold each other mutually accountable, in order to be considered a team rather than a group. 2. Companies are making greater use of teams because teams have been shown to improve customer satisfaction, product and service quality, speed and efficiency in product development, employee job satisfaction, and decision making. Answer: True 3. A company engaged in cross-training is using individual team members to teach other members how to do all or most of the jobs they can perform. Answer: False Cross-training is training team members to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members. It is not necessarily done by other team members. 4. In the decision-making process, teams can do a much better job than individuals in defining the problem and generating alternative solutions. Answer: True 5. Michele does not approve of her research team’s agreement to accept a government grant to study why people continue to use tobacco. Since she feels that this type of research has already been overdone, she is likely to engage in social loafing when it comes time to conduct this study. Answer: True 6. The three significant disadvantages that teams and teamwork are prone to are initially high turnover, social loafing, and legal risk. Answer: False The disadvantages are initially high turnover, social loafing, and problems associated with group decision making. 7. Since teams should be an end in themselves, it is appropriate to use them in most situations. Answer: False Teams are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. They should be used only under certain specific circumstances. 8. The presence of someone with expertise in a group will often cause other group members to withhold efforts. Answer: True See Exhibit 9.1. 9. Teams are typically required when tasks are complex, require multiple perspectives, or require repeated interaction with others to complete. Answer: True 10. Teams do not perform any better when offered extrinsic rewards. Answer: False Rewards are useful for increasing a team’s performance. 11. Autonomy is the degree to which workers have the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs. Answer: True 12. The autonomy continuum shows how five kinds of teams differ in terms of autonomy. The correct sequence, from low team autonomy to high team autonomy, is (1) traditional work groups, (2) employee involvement groups, (3) semiautonomous work groups, (4) self-designing teams, and (5) self-managing teams. Answer: False In the autonomy continuum, which shows how five kinds of teams differ in terms of autonomy, the correct sequence, from low team autonomy to high team autonomy, is (1) traditional work groups, (2) employee involvement groups, (3) semiautonomous work groups, (4) self-managing teams, and (5) self-designing teams. See Exhibit 9.3. 13. Employee involvement teams not only provide advice and suggestions to management but also have the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service. Answer: False This is true of semiautonomous work groups. Employee involvement teams (which have somewhat more autonomy than traditional work groups, but less than semiautonomous work groups) meet on company time on a weekly or monthly basis to provide advice or make suggestions to management concerning specific issues such as plant safety, but they do not have the authority to make decisions. 14. Self-designing teams have all the characteristics of self-managing teams, but they can also control and change the design of the teams themselves, the tasks they do and how they do them, and who belongs to the teams. Answer: True 15. Cross-functional teams are purposely composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. Answer: True 16. Virtual teams are teams that allow people who are geographically dispersed to meet and work together. Answer: True 17. One of the disadvantages of project teams is their lack of flexibility. Answer: False One of the advantages of project teams is their flexibility. 18. Norms are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. They are valuable because they let team members know what is expected of them. Answer: True 19. Team norms may be associated with either positive or negative outcomes for the company. Answer: True 20. Cohesiveness refers to the extent to which members of a team are experiencing job satisfaction. Answer: False Cohesiveness is the extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain in it. Members may or may not have high levels of job satisfaction. 21. A work group in a research and development laboratory has agreed among themselves to take a break every workday at 10:30 and discuss topics that are not work related. This would have no effect on group cohesiveness. Answer: False Group cohesiveness is encouraged by employees engaging in nonwork-related activities. 22. According to the What Really Works, “Cohesion and Team Performance,” non-cohesive teams generally perform just as well as cohesive teams. Answer: False According to the What Really Works, “Cohesion and Team Performance,” cohesive teams will outperform less cohesive teams more than 60% of the time. 23. Cognitive conflict is strongly associated with improvements in team performance, and affective conflict is strongly associated with decreases in team performance. Answer: True 24. Studies show that managers who cope with cognitive conflict and ignore affective conflict are much more likely to be successful team managers. Answer: False Studies show that emphasizing cognitive conflict alone is not enough. Affective and cognitive conflict often occur at the same time. 25. Sincere attempts to reach agreement on a difficult issue can quickly deteriorate from cognitive to affective conflict. Answer: True 26. As teams develop and grow, they pass through three stages of development. These three stages are perceived team, felt team, and manifest team. Answer: False As teams develop and grow, they pass through four stages of development: forming, storming, norming, and performing. 27. Conflicts and disagreements often characterize the second stage of team development, which is called storming. Answer: True 28. Since teams that get stuck in the storming stage will be strained but productive, it is important for team leaders to focus the team on balancing cognitive and affective conflict. Answer: False Since teams that get stuck in the storming stage are almost always ineffective, it is important for team leaders to focus the team on team goals and on improving team performance. 29. The last stage of team development, where performance improved because the team has become effective and fully functioning, is the performing stage. Answer: True 30. Once teams have made it to the performing stage, they no longer need fear a decline in performance. Answer: False After a period of time at the performing stage, if not managed well, performance may begin to decline. 31. To enhance work team effectiveness, managers should carefully set team goals and priorities, and take care when selecting, training, and compensating team members. Answer: True 32. Structural accommodation means giving teams the ability to change organizational structures, policies, and practices if it helps them meet their stretch goals. Answer: True 33. Bureaucratic immunity means that teams are only accountable to top management. Answer: True 34. A preference for teamwork (i.e., collectivism), team level, and team diversity can help companies choose the right team members. Answer: True 35. Team normalization represents the variances or differences in ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team. Answer: False Team diversity represents the variances or differences in ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team. 36. Companies that successfully use teams need to provide much training to the team members in order to ensure the team method works. Answer: True 37. If individuals can work well independently, managers are correct in assuming they can work effectively in teams and need no training. Answer: False Companies that successfully use teams need to provide much training to the team members in order to ensure the team method works. 38. The most common type of training provided to members of work teams is training in leadership skills. Answer: False The most common type of training provided to members of work teams is training in interpersonal skills. 39. Teams can be compensated for team participation and accomplishments through additional perks, increased pay, and gainsharing. Answer: False Teams can be compensated for team participation and accomplishments through skill-based pay, gainsharing, and nonfinancial rewards. 40. In general, gainsharing is most effective for self-managing and self-directing teams performing complex tasks, while skill-based pay works best in relatively stable environments where employees can focus on improving the productivity, cost savings, or quality of their current work system. Answer: False In general, skill-based pay is most effective for self-managing and self-directing teams performing complex tasks, while gainsharing works best in relatively stable environments where employees can focus on improving the productivity, cost savings, or quality of their current work system. 