Exam 8: Self-Managed Teams and Team Leadership

Due to problems in its order-processing department, the marketing manager at Big Branch (BB) has created a team to study ways of speeding up order processing. He is adding two of BB's major customers to the team's membership. Which type of team has been created?

During a meeting focused on resolving a serious problem, Billy was more interested in asking the group if they heard about the company owner and the mailroom clerk. Which of the following group member problem types does Billy represent?

Describe how a leader can avoid conducting nonproductive meetings.

It is recommended that leaders play the role of ____ at meetings.

In your organization, you know of one department that has no departmental goals; everyone is simply told to do their best to accomplish the organization's mission. In your opinion, this department is functioning as which of the following?

Recall a team decision that you were a part of, and describe the team leader's role during the process leading up to the final decision. Would you characterize the leader's role as belonging to the leader-centered or team-centered approach to decision making?

One of the disadvantages of teamwork is that members face pressure to conform to lower group standards of performance and conduct.

Groupthink happens when the team values getting along so much that dissenting views are suppressed in favor of consensus.

What is team-centered leadership, and how does it differ from the leader-centered approach?

A disadvantage of team-centered decision making is that it can:

Team cohesion is increased when member self-identification with the team is strong.

What are the benefits of using cross-functional teams?

Explain the differences between conventional and self-managed teams.

Teams where individuals in the teams have clearly defined roles and responsibilities are more likely to assign blame when things go wrong.

Teams composed of less than 12 members are generally less effective than larger teams.

It is recommended that leaders play the role of facilitators at meetings.

Teams are often credited with making better decisions than individuals, yet they are also criticized for groupthink. What are some strategies for creating effective teams that are not victims of the groupthink phenomenon?

Team leader activities that can help to enhance team creativity include all the following EXCEPT:

When using the team-centered decision-making approach, the role of the leader should be to serve as a(n) ____.

Identify a team you were or are a part of and describe the advantages that you derived from being a member of the team.