Group Identity and Conflict Management | MCQ with Answers
1. What is a common cause of conflict in groups?
a) Lack of communication
b) Identity differences
c) Uniform values
d) Agreement on goals
Answer: b) Identity differences
2. Role incompatibility in teams is most often due to:
a) Unclear goals
b) Personal conflicts
c) Task and goal inter-dependence
d) Lack of leadership
Answer: c) Task and goal inter-dependence
3. Which of the following is an example of environmental stress leading to conflict?
a) Disagreements over task execution
b) Budget allocation issues
c) Personality clashes
d) Lack of team identification
Answer: b) Budget allocation issues
4. What type of conflict arises when desired outcomes are at cross purposes?
a) Goal and task conflict
b) Relationship conflict
c) Process conflict
d) Resource conflict
Answer: a) Goal and task conflict
5. Task conflict is related to:
a) Disagreements over personal values
b) Disagreements over task content and execution
c) Emotional incompatibilities
d) Lack of trust between team members
Answer: b) Disagreements over task content and execution
6. What is the nature of relationship conflict?
a) Emotional incompatibilities and interpersonal disagreements
b) Differences in task execution
c) Disagreement over resource distribution
d) Variance in team goals
Answer: a) Emotional incompatibilities and interpersonal disagreements
7. Which of the following is true about task and relationship conflicts?
a) They are unrelated
b) Task conflicts often lead to relationship conflicts
c) Relationship conflicts arise from task disagreements
d) Relationship conflicts enhance task performance
Answer: b) Task conflicts often lead to relationship conflicts
8. According to the Dual Concern Model, which conflict management strategy involves a high concern for others and low concern for one's own outcome?
a) Competition
b) Accommodation / Smoothing
c) Collaboration
d) Avoidance
Answer: b) Accommodation / Smoothing
9. The Dual Concern Model's "compromise" strategy involves:
a) High concern for both parties' outcomes
b) Low concern for others' outcomes
c) High concern for one’s own outcome
d) No concern for either party’s outcomes
Answer: a) High concern for both parties' outcomes
10. What does “trust” refer to in a team context?
a) Physical security within the team
b) Acceptance of vulnerability based on positive expectations
c) Team members' competence only
d) Direct control over team members' actions
Answer: b) Acceptance of vulnerability based on positive expectations
11. Which of the following is an example of individual trust?
a) Trusting the entire team
b) Trust based on perceived team performance
c) Trust between two specific individuals
d) Trusting the leader to control the group
Answer: c) Trust between two specific individuals
12. Team trust is primarily characterized by:
a) Interpersonal trust between individuals
b) Trust placed on the leader only
c) Depersonalized trust among the group members
d) Trust in external stakeholders
Answer: c) Depersonalized trust among the group members
13. According to Mayer et al. (1995), which dimension of trust involves consistency of actions with words?
a) Integrity
b) Ability
c) Benevolence
d) Reliability
Answer: a) Integrity
14. Which dimension of trust involves the perception of good intent and attachment to the trustor?
a) Ability
b) Benevolence
c) Integrity
d) Reliability
Answer: b) Benevolence
15. Which dimension of trust is domain-specific?
a) Ability
b) Integrity
c) Benevolence
d) Honesty
Answer: a) Ability
16. Team identification leads to:
a) Dispersed efforts
b) Disloyalty
c) Cohesion, loyalty, and effort
d) High conflict
Answer: c) Cohesion, loyalty, and effort
17. What theory explains why individuals identify with a team?
a) Equity Theory
b) Social Identity Theory
c) Expectancy Theory
d) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Answer: b) Social Identity Theory