41. In general, skill-based pay is most effective for managing the performance of self-managing and self-directing teams. Answer: True MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A(n) _____________ is a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes. A. work team B. venture group C. semistructured team D. autonomous unit E. ad hoc team Answer: A Definition of a work team. 2. When a local hospital ran into a funding problem when it tried to build a new state-of-the-art pediatric unit, it asked a group of physicians, hospital volunteers, and administrative staff to develop and implement a plan to raise the necessary money. This group of people with complementary skills formed a(n): A. semistructured team B. autonomous unit C. work team D. functional department E. venture team Answer: C A work team is a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes. 3. Allen-Edmonds is keeping its shoe manufacturing business in the United States by investing in new machinery and creating new processes. It’s a gamble and the outcome is uncertain. The president of the company is hoping a million-dollar refitting will save 5 percent on each shoe; he could save 60 percent tomorrow if he moved his manufacturing to China. Staying here means average wages of $15 per hour plus benefits, as opposed to $100 per week if the company moved. To cut costs and improve efficiency, the company’s old assembly line is being replaced by a system of employees working in groups, with each person doing several jobs, and each trained to do the others’ tasks. Allen-Edmonds is using: A. semistructured teams B. ad hoc committees C. work teams D. functional departments E. venture teams Answer: C A work team is a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes. 4. How are organizations using teams to help increase customer satisfaction? A. By instituting a system of increased formalization throughout the organization B. By creating problem-solving teams to study ways to improve customer satisfaction and make recommendations for improvements C. By creating outsourcing opportunities that improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency by creating economies of scale D. By developing ideal solutions to organizational problems through the use of information management systems (most notably expert systems) E. By taking direct responsibility for service quality Answer: B Businesses create problem-solving teams to study ways to improve overall customer satisfaction. 5. Work teams enhance speed and efficiency when designing and manufacturing new products because they: A. allow departments to work independently of one another B. make possible overlapping development phases C. fit well with traditional sequential development phases D. avoid problems associated with synergy E. do all of these Answer: B Teams have been shown to increase speed and efficiency in product development through overlapping development phases. 6. An organization engaged in _____________ its work team members is training them in how to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members. A. cross-training B. job enlargement C. job specialization D. Venn training E. overlapping training Answer: A Definition of cross-training. 7. E-Lab (the “E” stands for experience) has project teams perform field research for its clients. These project teams are composed of students of theology, actors, and musicians as well as the more traditional marketing experts and statisticians. Each member of the group is trained to conduct observational research, interview clients, and understand the marketing impact of what they learn. E-Lab uses _____________ to make its project teams more efficient. A. synergistic goals B. stretch goals C. cross-training D. vestibule training E. On The Job Training Answer: C An organization engaged in cross-training its work team members is training them in how to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members. 8. Allen-Edmonds is keeping its shoe manufacturing business in the United States by investing in new machinery and creating new processes. It’s a gamble and the outcome is uncertain. The president of the company is hoping a million-dollar refitting will save 5 percent on each shoe; he could save 60 percent tomorrow if he moved his manufacturing to China. Staying here means average wages of $15 per hour plus benefits, as opposed to $100 per week if the company moved. To cut costs and improve efficiency, the company’s old assembly line is being replaced by a system of employees working in groups, with each person doing several jobs, and each trained to do the others’ tasks. Allen-Edmonds’ teams are using: A. cross-training B. job enlargement C. job specialization D. Venn training E. overlapping training Answer: A An organization engaged in cross-training its work team members is training them in how to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members. 9. Which of the following is a reason teamwork can be more satisfying than traditional work? A. Teamwork often allows teams to receive proprietary business information that is only available to managers. B. Teamwork often leads to increased job satisfaction. C. Teamwork gives workers a chance to improve their skills. D. Teamwork gives workers unique leadership responsibilities, which enables them to build individual leadership skills. E. All of these are reasons why teamwork can be more satisfying than traditional work. Answer: E Teamwork is more satisfying than traditional work for all of these reasons. 10. When teams are used properly and in the right settings, work teams can: A. help organizations respond to specific problems and challenges B. dramatically improve company performance C. instill a sense of vitality in the workplace that is otherwise difficult to achieve D. increase customer satisfaction and service quality E. do all of these Answer: E All of the answers are true of work teams. 11. The use of work teams in organizations has been shown to improve: A. outsourcing B. job specialization C. effective management of diversity D. speed and efficiency in product development E. centralization Answer: D Work teams also have been shown to improve customer satisfaction, product and service quality, employee job satisfaction, and decision making. 12. As a result of making even greater use of work teams, many leading companies have experienced: A. greater customer satisfaction B. increased employee job satisfaction C. improved speed and efficiency in product development D. improvements in service quality E. all of these Answer: E Many leading companies have experienced all of these benefits. 13. Which of the following statements describe an advantage teams have over individuals in the decision-making process? A. Teams can identify problems more efficiently and more quickly. B. Teams are able to view problems from multiple perspectives. C. Teams generate more commitment to making the decisions work. D. Teams generate more alternative solutions. E. All of these describe advantages teams have over individuals in the decision-making process. Answer: E All of these are advantages of team decision making. 14. _____________ occurs when workers withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work. A. Self-limiting behavior B. Social loafing C. De-forming D. Stonewalling E. Mental atrophy Answer: B Definition of social loafing. 15. Which of the following is a potential disadvantage associated with the use of work teams? A. Commitment to finding an ideal solution that does not exist B. Initially high employee turnover C. Lack of creativity in decision making D. Decreased employee satisfaction E. All of these Answer: B The first disadvantage of work teams is initially high turnover. 16. _____________ is one of the disadvantages associated with the use of work teams. A. Storming behavior B. Social loafing C. Group negation D. Outsourcing E. Stonewalling Answer: B Social loafing is another disadvantage of work teams, and it occurs when workers withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work. 17. Which of the following statements about social loafing is true? A. Social loafing only occurs in organizational settings. B. The consequences of social loafing include a loss of efficiency. C. Social loafing creates an accommodative decision-making climate. D. Social loafing preempts the usefulness of brainstorming. E. Social loafing cannot occur if there is a group leader. Answer: B Social loafers withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work, which will lead to a loss of efficiency. 18. Teams are typically required when: A. tasks are simple B. tasks require multiple perspectives C. synergy will complicate the problem solution process D. the company has very limited resources E. any of these conditions are met Answer: B Teams are needed when tasks are complex, require multiple perspectives, or require repeated interaction with others to complete. Also see Exhibit 9.2. 19. Which of the following statements describes a circumstance under which teams should be used? A. Rewards are provided for individual effort and performance. B. Ample resources are available. C. Management will continue to monitor and influence how work gets done. D. The job can be done by people working independently. E. All of these describe circumstances under which teams should be used. Answer: B See Exhibit 9.2. 20. Team rewards that depend on _____________ are the key to rewarding team behaviors and efforts. A. team performance rather than individual performance B. individual efforts rather than team performance C. someone taking the role of group leader D. the elimination of social loafing E. the use of groupthink Answer: A 21. The least amount of team autonomy is found in: A. traditional work groups B. employee involvement groups C. semiautonomous work groups D. self-managing teams E. ad hoc committees Answer: A See Exhibit 9.3. 