Team Dynamics
What’s the main difference between a team and a group of people working together?
Teams rely on interdependence and collaboration toward a shared goal.
What is suboptimization and why is it harmful to organizations
Divisions prioritize their own goals over the organization’s.
How do you write a goal to make it most effective?
Make sure it is Difficult, specific, and achievable.
What does TQM stand for?
Total Quality Management
What’s the purpose of outdoor experiential training?
Team bonding through shared, equalized experiences.
Who typically performs best in the Marshmallow Challenge, and why?
Kindergartners—they test early and often instead of overplanning.
Which conflict style involves low concern for both self and others
Avoiding style.
What actions increases someone’s commitment to a goal
Participating in setting their own goals
Name two characteristics of TQM.
Org-wide, top support, do it right the first time, etc.
What does an Organization Mirror do?
Reflects feedback to a group about how they’re perceived
Name two of the six steps in team development meetings.
Any of the six: Initiating, Setting objectives, Collecting data, Planning, Conducting, Evaluating.
What does the integrating conflict style focus on
High concern for both self and others—uses openness and problem-solving.
What does MBO stand for?
Management by Objectives
How does TQM align with OD?
Both are system-wide and believe in empowerment and planned change.
What’s a reason MBO has been limited mostly to managerial roles?
It takes a lot of effort and time.
What is the ideal team size and why is it nicknamed a “Pizza Team”?
5–7 people—the number that can share a pizza.
Name one OD technique to address intergroup conflict.
3rd Party Consultation, Organization Mirror, or Intergroup Team Building
What’s one drawback of MBO?
Time-consuming and costly.
Name one of the five dimensions from Job Characteristics Theory.
Skill variety, Task identity, Task significance, Autonomy, or Job feedback.
How does a team development meeting end?
With evaluation of the process.
Why might cohesiveness in a team become a problem?
Groupthink—when harmony overrides quality decision-making.
Which conflict-handling style is best to use when managing group conflict
No single style fits all situations. The most effective approach depends on the context and the individuals involved. Each style—avoiding, obliging, dominating, compromising, and integrating—has its own strengths and appropriate uses.
What is the primary goal of MBO?
Align individual and organizational goals through shared objectives
What’s the main difference between Job Characteristics Theory and Job Enrichment Theory?
JCT focuses on job design elements; JET focuses on motivational improvements like achievement and challenge
In OD, why might TQM practitioners clash with OD consultants?
TQM assumes the problem is quality-related; OD doesn’t assume solutions.