18. What can excessive competition between teams lead to?
a) Improved collaboration
b) Enhanced organizational cohesion
c) Intergroup rivalry and division
d) Increased trust within teams
Answer: c) Intergroup rivalry and division
19. According to the text, a team is usually:
a) More than the sum of its individual parts
b) Exactly equal to the sum of its individual parts
c) Less than the sum of its individual parts
d) A direct reflection of individual performance
Answer: a) More than the sum of its individual parts
20. What can influence a team’s performance in early stages?
a) Constant feedback
b) Early wins or losses
c) Member skill development
d) External competition only
Answer: b) Early wins or losses
21. What should team leaders do to foster a successful team environment early on?
a) Allow the team to self-manage
b) Avoid addressing early performance issues
c) Orchestrate early wins and guide the team
d) Focus solely on task completion
Answer: c) Orchestrate early wins and guide the team
22. When a team faces losses, leaders should:
a) Avoid intervening to maintain team morale
b) Focus only on performance, not emotional impacts
c) Be aware of intervention timing to mitigate negative effects
d) Discourage emotional responses from team members
Answer: c) Be aware of intervention timing to mitigate negative effects
23. What is the impact of early performance feedback on a team’s dynamics?
a) It strengthens team cohesion
b) It can lead to a virtuous or vicious cycle
c) It has little effect on team motivation
d) It only affects team trust
Answer: b) It can lead to a virtuous or vicious cycle
24. In organizations, an employee might identify with:
a) Their specific team or department
b) Only their immediate supervisor
c) Only external stakeholders
d) The organization as a whole, or just their department
Answer: d) The organization as a whole, or just their department
25. What could potentially harm inter-group cooperation in organizations?
a) Shared goals
b) Strong identification with small teams
c) Teamwork across departments
d) Cross-functional collaboration
Answer: b) Strong identification with small teams
26. What is essential for successful team selection?
a) Assigning roles based on team members’ personal preferences
b) Selecting team members without regard for their skills
c) Choosing the right mix of technical and interpersonal skills
d) Having equal numbers of team members from each department
Answer: c) Choosing the right mix of technical and interpersonal skills
27. What is the term used when team members’ identities stem from multiple sources?
a) Mixed team identity
b) Multifaceted identification
c) Collective identity
d) Multiple group identification
Answer: d) Multiple group identification
28. What does team cohesion primarily result from?
a) External competition only
b) Shared goals and objectives
c) Physical proximity of team members
d) The performance of the leader only
Answer: b) Shared goals and objectives
29. What could be the consequence of a team leader failing to manage early negative feedback?
a) It boosts team morale
b) It may lead to a downward spiral of performance
c) It strengthens team identity
d) It encourages collaboration between teams
Answer: b) It may lead to a downward spiral of performance
30. The process of establishing team trust involves:
a) Immediate performance evaluation
b) Positive feedback at all times
c) Mutual respect and consistency in behavior
d) Strict hierarchical management
Answer: c) Mutual respect and consistency in behavior
31. A high level of interdependence in a team increases the importance of:
a) Individual competition
b) External team evaluations
c) Trust among team members
d) Task isolation
Answer: c) Trust among team members
32. What is one risk of strong identification with small teams within an organization?
a) Improved interdepartmental communication
b) Reduced need for collaboration with other teams
c) Increased trust across departments
d) Greater organizational commitment
Answer: b) Reduced need for collaboration with other teams
33. What is essential when building team identity early in a team's life?
a) Strict focus on tasks only
b) Ensuring diversity is minimized
c) Establishing clear team roles and trust
d) Encouraging competition over collaboration
Answer: c) Establishing clear team roles and trust
34. Which of the following can help mitigate negative effects of early losses in a team?
a) Ignoring the emotional impact on members
b) Immediate leadership intervention to restore trust
c) A focus on individual performance
d) Disbanding the team temporarily
Answer: b) Immediate leadership intervention to restore trust
35. The primary focus of the Dual Concern Model is:
a) Balancing task and relationship concerns
b) Encouraging only cooperation in teams
c) Maximizing individual interests over group interests
d) Avoiding any form of conflict in teams