22. As a member of a typical of traditional work group, Joshua should expect to be responsible for: A. doing what he is told to do B. giving advice and making suggestions to management C. making decisions and solving problems regarding major production/service tasks D. cross-training employees who are not part of his work team E. creating ideas through processes like brainstorming Answer: A Traditional work groups are groups comprised of two or more people who work together to achieve a shared goal. The typical goal for such a group is the execution of an assigned task. 23. Which of the following is the only type of responsibility given to traditional work groups? A. Execute the task B. Give advice/make suggestions C. Make decisions and solve problems D. Manage and control all major production tasks E. Receive and process organizational information Answer: A Traditional work groups are groups comprised of two or more people who work together to achieve a shared goal. The typical goal for such a group is the execution of assigned tasks. 24. _____________ do NOT have the authority to make decisions. A. Self-designing teams B. Employee involvement teams C. Semiautonomous work groups D. Self-managing teams E. Sequential teams Answer: B Employee involvement teams provide advice or make suggestions to management concerning specific issues, but not the authority to make decisions. 25. Boeing’s operation in Macon, Georgia, was named one of the ten best manufacturing plants in North America by Industry Week magazine. The company maintains an employee involvement team to track the plant’s goals and performance metrics. This team: A. determines who belongs to the team B. provides advice to management concerning areas that needed change or improvements C. has the authority to solve problems related to marketing and manufacturing issues D. controls all of the major production tasks at Boeing E. does none of these Answer: B Employee involvement teams provide advice or make suggestions to management concerning specific issues. 26. Many orthopedic parts are almost identical in size and shape. Stryker How medica Osteonics in New Jersey used a semiautonomous work group to develop Product Recognition Technology that makes sure parts are identified correctly and orders are filled correctly. This group: A. provided advice to the company’s functional departments B. controlled all of the major production tasks for manufacturing orthopedic parts C. controlled the design and membership of the team D. had the authority to solve problems related to the correct identification of orthopedic parts E. did all of these Answer: D Semiautonomous work groups have the authority to solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service. 27. In the autonomy continuum (which shows how five kinds of teams differ in terms of autonomy), the correct sequence, from low team autonomy to high team autonomy, is: A. employee involvement teams, traditional work groups, semiautonomous work groups, self-managing teams, and self-designing teams B. traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, self-managing teams, semiautonomous work groups, and self-designing teams C. traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, self-designing teams, and self-managing teams D. traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, semiautonomous work groups, self-managing teams, and self-designing teams E. employer-mandated teams, traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, project teams, and self-managing teams Answer: D See Exhibit 9.3. 28. The highest level of team autonomy is found in: A. self-managing teams B. self-designing teams C. semiautonomous work groups D. employee involvement groups E. reciprocal work teams Answer: B See Exhibit 9.3. 29. Teams can be broadly classified as either: A. functional or departmental B. local or national C. line or staff D. centralized or decentralized E. functional or cross-functional Answer: E Teams can be classified in a number of ways, such as permanent or temporary, or functional or cross-functional. 30. The kind of team known as a(n) _____________ not only provides advice and suggestions to management but also has limited authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service. A. traditional work group B. employer-monitored group C. semiautonomous work group D. self-managing team E. employee involvement group Answer: C Definition of semiautonomous work group. 31. Which of the following statements about semiautonomous work groups is true? A. Semiautonomous work groups are typically not cross-trained. B. Semiautonomous work groups have low team autonomy. C. Semiautonomous work groups can control and change the design of the team. D. Semiautonomous work groups have the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks of producing a good or service. E. Semiautonomous work groups are accurately described by none of these. Answer: D Members of semiautonomous groups are typically cross-trained. According to the team autonomy continuum, they have mid-level autonomy. Self-designing teams can control and change the design of the team. 32. Which of the following types of teams have the authority to change their composition as well as all of their tasks and work methods? A. Self-designing teams B. Sequentially interdependent teams C. Semiautonomous work groups D. Self-managing teams E. Self-autonomous teams Answer: A Self-designing teams can control and change the design of the teams themselves, the tasks they do and how and when they do them, and the membership of the teams. 33. The _____________ is purposely composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. A. cross-functional team B. ad hoc team C. semiautonomous team D. self-managing team E. horizontally organized team Answer: A Definition of a cross-functional team. 34. The job of the concepts managers at Starbucks is to use a cross-functional team to develop four to six new beverages annually. Starbucks uses a cross-functional team because it: A. allows the company to use employees from various departments with varying perspectives to attack the task B. creates a means for outsourcing new-product development C. allows Starbucks to use an aggregated product plan D. ensures that Starbucks will always have products in each stage of the product life cycle E. allows the company to get input from all of its external stakeholders Answer: A Cross-functional teams are composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. 35. Leading coatings and paints manufacturer Akzo Nobel established a team that resulted in a significant increase in plant availability and a decrease in plant downtime. Previously, the plant had lost considerable time daily because the assembly line had to be cleaned whenever the production schedule called for a different color, or some other variant, to be produced. This team, which was composed of employees from several different departments, exemplifies a(n): A. multifunctional team B. normative team C. virtual team D. cross-functional team E. ad hoc team Answer: D Cross-functional teams are composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. 36. Once one of the great icons of Japan’s proud industrial tradition, Nissan had become a symbol of Japan’s bleak economic present by 1999. Then Carlos Ghosn became Nissan’s president. Two weeks after arriving at Nissan, Ghosn set up nine cross-functional teams to scrutinize Nissan’s businesses. Each team’s members came from different departments and were picked on the basis not of seniority but of their fervor for reform. These cross-functional teams: A. did not experience any conflict because they lacked the cohesiveness that comes from creating an intradepartmental team B. ensured that Nissan would be successful in its turnaround C. did not need to create any group norms because each member realized the severity of the problem Nissan was facing D. were able to generate more creative ideas than a single individual could working alone E. are accurately described by all of these Answer: D The cross-functional team is purposely composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. One of the potential uses of cross-functional teams is creative problem solving. 37. A(n) _____________ is defined as a team composed of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task. A. cross-functional team B. project team C. virtual team D. international group E. subsidiary Answer: C Definition of a virtual team. 38. The major drawback to the use of virtual teams is: A. members must learn to express themselves in new contexts B. inflexibility C. the absence of autonomy D. too much autonomy E. the establishment of group norms Answer: A The give-and-take that naturally occurs in face-to-face meetings is more difficult to achieve through video conferencing or other methods of virtual teaming, so new context of self-expression are necessary. 39. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the construction of tunnels is one the greatest challenges encountered during road construction. The technique of tunneling has not kept pace with the development of other technical fields. The USDOT has created a national team of tunnel experts to develop road tunnel engineering principles and maintenance practices in the United States through the use of telecommunications and information technology. This group of tunnel experts will comprise a(n): A. self-directed team B. normative team C. virtual team D. multifunctional team E. ad hoc team Answer: C A virtual team is defined as a team composed of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task. 40. Virtual teams: A. are also called illusionary focus groups B. are very flexible C. require all communication within the group to go through a senior manager who acts as a filter D. are always self-managing teams E. regularly meet face-to-face in informal group meetings Answer: B The principal advantage of virtual teams is their flexibility. 