Managing Project Teams Answer Key

Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams Chapter 11 Managing Project Teams Answer Key Multiple Choice Questions 1. The essence of positive synergy can be found in the phrase A. Front of ship sink—---back of ship sink B. There is no "I" in team C. Two heads are better than one D. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts E. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger Feedback: The essence of positive synergy can be found in the phrase "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts." Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Easy 2. Which of the following is commonly associated with high-performing project teams? A. Risk taking is controlled and not allowed to jeopardize the overall project B. Roles and specific responsibilities are well-defined C. A degree of competition among team members is encouraged D. Mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning E. Team members are selected with similar talents to enhance cohesion Feedback: To encourage risk taking and creativity, mistakes are treated as opportunities for learning rather than reasons for punishment. Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 11-1 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 3. During which stage of team development do members accept that they are part of a project group but resist the constraints that the project and the group put on their individuality? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: As the name suggests, the stormingis stage is marked by a high degree of internal conflict. Members accept that they are part of a project group but resist the constraints that the project and group put on their individuality. There is conflict over who will control the group and how decisions are made. Answer: B AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 4. During which stage of team development do close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: The norming stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. Feelings of camaraderie and shared responsibility for the project are heightened. Answer: A AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 11-2 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 5. During which stage of team development is the team fully functional and accomplishing project goals? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: In the performing stage, the team operating structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know each other and how the group will work together to accomplishing the project goals. Answer: C AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 6. During which stage of team development is high performance not a top priority and attention is devoted to wrapping up the project? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: For conventional work groups, performing is the last stage of their development. However, for project teams, there is a completion or adjourning phase. During this stage, the team prepares for its own disbandment. High performance is no longer a top priority. Instead attention is devoted to wrapping up the project. Responses of members vary in this stage. Some members are upbeat, basking in the project team's accomplishments. Others may be depressed over loss of camaraderie and friendships gained during the project's life. Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Easy 11-3 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 7. During which stage of team development do team members establish ground rules and try to find out what behaviors are acceptable and what performance expectations are? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: During the forming stage the members get acquainted with each other and understand the scope of the project. They begin to establish ground rules by trying to find out what behaviors are acceptable with respect to both the project (what role they will play, what performance expectations are) and interpersonal relations (who's really in charge). This stage is completed once members begin to think of themselves as part of a group. Answer: E AACSB: Reflective Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 8. Sam is the coach of a high school soccer team and has noticed that some close relationships have formed as well as feelings of camaraderie and shared responsibilities for the team's success. Which stage of development is the team in? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: The norming stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. Feelings of camaraderie and shared responsibility for the project are heightened. The norming phase is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group establishes a common set of expectations about how members should work together. Answer: A AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Apply Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 11-4 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 9. Roger is new-product project manager for a retail company. Recently the team has exhibited a high degree of conflict over who will control the group and how decisions will be made. Which stage of development is the team in? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: During the storming stage members accept that they are part of a project group but resist the constraints that the project and group put on their individuality. There is conflict over who will control the group and how decisions will be made. As these conflicts are resolved, the project manager's leadership becomes accepted, and the group moves to the next stage. Answer: B AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Apply Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Medium 10. Tom is managing a project team responsible for building a new office building that started this week. He notices that team members are trying out different behaviors to see what is acceptable to the project and personal relations. Which stage of development is the team in? A. Norming B. Storming C. Performing D. Adjourning E. Forming Feedback: During forming stage, the members get acquainted with each other and understand the scope of the project. They begin to establish ground rules by trying to find out what behaviors are acceptable with respect to both the project (what role they will play, what performance expectations are) and interpersonal relations (who's really in charge). This stage is completed once members begin to think of themselves as part of a group. Answer: E AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Apply Learning Objective: The Five-Stage Team Development Model Level: Easy 11-5 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 11. Experience and research indicate that high-performance project teams are much more likely to develop under all the following conditions EXCEPT A. Members are assigned to the project full time B. Members report solely to the project manager C. There are 10 or fewer members per team D. Team members are selected by their managers E. The project involves a compelling objective Feedback: Instead of managers selecting team members, high performance is more likely to develop when members volunteer to serve on the project team. Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Situational Factors Affecting Team Development Level: Difficult 12. Project managers play a key role in developing high-performance project teams. Which of the following is NOT a contributing factor to this role? A. Conduct project meetings B. Recruit team members C. Manage a reward system D. Manage conflict E. Report progress to top management Feedback: Reporting team progress to top management does not aid in the development of high-performance teams. Answer: E AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High- Performance Teams Level: Medium 11-6 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 13. There are two important factors that affect the recruitment of project members. Which of the following is one of those factors? A. The budget available B. The size of the project C. The management structure being used to complete the project D. The level of innovation and technical expertise needed E. Organizational culture Feedback: The process of selecting and recruiting project members will vary across organizations. Two important factors affecting recruitment are the importance of the project and the management structure being used to complete the project. Answer: C AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Difficult 14. When recruiting project team members, which of the following factors is NOT something a project manager might consider? A. The political connections the potential team member may have B. Their problem-solving ability C. Their ambition, initiative, and energy D. Their skillset as it compares to the project manager E. Their availability Feedback: The skillset of the potential project team member as it compares to the project manager should be irrelevant. However, the project manager may be interested in the skillset of an individual as it compares to other team members to ensure a diverse range of skills and talents. Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Easy 11-7 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 15. The first project meeting is critical to the early functioning of the project team. Which of the following is NOT true regarding this meeting? A. An overview of the project's scope and objectives should be addressed B. Interpersonal interaction concerns should be addressed C. The project manager must model how the team will work together D. The meeting will need to be as long as necessary to cover the main objectives of a first meeting E. The meeting should be productive, well–organized and realistic. Feedback: There are typically three objectives project managers try to achieve during the first meeting of the project team. The first is to provide an overview of the project, including the scope and objectives, the general schedule, method, and procedures. The second is to begin to address some of the interpersonal concerns captured in the team development model: Who are the other team members? How will I fit in? Will I be able to work with these people? The third and most important objective is to begin to model how the team is going to work together to complete the project. Not all circumstances allow a two-2 day retreat in order to kick off a project. The objective of the meeting should be realistic given the time available. Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Medium 16. The project manager must quickly establish operational ground rules for how the team will work together. These include planning, tracking, managing change, and relationship decisions. Which of the following is an example of a planning decision? A. What departments will the team need to interact with during the project? B. What are the specific roles and responsibilities of all the participants? C. Who will generate and distribute reports? D. How will changes be documented and evaluated? E. How will progress be assessed? Feedback: The specific roles and responsibilities of all the participants would be considered a planning decision. What departments will the team need to interact with during the project would be considered a relationship decision. Who will generate and distribute reports and how progress will be assessed would both be considered tracking decisions. How changes will be documented and evaluated would be considered a managing change decisions. Answer: B AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Medium 11-8 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 17. Researchers have found that high- performance teams have norms for team interaction. Which of the following is NOT one of those norms? A. Hard work does not get in the way of having fun B. No information is shared outside the team unless all agree to it C. It is acceptable to be in trouble, but not to surprise others D. When a decision has to be made, everyone should agree before moving forward E. There is no tolerance for bulling a way through a problem or issue Feedback: Agree to disagree. When a decision has been made, regardless of personal feelings, move forward. Answer: D AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Difficult 18. All of the following have been found to be good for running effective project meetings EXCEPT A. Start meetings on time regardless of whether everyone is present B. Allow a time period for socializing to support the development of a team identity C. Thoroughly document all decisions D. Prepare and distribute an agenda prior to the meeting E. Identify an adjournment time Feedback: It is recommended that time for socialized be scheduled at a time other than at a project meeting. Answer: B AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Easy 11-9 Chapter 11 - Managing Project Teams 19. Establishing a team identity is facilitated by A. Team members working in a common space B. Creation of a project team name C. Effective use of meetings D. Team rituals E. All of these are facilitators of establishing a team identity Feedback: Effective team meetings, co-location of team members, creation of a project team name, getting the team to work together early on, and team rituals are all vehicles to help establish a team identity. Answer: E AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Easy 20. The essential qualities of an effective vision include all of the following EXCEPT A. All team members have the same vision B. The vision should be communicated to all C. The vision has to make strategic sense D. There should be a passion for the vision E. The vision should be a source of inspiration to others Feedback: At the simplest level, a shared vision is the answer to the question, “What dso we want to create?” Not everyone will have the same vision, but images should be similar. Answer: A AACSB: Reflective Thinking Bloom's: Understand Learning Objective: Building High-Performance Project Teams Level: Difficult 11-10