Answer: a) Balancing task and relationship concerns
36. In what type of environment is trust particularly essential for team success?
a) Low interdependence
b) High task complexity
c) Low resource availability
d) Isolated teams with minimal communication
Answer: b) High task complexity
37. Which is NOT a dimension of trust according to Mayer et al. (1995)?
a) Ability
b) Benevolence
c) Emotional stability
d) Integrity
Answer: c) Emotional stability
38. Which aspect of team trust is most impacted by the team's ability to deliver consistent performance?
a) Ability
b) Integrity
c) Benevolence
d) Reliability
Answer: b) Integrity
39. The leadership strategy for managing team conflict should include:
a) Discouraging open communication
b) Focusing on early wins to build momentum
c) Maintaining complete separation between team members
d) Focusing only on technical skills development
Answer: b) Focusing on early wins to build momentum
40. Team leaders can influence team identification by:
a) Encouraging individualism over team collaboration
b) Promoting a sense of collective purpose and cohesion
c) Focusing only on external competition
d) Limiting team interaction with other departments
Answer: b) Promoting a sense of collective purpose and cohesion
41. What effect does relationship conflict have on team dynamics?
a) Improves task execution
b) Decreases group morale and performance
c) Strengthens interpersonal bonds
d) Facilitates better communication
Answer: b) Decreases group morale and performance
42. What is a primary characteristic of intergroup rivalry?
a) Increased cross-team cooperation
b) Increased organizational unity
c) Increased competition between groups
d) Increased resource sharing between teams
Answer: c) Increased competition between groups
43. How can teams benefit from synchronization?
a) By minimizing individual contributions
b) By reducing interdependence
c) By ensuring consistent individual performance
d) Through mutual trust and cooperation
Answer: d) Through mutual trust and cooperation
44. Trust within teams is built through:
a) Clear communication and shared goals
b) Allowing team members to work independently
c) Ignoring potential conflicts
d) Assigning a single leader to make all decisions
Answer: a) Clear communication and shared goals
45. What could help team leaders in managing early performance losses?
a) Withdrawing support from the team
b) Immediate and planned interventions
c) Focusing only on individual team members' performance
d) Ignoring emotional responses
Answer: b) Immediate and planned interventions
46. What is a potential downside of excessive team identification?
a) Stronger external collaborations
b) A decreased willingness to collaborate with other teams
c) Improved team communication
d) Increased trust within the organization
Answer: b) A decreased willingness to collaborate with other teams
47. What leads to team cohesion according to Social Identity Theory?
a) Strong competition with other teams
b) Clear and shared group identity
c) Individual performance goals
d) Fragmented roles within the team
Answer: b) Clear and shared group identity
48. In managing conflict, which strategy works when both parties have high concern for each other's outcomes?
a) Competition
b) Collaboration
c) Avoidance
d) Accommodation
Answer: b) Collaboration
49. What can be the impact of role incompatibility in teams?
a) Increased team efficiency
b) Heightened interdependence
c) Increased task-related conflict
d) Stronger team identity
Answer: c) Increased task-related conflict
50. Which of the following is NOT a key characteristic of the Dual Concern Model?
a) Assertiveness
b) Cooperative concern
c) Goal consistency
d) Compromise
Answer: c) Goal consistency
51. What is the importance of team trust in interdependent tasks?
a) It allows for independent work without collaboration
b) It increases competition within the team
c) It ensures that team members rely on each other’s contributions
d) It minimizes conflict in teams
Answer: c) It ensures that team members rely on each other’s contributions
52. Which of the following is an example of compromising in the Dual Concern Model?
a) Both parties give up some of their concerns to reach a solution
b) One party wins while the other loses
c) Both parties focus only on their own interests
d) One party agrees to accommodate the other completely
Answer: a) Both parties give up some of their concerns to reach a solution
53. What is a potential impact of a team’s identity being too strongly tied to its small group?
a) Increased cross-team communication
b) Decreased willingness to collaborate with other teams
c) Stronger trust within the organization
d) Enhanced loyalty to the organization
Answer: b) Decreased willingness to collaborate with other teams
54. What should a team leader focus on when managing conflict?
a) Encouraging only one viewpoint