41. A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment, retention, and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service, which at present has a largely white, male demographic. This _____________ team has two years to gather information and create a plan. A. self-designing B. project C. virtual D. cross-functional E. ad hoc Answer: B The project team is created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks within a limited time. 42. Many orthopedic parts are almost identical in size and shape. Stryker How medica Osteonics in New Jersey used a semiautonomous work group to develop Product Recognition Technology that makes sure parts are identified correctly and orders are filled correctly. This group would be classified as a(n): A. ad hoc committee B. virtual team C. multifunctional team D. project team E. product-oriented team Answer: D Project teams are created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks. 43. Which of the following is a guideline that is useful for successful management of virtual teams? A. Pick group members with diverse backgrounds and personalities. B. Keep team interaction upbeat and action-oriented. C. Avoid asking the team members for their assessment of the team. D. Limit feedback. E. Establish nonspecific stretch goals to test the creativity of the team. Answer: B See Exhibit 9.4. 44. The _____________ is created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks within a limited time. A. cross-functional team B. project team C. virtual team D. self-managing team E. standing committee Answer: B Definition of a project team. 45. Which of the following kinds of team is always temporary? A. Cross-functional team B. Project team C. Standing committee D. Self-managing team E. Virtual team Answer: B Project teams are created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks. 46. Once one of the great icons of Japan’s proud industrial tradition, Nissan had become a symbol of Japan’s bleak economic present by 1999. Then Carlos Ghosn became Nissan’s president. Two weeks after arriving at Nissan, Ghosn set up nine cross-functional teams to scrutinize Nissan’s businesses. Each team’s members came from different departments and were picked on the basis not of seniority but of their fervor for reform. One of the _____________ was that all team members be enthusiastic about reform. A. team procedures B. contextual frames C. team norms D. group tenets E. codes of conduct Answer: C Norms are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. 47. The group of medical specialists that work in the neonatal unit of a large teaching hospital has assumed that one of the _____________ they should follow is to explain to students why a specific procedure is being performed even though no hospital rule tells them to. A. heuristics B. norms C. behavioral policies D. codes of ethics E. operational guides Answer: B Norms are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. 48. A group of workers in a medical examiner’s office informally agreed that they would not wear blue jeans to work because such casual wear seemed unprofessional. The office did not have a dress code. The workers created a(n): A. heuristic B. norm C. behavioral policy D. code of ethics E. operational guide Answer: B Norms are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. 49. The key difference among different types of teams is: A. autonomy B. size C. diversity D. intelligence E. cohesiveness Answer: A Studies indicate that the amount of autonomy possessed by a team is the key differenced among teams. 50. Which of the following is an advantage associated with the use of project teams? A. Flexibility B. Reduction or elimination of communication barriers C. Increased cooperation among separate departments D. Faster design process E. All of these Answer: E All of the responses are advantages associated with the use of project teams. 51. _____________ are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. A. Heuristics B. Norms C. Behavioral policies D. Codes of ethics E. Operational guides Answer: B Definition of norms. 52. E-Lab (the “E” stands for experience) has project teams perform field research for its clients. Project teams at E-Lab have designed a new over-the-counter cold medicine by studying the process of how people get sick, they have helped create a new station wagon for a major carmaker, and they have helped backpack maker JanSport to design a completely new way of displaying its products in sporting goods stores. You can expect E-Lab’s project teams to be: A. composed of employees from different functional areas B. created to complete specific, one-time projects in a limited time C. led by a project manager D. flexible in their ability to move to another project E. all of these Answer: E All of these characteristics would be found in project teams. 53. Team norms in an organization can create: A. stronger organizational commitment B. more trust in management C. negative behaviors, such as breaking rules D. increased job satisfaction E. all of these Answer: E 54. According to the What Really Works, “Cohesion and Team Performance”: A. cohesive groups have a lower probability of success than groups that are not cohesive B. the value of work provided by a cohesive group differs only slightly from that performed by individuals C. cohesive groups always have positive group norms D. team goals are never allowed to replace organizational goals E. none of these is true Answer: E None of these statements is true. 55. _____________ is the extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain with it. A. Accommodation B. Synergy C. Autonomy D. Cohesiveness E. Empathy Answer: D Definition of cohesiveness. 56. Which of the following size teams usually provides the best performance? A. 2 to 3 B. 6 to 9 C. 15 to 20 D. more than 20 E. All sizes tend to perform equally well. Answer: B 57. Which of the following signs would indicate that a team is too small? A. The team is experiencing minority domination. B. The team has too much diversity. C. The team finds it difficult to come up with ideas or generate solutions to problems. D. The team has no sense of responsibility. E. The team is too cohesive. Answer: C Teams that are too small are unlikely to gain the advantage of team decision making (multiple perspectives, generating more ideas and alternative solutions, and stronger commitment) found in larger teams. 58. Which of the following statements regarding cohesiveness is true? A. Cohesive groups have lower turnover. B. Cohesive groups engage in less cooperative behavior. C. Cohesive groups are always better performing groups. D. Cohesive groups have trouble retaining their members. E. High group cohesiveness equates to low team motivation. Answer: A Cohesive groups engage in more cooperative behavior and have less trouble with member retention. They are not always better performing because sometimes negative behavior can result from high cohesiveness. 59. Which of the following types of conflict is most strongly associated with improvements in team performance? A. Cognitive conflict B. Horizontal conflict C. Behavioral conflict D. Vertical conflict E. Affective conflict Answer: A Cognitive conflict focuses on problem-related differences of opinions. 60. Minority domination tends to be a particular problem in: A. groups of ten or larger B. cross-functional teams of any size C. virtual teams because of the nature of the communication medium D. groups of less than five E. project teams because they are temporary organizations Answer: A As teams grow in size, there is a greater chance of minority domination, in which just a few team members dominate team discussion. 61. _____________ undermines team effectiveness by preventing teams from engaging in the kinds of activities that are critical to team effectiveness. A. Low cohesiveness B. Cognitive conflict C. Affective conflict D. Development of team norms E. Behavioral conflict Answer: C Affective conflict lowers the satisfaction of team members, may lead to personal hostility, and can decrease team cohesiveness, thus preventing teams from engaging in activities that are critical to team effectiveness. 62. Leading coatings and paints manufacturer Akzo Nobel established a team made up of members from various departments to increase plant availability and decrease plant downtime. The plant loses considerable time daily because the assembly line has to be cleaned whenever the production schedule calls for a different color, or some other variant, to be produced. This cross-functional team needs to avoid _____________ conflict if it hopes to be successful. A. c-type B. affective C. behavioral D. cognitive E. b-type Answer: B Affective conflict refers to the emotional reactions that can occur when group members disagree. 63. Affective conflict: A. is strongly associated with improvements in team performance B. can make people more comfortable with their relationships with group peers C. typically decreases team cohesiveness D. usually precedes cognitive conflict E. is accurately described by all of these Answer: C Affective conflict can make people uncomfortable and cause them to withdraw and decrease their commitment to a team. 64. How would you respond to the following statement? “Group conflict is always bad.” A. Affective conflict is strongly associated with improvements in team performance. B. Both a-conflict and c-conflict are harmful, but b-conflict is not. C. All cognitive conflict is bad, but all affective conflict is beneficial to the group. D. Cognitive conflict is strongly associated with improvements in team performance. E. The statement is correct. Answer: D C-type conflict, or cognitive conflict, focuses on problem-related differences of opinion. 65. During this stage of team development, the team matures into an effective, fully functioning team. A. de-norming B. storming C. performing D. norming E. forming Answer: C In the performing stage, performance improves because the team has finally matured into an effective, fully functioning team. 66. Which of the following statements about team development is true? A. The growth stages are forming, norming, and performing. B. Group cohesion is relatively strong at the informing stage. C. Team performance begins to decline at the de-norming stage. D. Decline will inevitably occur in every team. E. None of these statements about team development is true. Answer: C The growth stages are forming, storming, and norming. There is no informing stage. If teams are actively managed, decline is not inevitable. 67. Which of the following is one of the stages that teams pass through as they develop and grow, rather than decline? A. De-norming B. De-storming C. De-forming D. Performing E. Reforming Answer: D See Exhibit 9.5, the stages of team development. 68. A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment, retention, and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service, which at present has a largely white, male demographic. By the _____________ stage of team development, the group members will have resolved petty differences, developed friendships, and established strong group cohesiveness. A. reforming B. storming C. norming D. forming E. performing Answer: C Norming is the third stage of team development in which team members begin to settle into their roles. 69. A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment, retention, and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service, which at present has a largely white, male demographic. At its inception, this group was in the _____________ stage of team development. A. reforming B. storming C. norming D. forming E. performing Answer: D Forming is the stage in which team members meet each other. 70. Group cohesion tends to be relatively strong at the _____________ stage of team development. A. storming B. norming C. forming D. conforming E. informing Answer: B At this time, group members begin to settle into their roles as team members. 71. A team has finally matured into a fully functioning team at the _____________ stage of development. A. norming B. de-norming C. performing D. conforming E. informing Answer: C 72. Many orthopedic parts are almost identical in size and shape. Stryker How medica Osteonics in New Jersey used a semiautonomous work group to develop Product Recognition Technology that makes sure parts are identified correctly and orders are filled correctly. What happened when the team reached the storming stage of team development? A. Team members began to work together, and different personalities and work styles clashed. B. Team members engaged in brainstorming. C. Team members began to settle into their roles as team members. D. The comfort level of team members began to decrease. E. Team members feel mutual accountability. Answer: A The storming stage is characterized by conflict and disagreement. The members disagree over what the team should do and how it should do it. 73. A team moves toward decline during the _____________ stage. A. storming B. de-forming C. de-storming D. de-norming E. reforming Answer: D In de-norming, which is a reversal of the norming stage, team performance begins to decline as the size, scope, goal, or members of the team change. 74. In the _____________ stage of team development, team members position themselves to gain control of pieces of the team. A. de-forming B. de-norming C. de-storming D. storming E. reforming Answer: A Team members position themselves to gain control of pieces of the team in the de-forming stage, which is a reversal of the forming stage. 75. E-Lab (the “E” stands for experience) has project teams perform field research for its clients. One team had to spend time riding in the back seat of a squad car, accompanying cops on drug raids, as part of research for a new communications device for police departments. Another team studied how people get sick with a cold to create a new over-the-counter cold remedy. Often clients give team members extremely ambitious goals, which the team members initially have no idea how to solve. In other words, project teams are given: A. temporal missions B. myopic visions C. proximity goals D. options-based objectives E. stretch goals Answer: E Stretch goals are extremely ambitious goals that workers don’t know how to reach. 76. With _____________, teams no longer have to go through the frustratingly slow process of multilevel reviews and signoffs to get management approval before making changes. A. administrative reciprocity B. structural accommodation C. fast-track approval D. virtual accommodation E. bureaucratic immunity Answer: E Bureaucratic immunity is the ability to make changes without first getting approval from managers. 77. The achievement of stretch goals is made easier when the team members have: A. localized synergy B. bureaucratic immunity C. strategic diversity D. organizational accommodation E. limited cohesiveness Answer: B Bureaucratic immunity is the ability to make changes without first getting approval from managers or other parts of an organization and is one of the four factors that help teams meet their stretch goals. 78. _____________ is the ability to change organizational structures, policies, and practices if it helps teams meet their stretch goals. A. Structural accommodation B. Bureaucratic immunity C. Structural immunity D. Bureaucratic accommodation E. Administrative reciprocity Answer: A Definition of structural accommodation. 79. Which of the following is NOT necessary for stretch goals to effectively motivate teams? A. A high degree of autonomy B. The empowerment to control resources C. Structural accommodation D. Conflict management training E. The ability to change organizational policies and procedures Answer: D Conflict management training is not necessary for meeting stretch goals. 80. Which of the following is a factor that companies should carefully manage in order to increase the likelihood that teams will succeed? A. The selection and training of team members B. The setting of team goals and priorities C. Team compensation D. Training E. All of these Answer: E All of these are factors that companies should carefully manage to increase the likelihood of team success. 81. Which of the following is a factor that companies should carefully manage in order to increase the likelihood that teams will succeed? A. The development of formalized rules and regulations B. Bureaucratic immunity C. Administrative reciprocity D. The use of synergy E. Stonewalling Answer: B Bureaucratic immunity is the ability to make changes without first getting approval from managers or other parts of an organization and is one of the four factors that help teams meet their stretch goals. 82. Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that should be taken into account when selecting people who are suited for teamwork or for working on a particular team? A. Individualist versus collectivist orientation B. Team level C. Bureaucratic versus participative management styles D. Team diversity E. A preference for teamwork Answer: C A focus on factors associated with teamwork, team level, and team diversity can help companies choose the right team members. 83. _____________ describes the average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team. A. Team diversity B. Group synergy C. Team level D. Team conformity E. Team performance Answer: C Definition of team level. 84. E-Lab (the “E” stands for experience) has project teams perform field research for its clients. These project teams are composed of students of theology, actors, and musicians as well as the more traditional marketing experts and statisticians. E-Lab teams benefit from: A. group norms B. team diversity C. aggregated creativity D. collectivism E. structural accommodation Answer: B Team diversity refers to the variances in ability, experience, personality, or other factor on a team. 85. A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment, retention, and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service, which at present has a largely white, male demographic. The group is trying to increase _____________ within the fire fighting teams. A. group norms B. team diversity C. aggregated creativity D. collectivism E. structural accommodation Answer: B Team diversity refers to the variances in ability, experience, personality, or other factor on a team. 86. Which of the following statements about team training is true? A. Organizations often overestimate the amount of training required to make teams effective. B. Cross-training is less appropriate for teams of highly skilled workers. C. The most common type of training provided is training in technical skills. D. Team leaders typically do not require training. E. The most common type of training provided is training in conceptual skills. Answer: B Organizations often underestimate the amount of training required to make teams effective. Most commonly, all team members receive training in interpersonal skills. 