b) Reducing communication among team members
c) Facilitating collaboration and shared goals
d) Avoiding any conflict situations
Answer: c) Facilitating collaboration and shared goals
55. What happens when a team’s identity is rooted in both internal and external factors?
a) The team struggles with collaboration
b) Team members may experience conflicting loyalties
c) The team becomes more cohesive
d) There is a decline in trust among members
Answer: b) Team members may experience conflicting loyalties
56. What effect does strong identification with a small team have on organizational behavior?
a) It promotes organizational collaboration
b) It may lead to isolation from the rest of the organization
c) It reduces interdepartmental competition
d) It fosters alignment with organizational goals
Answer: b) It may lead to isolation from the rest of the organization
57. How does trust affect team synchronization?
a) It creates barriers to collaboration
b) It facilitates coordinated action
c) It leads to more independent work
d) It undermines team performance
Answer: b) It facilitates coordinated action
58. What role does psychological safety play in team trust?
a) It leads to individual isolation
b) It encourages open communication and collaboration
c) It decreases cooperation
d) It leads to conflict avoidance
Answer: b) It encourages open communication and collaboration
59. What is a key reason for the failure of teams with poor trust?
a) Strong internal competition
b) Unclear goals
c) Lack of emotional connection
d) Poor external communication
Answer: c) Lack of emotional connection
60. Which aspect of trust involves the belief that another will act in a predictable, reliable way?
a) Integrity
b) Ability
c) Benevolence
d) Reliability
Answer: d) Reliability
61. How does a leader's behavior influence team trust?
a) By maintaining complete control over decision-making
b) By modeling trust and open communication
c) By isolating team members from other groups
d) By fostering individualism within the team
Answer: b) By modeling trust and open communication
62. What is the relationship between task conflict and relationship conflict?
a) Task conflict has no effect on relationship conflict
b) Task conflict can lead to relationship conflict
c) Task conflict always resolves relationship conflict
d) Relationship conflict always precedes task conflict
Answer: b) Task conflict can lead to relationship conflict
63. What impact does early team success have on long-term performance?
a) It can create a vicious cycle of failure
b) It sets a positive, motivating tone for the future
c) It leads to complacency within the team
d) It discourages further effort
Answer: b) It sets a positive, motivating tone for the future
64. How does organizational trust affect interdepartmental cooperation?
a) It fosters competition between departments
b) It discourages collaborative initiatives
c) It strengthens collaboration across departments
d) It leads to mistrust and suspicion
Answer: c) It strengthens collaboration across departments
65. What is a critical component in achieving successful team identity?
a) Individual recognition only
b) Clear, shared goals and values
c) External competition
d) Isolation from the larger organization
Answer: b) Clear, shared goals and values
66. Which strategy is recommended when managing early performance challenges in a team?
a) Ignore the issues to maintain morale
b) Provide clear leadership and proactive support
c) Isolate team members from external influences
d) Avoid direct intervention
Answer: b) Provide clear leadership and proactive support
67. What is the impact of trust on team interdependence?
a) It leads to more independent work by team members
b) It decreases team member reliance on one another
c) It strengthens collaboration and mutual reliance
d) It creates isolation between team members
Answer: c) It strengthens collaboration and mutual reliance
68. What is the primary factor in the success of a newly formed team?
a) Having high individual achievements
b) Early performance feedback and team cohesion
c) External competition
d) Avoiding conflict at all costs
Answer: b) Early performance feedback and team cohesion
69. Which of the following is NOT a component of the Dual Concern Model?
a) Collaboration
b) Competition
c) Avoidance
d) Conflict escalation
Answer: d) Conflict escalation
70. What effect does role incompatibility have on team conflict?
a) It leads to increased cooperation
b) It increases the likelihood of task and relationship conflict
c) It has no effect on conflict
d) It leads to stronger team cohesion
Answer: b) It increases the likelihood of task and relationship conflict
71. How does the leadership role impact team trust?
a) Leaders should remain distant from the team to avoid bias
b) Leaders should facilitate open communication and mutual respect
c) Leaders should avoid addressing trust issues directly