87. _____________ is a compensation system in which companies share the financial value of performance gains, such as productivity, cost savings, or quality, with their workers. A. Skill-based pay B. Gainsharing C. A draw account D. Profit sharing E. Optional equity Answer: B Definition of gainsharing. 88. Which of the following is a method used for compensating employees for team participation and accomplishments? A. Hourly wages B. Gainsharing C. Piecework pay D. Retained earnings E. All of these Answer: B Gainsharing is a compensation system in which companies share the financial value of performance gains, such as productivity, cost savings, or quality, with their workers. 89. An organization that rewards its team members through gainsharing is: A. using a nonfinancial reward B. sharing the financial value of performance gains C. paying employees to gain new skills D. paying hourly wages E. engaging in cross-training Answer: B Gainsharing is a compensation system in which companies share the financial value of performance gains, such as productivity, cost savings, or quality, with their workers. 90. Pennsylvania-based JLG Industries is a producer of mobile aerial work platforms. It rewards employees for the number of basic skills they can perform rather than for the jobs to which they are assigned. Prior to initiating this system, pay increases were based on a merit system. The merit system is still in effect; however, the new program focuses emphasis on continued acquisition of new skills. JLG uses: A. hourly wages B. gainsharing C. piecework D. retained earnings E. skill-based pay Answer: E Skill-based pay is a compensation system that pays employees for learning additional skills or knowledge. 91. The city of College Station, Texas, has implemented a program to reward employees for finding ways to save money for the city through improved operations and innovations. The city government is using: A. hourly wages B. gainsharing C. piecework pay D. retained earnings E. skill-based pay Answer: B Gainsharing is a compensation system in which organizations share the financial value of cost savings. 92. Which of the following statements about team compensation is generally true? A. Skill-based pay is more effective for self-managing teams. B. Skill-based pay is more effective for self-directing teams performing complex tasks. C. Gainsharing works well is relatively stable environments. D. Gainsharing better allows employees to focus on improving their productivity. E. All of the statements about team compensation are generally true. Answer: E All of these statements are generally true with regard to team compensation. 93. In general, _____________ is most effective for self-managing and self-directing teams performing complex tasks, and _____________ works best in relatively stable environments where employees can focus on improving the productivity, cost savings, or quality of their current work system. A. skill-based pay; nonfinancial reward B. gainsharing; nonfinancial reward C. nonfinancial reward; skill-based pay D. skill-based pay; gainsharing E. gainsharing; skill-based pay Answer: D Skill-based pay is best for self-managing and self-directing teams, while gainsharing is best in relatively stable environments. 94. Refer to “What Would You Do?” GE team member Derrick McCoy said, “Multiskilling is how the place is kept together. You don’t hoard your skills. That way, when I’m on vacation, the low-pressure turbine can still be built without me.” This statement indicates there is _________ at the Dunham plant. A. cross-training B. cohesiveness C. social loafing D. norming E. social consensus Answer: A Cross-training is an advantage for an organization, as it allows a team to function normally when one member is absent––in this case, on vacation. 95. Refer to “What Would You Do?” GE’s Durham plant uses skill-based pay to compensate employees, but nonfinancial awards are another way to reward teams. When are nonfinancial awards most effective? A. When the company is struggling financially B. When teams are long established C. When teams are first introduced in a company D. When the company is extremely profitable E. When employees have families. Answer: C Nonfinancial awards tend to be most effective when teams or team-based interventions are first introduced. 96. Refer to “What Would You Do?” An employee told plant manger Paula Sims, “Paula, you realize that you don’t need to follow up with us to make sure we’re doing what we agree to do. I few say we’ll do something, we will do it. You don’t need to micromanage us.” This employee has demonstrated the interpersonal skill of: A. listening B. providing feedback C. questioning D. conflict solving E. awareness Answer: B Interpersonal skills such as providing feedback enable people to have effective working relationships with others. SHORT ANSWER 1. What are work teams? Briefly comment on why work teams have become increasingly popular in business since the mid to late 1980s. Answer: Work teams consist of a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes. In many industries, teams are growing in importance because they help organizations respond to specific problems and challenges. While work teams are not the answer for every situation or organization, if the right teams are used properly and in the right settings, teams can dramatically improve company performance over more traditional management approaches and instill a sense of vitality in the workplace that is otherwise difficult to achieve. 2. Define cross-training. Briefly explain how cross-training can lead to increased job satisfaction. Answer: Cross-training refers to training team members in how to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members. Since this procedure gives workers a chance to improve their skills, it is one of the reasons why teamwork can be more satisfying than traditional work, and it can lead to increased job satisfaction. The advantage for the organization is that cross-training allows teams to function normally when one member is absent or a team member quits or is transferred. The advantage for workers is that cross-training broadens their skills and makes them more capable while also making their work more varied and interesting. 3. What are the five guidelines for managers to determine if teams should be used? Answer: Teams should be used (1) when there is a clear, engaging reason or purpose, (2) when the job can’t be done unless people work together, (3) when rewards can be provided for both teamwork and team performance, (4) when ample resources are available, and (5) when teams will have clear authority to manage and change how work gets done. See Exhibit 10.3. 4. List the five types of teams on the team autonomy continuum. What is each team’s highest level of responsibility (i.e., the highest level of task that they have independent control over)? Answer: Autonomy is the key dimension that makes teams different. Traditional work groups (that execute tasks) and employee involvement groups (that make suggestions) have the lowest levels of autonomy. Semiautonomous work groups (that control major, direct tasks) have more autonomy, followed by self-managing teams (that control all direct tasks) and self-designing teams (that control membership and how tasks are done), which have the highest levels of autonomy. 5. Identify the three special kinds of teams that can’t be easily categorized in terms of autonomy. For each of these teams, identify the probability that it would be formed on a temporary or permanent basis. Answer: These special kinds of teams are cross-functional teams, virtual teams, and project teams. Cross-functional teams are purposely composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. They can be used almost anywhere in an organization and are often used in conjunction with matrix and product organizational structures. They can also be used with either part-time or temporary team assignments, or they can be used with full-time, long-term teams. Virtual teams are groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task. They can be employee involvement teams, self-managing teams, or nearly any kind of team discussed in this chapter. Virtual teams are often (but not necessarily) temporary teams that are set up to accomplish a specific task. Project teams are created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks (such as developing new products or improving existing products) within a limited time. Since they work from beginning to end on a specific project, at which time they are disbanded, they are by definition temporary. When projects are finished, project team members either move on to the next project or return to their functional units. 6. What are project teams? List the advantages associated with their usage. Answer: Project teams are created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks within a limited time. They are often used to develop new products, significantly improve existing products, roll out new information systems, or build new factories or offices. Because project tasks are typically unique, project teams are often staffed by employees from different functional areas. One advantage of project teams is that drawing employees from different functional areas can reduce or eliminate communication barriers. In turn, free-flowing communication encourages cooperation among separate departments and typically speeds up the design process. Another advantage of project teams is their flexibility. When projects are finished, project team members either move on to the next project or return to their functional units. Because of this flexibility, project teams are often used with the matrix organizational designs. 7. How does a team’s size influence its performance? Answer: There appears to be a curvilinear relationship between team size and performance. In other words, very small or very large teams may not perform as well as moderately sized teams. For most teams, the right size is somewhere between six and nine members. Teams of this size are small enough for the team members get to know each other, and for each member to have an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the success of the team. However, they’re also large enough to take advantage of team members’ diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives. By contrast, when teams get too large, team members find it difficult to get to know one another and may splinter into smaller subgroups, suffering from problems of social loafing, self-limiting behavior, minority domination, or other logistical problems. Teams that are too small, with just a few people, may lack the diversity of skills and knowledge found in larger teams. Also, they are unlikely to gain the advantages of team decision making (i.e., multiple perspectives, generating more ideas and alternative solutions, and stronger commitment) found in larger teams. 8. Explain what managers can do to effectively manage conflict in teams. Answer: The key to dealing with team conflict is to maximize cognitive conflict, which focuses on issue-related differences, and minimize affective conflict, the emotional reactions that occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional. It is important for managers to note that while cognitive conflict is helpful in teams because of its association with a willingness to examine, compare, and reconcile differences to produce the best possible solution, it can easily deteriorate into affective conflict if the discussion turns personal and tempers and emotions flare. 9. List the stages that teams pass through as they develop and grow as well as the stages of decline that may occur if teams are not managed properly once they achieve peak performance. Answer: As teams develop and grow, they pass through four stages of development: forming, storming, norming, and performing. The performing stage typically represents peak performance for the team. However, after a period of time, if not managed well, performance may decline, as teams progress through the stages of de-norming, de-storming, and de-forming. If teams are actively managed, decline is not inevitable. However, managers need to recognize that the forces at work in the de-norming, de-storming, and de-forming stages represent a powerful, disruptive, and real threat to teams that have finally made it to the performing stage. 10. What are stretch goals? What four things must occur for stretch goals to effectively motivate teams? Answer: Stretch goals are extremely ambitious goals that workers don’t know how to reach. They can be used to motivate teams as long as those teams have (1) autonomy, (2) control over resources, (3) structural accommodation (the ability to change organizational structures, policies, and practices), and (4) bureaucratic immunity (the ability to make changes without first getting approval from managers or other parts of an organization). 11. List and briefly describe the three methods of compensating employees for team participation and accomplishments. Answer: The three methods of compensating employees for team participation and accomplishments are (1) skill-based pay (a compensation system that pays employees for learning additional skills or knowledge), (2) gainsharing (a compensation system in which companies share the financial value of performance gains, such as productivity, cost savings, or quality, with their workers), and (3) nonfinancial rewards (which can range from vacation trips to T-shirts, plaques, and coffee mugs). ESSAY 1. Briefly identify the advantages and disadvantages of using teams. Describe a situation in which you or someone you know worked in a team setting. Be sure to specify which of the general advantages and/or disadvantages of using teams were manifest in that situation. Answer: Four advantages are presented for the use of teams: (1) teams have been shown to increase customer satisfaction (through the use of specific customer service teams as well as problem-solving teams); (2) teams have been shown to increase product and service quality (by allowing teams to take direct responsibility); (3) teams have been shown to increase speed and efficiency in product development (by allowing the use of overlapping development phases, rather than the traditional sequential approach); and (4) teams have been shown to increase employee job satisfaction (through cross-training, providing unique opportunities, and providing leadership responsibilities). While teams can produce significant improvements in these areas, using teams does not guarantee these positive outcomes. Teams and teamwork have three specific disadvantages. (1) Initially high turnover occurs because teams aren’t for everyone, and some workers will balk at the responsibility, effort, and learning required in team settings. (2) Social loafing is a behavior in which team members withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work (and is especially problematic in large groups). (3) Disadvantages of group decision making (groupthink, excessive time, poorly run meetings, domination by a few team members, and weak accountability) may occur, although teams also share many of the advantages (multiple perspectives, generation of more alternatives, and more commitment for implementation). Student examples will often revolve around class assignments that were completed in small groups. As such, advantages desired would include increased product quality and problem solving, with the possibility of increased student satisfaction if the experience is a good one. However, given the widely differing levels of student motivation (as well as interpersonal skills) in any given classroom, many students will report bad experiences. Related disadvantages that may be cited include high turnover and social loafing, as well as excessive time, poorly run meetings, domination by a few team members, and poor accountability. Better answers will clearly provide enough background information on the situation, behaviors, and outputs involved to assess the degree of appropriateness of the examples cited. 2. Identify the key dimension on which teams differ. Define and describe the continuum of teams used by companies along this dimension. If a manager had a high need for personal power and control, explain which of these types of teams he or she would probably be most happy working with in a managerial capacity, and how he or she might react to a proposal to introduce teams into his or her work unit. Answer: Studies indicate that the amount of autonomy possessed by a team is the key dimension that makes teams different from each another. Autonomy is the degree to which workers have the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs. A team autonomy continuum is presented in the text identifying five different kinds of teams, each with increasing levels of autonomy (i.e., decision-making authority). In order of increasing autonomy, these are (1) traditional work groups (groups composed of two or more people who work together to achieve a shared goal), which have the lowest level of autonomy (i.e., simply execute the task); (2) employee involvement groups, which are teams that provide advice or make suggestions to management concerning specific issues but still have no decision-making authority; (3) semiautonomous work groups, which have considerably more autonomy, since they not only provide advice and suggestions to management but also have the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service; (4) self-managing teams, where team members manage and control all of the major tasks directly related to production of a product or service without first getting approval from management; and finally, at the highest level of autonomy (5) self-designing teams, which have all the characteristics of self-managing teams but can also control and change the design of the teams themselves, the tasks they do and how they do them, and who belongs to the teams. If a manager had a high need for personal power and control, it is likely that he or she would prefer to make decisions unilaterally rather than delegate such authority to a team. Thus, it is most likely that such a manager would prefer to work with either traditional work groups or employee involvement groups, since all information, problem-solving, and decision-making authority remains in his or her hands with both of these types of teams (i.e., the manager retains power and control). Such a manager is likely to resist the introduction of any of the other three types of teams to the work unit since each of them possesses significant decision-making authority, which directly reduces the power and control of their manager. 