d) Leaders should focus solely on technical outcomes
Answer: b) Leaders should facilitate open communication and mutual respect
72. What is the primary challenge in managing intergroup rivalry?
a) Encouraging group collaboration and resource sharing
b) Maintaining competition at the expense of cooperation
c) Fostering a sense of unity among all teams
d) Reducing all forms of competition in the organization
Answer: b) Maintaining competition at the expense of cooperation
73. Trust within a team is based on perceptions of:
a) Team size
b) Ability, benevolence, and integrity
c) Competitiveness
d) Resource allocation
Answer: b) Ability, benevolence, and integrity
74. A team leader’s primary task in the early stages of team formation is:
a) To focus solely on technical tasks
b) To establish team roles and structure
c) To resolve all conflicts immediately
d) To ensure that performance feedback is harsh
Answer: b) To establish team roles and structure
75. What is a primary concern when teams face high levels of environmental stress?
a) Ignoring individual contributions
b) Encouraging external competition
c) Allocating resources effectively
d) Discouraging team communication
Answer: c) Allocating resources effectively
76. The foundation of trust within teams is:
a) Complete independence between team members
b) Open communication and shared goals
c) Emphasizing individual performance
d) Ignoring interpersonal issues
Answer: b) Open communication and shared goals
77. What can hinder team collaboration when trust is low?
a) Increased cooperation between members
b) Increased communication among team members
c) Reduced collaboration and shared effort
d) Enhanced team performance
Answer: c) Reduced collaboration and shared effort
78. What role does team identification play in enhancing loyalty and effort?
a) It creates a sense of responsibility toward the group
b) It discourages cooperation with other teams
c) It reduces trust within the team
d) It isolates the team from the larger organization
Answer: a) It creates a sense of responsibility toward the group
79. What is a possible consequence of high intergroup rivalry in an organization?
a) Increased collaboration and sharing of resources
b) Reduced collaboration between different teams
c) Stronger teamwork and cohesion within teams
d) Enhanced trust within the organization
Answer: b) Reduced collaboration between different teams
80. In the Dual Concern Model, what strategy would a team use when both assertiveness and cooperativeness are high?
a) Avoidance
b) Collaboration
c) Accommodation
d) Competition
Answer: b) Collaboration
81. What is a consequence of role incompatibility in team dynamics?
a) Improved team morale
b) Task conflict and relationship conflict
c) Enhanced collaboration between team members
d) Clear division of responsibilities
Answer: b) Task conflict and relationship conflict
82. In the context of team conflict, what does "smoothing" refer to in the Dual Concern Model?
a) Aggressive pursuit of one’s own goals
b) Avoiding conflicts by compromising
c) Emphasizing cooperation and de-escalating tension
d) A complete disregard for others' concerns
Answer: c) Emphasizing cooperation and de-escalating tension
83. What role does intergroup rivalry play in organizational culture?
a) Promotes stronger cross-department cooperation
b) Encourages departments to avoid each other
c) Can lead to competition that hinders collaboration
d) Enhances overall organizational efficiency
Answer: c) Can lead to competition that hinders collaboration
84. How can leaders help mitigate the negative impact of early performance losses?
a) Ignore performance issues and maintain morale
b) Ensure that interventions are timely and tailored to team dynamics
c) Focus on individual performance instead of team performance
d) Avoid discussing team failures to prevent discouragement
Answer: b) Ensure that interventions are timely and tailored to team dynamics
85. Which of the following best describes the importance of trust in team settings?
a) It allows for more task-related conflicts to occur
b) It promotes open communication, collaboration, and task coordination
c) It discourages assertiveness and individual opinions
d) It leads to reduced interdependence among team members
Answer: b) It promotes open communication, collaboration, and task coordination
86. How does a lack of trust in teams typically manifest?
a) Increased motivation and commitment to team goals
b) Increased conflicts, miscommunications, and inefficiencies
c) Stronger interdepartmental relationships
d) Clearer understanding of roles and responsibilities
Answer: b) Increased conflicts, miscommunications, and inefficiencies
87. What is a critical outcome of strong team identification?
a) Greater focus on individual goals
b) Increased cohesion and collective effort within the team