3. What are virtual teams? Speculate on their likely role in global organizations in the future. Answer: Virtual teams are groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task. In other words, members of virtual teams rarely meet face-to-face. The idea of virtual teams is relatively new and has been made possible by advances in communications and technology, such as e-mail, videoconferencing, and group communication software. Virtual teams can be employee involvement teams, self-managing teams, or nearly any kind of team discussed in this chapter. The characteristics of virtual teams make them an excellent asset for use in global organizations, where individual workers may need to collaborate but are separated by both time zones and great distances. Thus, it can be speculated that global organizations will make increasing use of virtual teams in an attempt to gain or maintain competitive advantage in the future. The following paragraph applies the text description of virtual teams to the work context of global organizations to provide support for the above speculation, representing a minimal approach to an acceptable answer to this question. Better answers will include this material, but go beyond it to give real or logical examples of virtual teams working effectively in global organizations, or to generate other applications and insights beyond those directly implied by the text. The principal advantage of virtual teams is that they are very flexible. Employees can work with each other, regardless of physical location, time zone, or organizational affiliation. Thus, they are likely to become much more prevalent in global organizations to overcome these barriers. Because the team members don’t meet in a physical location, one of the unique qualities of virtual teams is that it is much easier to include other key stakeholders, such as suppliers and customers. This can be a particularly strong advantage to a global organization, which potentially faces considerably greater diversity in both suppliers and customers. Plus, virtual teams have certain efficiency advantages over traditional team structures. Because the teammates do not meet face-to-face, the time commitment involved in participating in a virtual team is typically not as great as for a traditional team. Moreover, employees can fulfill the responsibilities of their virtual team membership from the comfort of their own offices, without the travel time or downtime typically required by “real” face-to-face meetings. This final advantage is a crucial factor for global organizations, where considerable travel time for face-to-face meetings is a very real and significant organizational cost. 4. What are norms? What is cohesiveness? Why is team size an important consideration? How should a manager cope with team conflict? Specify how these characteristics are related to team performance. Answer: Norms, cohesiveness, team size, and team conflict are all characteristics of work teams that impact on team performance. Norms are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. They are valuable because they let team members know what is expected of them. Studies indicate that norms are one of the most powerful influences on work behavior. Team norms are often associated with positive outcomes, such as stronger organizational commitment, more trust in management, and stronger job and organizational satisfaction. However, they can also influence team behavior in negative ways. Research has shown that teams with negative norms strongly influenced their team members to engage in negative behaviors. Thus, norms may result in either increases or decreases in performance and should be closely monitored by managers. Cohesiveness is the extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain in it. In general, cohesiveness is associated with positive organizational outcomes. For example, cohesive groups typically experience less turnover, more cooperative behavior, and greater motivation to contribute to the team. Furthermore, cohesive teams are consistently better performing teams. A meta-analysis indicated that there is a 66 percent chance that cohesive teams will outperform less cohesive teams. Furthermore, cohesive teams quickly achieve high levels of performance. By contrast, it takes teams low in cohesion much longer to reach the same levels of performance. However, cohesiveness is not necessarily always good for performance. For example, there is always the possibility that a team could become so cohesive that its team goals become more important than organizational goals. Also, teams sometimes unite around negative goals and norms that are harmful rather than helpful to organizations. Thus, cohesiveness does not always enhance team performance. There appears to be a curvilinear relationship between team size and performance. In other words, very small or very large teams may not perform as well as moderately sized teams. For most teams, the right size is somewhere between six and nine members. Teams of this size are cohesive and small enough for team members to get to know each other and contribute in a meaningful way but are large enough to take advantage of team members’ diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives. Conflict and disagreement are inevitable in most teams. The key to dealing with team conflict is to maximize cognitive conflict, which focuses on issue-related differences and is strongly associated with improvements in team performance, and minimize affective conflict, the emotional reactions that occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional. Affective conflict is strongly associated with decreases in team performance, because it prevents teams from engaging in the kinds of activities that are critical to team effectiveness. 5. Describe the four factors that companies can manage to make teams more effective. Specify which of these four factors you feel is of greatest importance in enhancing team performance. Explain your rationale for your choice. Answer: Companies can make teams more effective by (1) setting team goals and priorities and managing how work team members are (2) selected, (3) trained, and (4) compensated. Team goals clarify team priorities by providing a clear focus and purpose. Since specific, challenging team goals regulate how hard team members work, they also reduce the incidence of social loafing. Team goals lead to much higher team performance 93 percent of the time. Extremely difficult stretch goals can be used to motivate teams as long as those teams have autonomy, control over resources, structural accommodation (the ability to change organizational structures, policies, and practices), and bureaucratic immunity (the ability to make changes without first getting approval from managers or other parts of an organization). Not everyone is suited for teamwork. When selecting team members, companies should do three things. First, they should select people who have a preference for teamwork. While such collectivists are generally more desirable in teams, individualists may be appropriate if team diversity is desired. Second, they should consider the importance of team level, which is the average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team. Team level is used to guide selection of teammates when teams need a particular set of skills or capabilities to do their jobs well. Third, companies should consider team diversity, which represents the variances or differences in ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team. Team diversity is used to guide selection of teammates when teams are asked to complete a wide range of different tasks or when tasks are particularly complex. Organizations that create work teams often underestimate the amount of training required to make teams effective. The organizations that successfully use teams provide thousands of hours of training to make sure that teams work effectively. The most common types of team training are for interpersonal skills, decision-making and problem-solving skills, conflict resolution, technical training to help team members learn multiple jobs (i.e., cross-training), and training for team leaders. There are three methods of compensating employees for team participation and accomplishments: skill-based pay (a compensation system that pays employees for learning additional skills or knowledge), gainsharing (a compensation system in which companies share the financial value of performance gains, such as productivity, cost savings, or quality, with their workers), and nonfinancial rewards (which can range from vacation trips to T-shirts, plaques, and coffee mugs). In general, skill-based pay is most effective for self-managing and self-directing teams performing complex tasks. In these situations, the more each team member knows and can do, the better the whole team performs. By contrast, gainsharing works best in relatively stable environments where employees can focus on improving the productivity, cost savings, or quality of their current work system. Nonfinancial rewards are especially effective when coupled with management recognition. Many students will select team goals as the single factor of greatest importance in enhancing team performance. The research indicating that they lead to much higher performance 93% of the time is a strong argument in favor of this position. However, depending upon particular assumptions and circumstances specified in an answer, a reasonable argument could be made for selection, training, or compensation. In essence, severe weaknesses or inadequacies in any of these areas have the potential for significantly reducing term performance. Thus, the specific content and logical arguments of student answers would need to be assessed for these options. Test Bank for Effective Management Chuck Williams 9781285866246