c) Decreased effort toward achieving team goals
d) Increased competition between team members
Answer: b) Increased cohesion and collective effort within the team
88. When managing conflict in teams, which approach involves addressing both task concerns and relationship issues?
a) Competition
b) Avoidance
c) Collaboration
d) Accommodation
Answer: c) Collaboration
89. How can trust influence the effectiveness of team interventions?
a) It makes interventions less necessary
b) It makes interventions easier and more successful when trust is present
c) It leads to increased intervention frequency
d) It prevents conflict resolution from occurring
Answer: b) It makes interventions easier and more successful when trust is present
90. What is a challenge of team leaders when there is high environmental stress?
a) Maintaining consistent resource allocation without conflict
b) Discouraging team members from sharing resources
c) Promoting intergroup rivalry to increase competition
d) Ignoring external pressures and focusing on internal tasks
Answer: a) Maintaining consistent resource allocation without conflict
91. Which of the following is a characteristic of team identification based on Social Identity Theory?
a) Identifying primarily with one’s individual role rather than the team
b) Drawing upon external resources rather than internal team strengths
c) Creating a strong sense of belonging and loyalty toward the team
d) Promoting personal achievement over team goals
Answer: c) Creating a strong sense of belonging and loyalty toward the team
92. What is a potential negative effect of strong team identification in a broader organizational context?
a) Enhanced team performance
b) Increased inter-team communication
c) Decreased willingness to cooperate with other departments
d) Stronger organizational alignment
Answer: c) Decreased willingness to cooperate with other departments
93. How does trust among team members influence the team's ability to manage conflicts?
a) It causes conflicts to be ignored
b) It helps resolve conflicts in a constructive and efficient manner
c) It prevents conflicts from occurring
d) It makes conflicts more destructive
Answer: b) It helps resolve conflicts in a constructive and efficient manner
94. In which situation does relationship conflict usually arise?
a) When team members have clear, well-defined roles
b) When team members experience interpersonal incompatibilities
c) When task goals are fully aligned across the team
d) When teams operate independently with little interdependence
Answer: b) When team members experience interpersonal incompatibilities
95. How do team leaders foster a healthy team identity early on?
a) By allowing the team to operate independently without guidance
b) By focusing exclusively on technical performance and task completion
c) By creating shared goals and encouraging open communication
d) By promoting individualism and competition within the team
Answer: c) By creating shared goals and encouraging open communication
96. What is the role of trust in a high-performing team?
a) It discourages team members from making independent decisions
b) It ensures that team members collaborate effectively and support each other
c) It leads to complete independence between team members
d) It creates competition among team members for recognition
Answer: b) It ensures that team members collaborate effectively and support each other
97. What is a potential outcome when team members have high trust in each other?
a) Reduced communication and isolation
b) Increased interdependence and team cohesion
c) Decreased collaboration on tasks
d) Increased competition among team members
Answer: b) Increased interdependence and team cohesion
98. Which of the following is NOT a way to foster trust within a team?
a) Encouraging open and honest communication
b) Holding team members accountable for their contributions
c) Focusing solely on individual performance and success
d) Acknowledging and addressing concerns within the team
Answer: c) Focusing solely on individual performance and success
99. What is a primary concern when team members are reluctant to collaborate due to lack of trust?
a) The team will likely experience fewer conflicts
b) The team may face challenges in completing tasks and achieving goals
c) The team will become highly cohesive and synchronized
d) The team will focus on individual achievement instead of team goals
Answer: b) The team may face challenges in completing tasks and achieving goals
100. What is the key to managing team performance during times of conflict?
a) Avoiding confrontation altogether
b) Prioritizing team loyalty over goal achievement
c) Balancing task-focused and relationship-focused conflict management strategies
d) Focusing only on technical skills rather than team dynamics
Answer: c) Balancing task-focused and relationship-focused conflict management strategies
