Group Decision Making & Organizational Behavior | MCQ
Which of the following is a characteristic of large groups in decision-making?
A) Faster decision-making
B) Better suited for simple tasks
C) Facilitate the pooling of information for complex tasks
D) Less diverse views
Answer: C
Smaller groups are better suited to: A) Facilitating routine tasks
B) Pooling information on complex tasks
C) Coordinating and facilitating the implementation of complex tasks
D) Increasing acceptance of solutions
Answer: C
Simple, routine standardized tasks: A) Require effective group processes
B) Do not require effective group processes for the group to perform well
C) Increase the complexity of group decision making
D) Are best performed by large groups
Answer: B
Which of the following is a strength of group decision making?
A) Time efficiency
B) More complete information and knowledge
C) Increased conformity pressures
D) Reduced diversity of views
Answer: B
Which of the following is a weakness of group decision making?
A) Increased acceptance of solutions
B) Dominance of a few members
C) More complete information
D) Creativity
Answer: B
Group decision making is often time-consuming due to:
A) Effective brainstorming
B) Conformity pressures
C) Increased accuracy
D) The dominance of a few members
Answer: B
What is a potential positive outcome of group decision making?
A) Less time needed to make decisions
B) Reduced creativity
C) Increased acceptance of solutions
D) Increased ambiguity in responsibility
Answer: C
Which of the following is related to the effectiveness of group decision making?
A) Speed
B) Ambiguity of responsibility
C) Groupthink
D) Inaccurate information
Answer: A
Which of the following describes 'Conformity'?
A) Expressing dissenting views
B) Adjusting behavior to align with group norms
C) Making independent decisions
D) Encouraging diverse opinions
Answer: B
The Asch Study is primarily related to:
A) Decision making in small groups
B) Groupthink
C) Conformity
D) Nominal Group Technique
Answer: C
Reference groups are:
A) Groups that discourage conformity
B) Groups to which individuals belong or aspire to belong and whose norms influence behavior
C) Groups with no impact on decision making
D) Groups that discourage dissent
Answer: B
What is 'Groupthink'?
A) A situation where group pressure deters critical appraisal of unpopular views
B) A method of brainstorming
C) A technique for individual decision making
D) A way to encourage dissent in groups
Answer: A
Which of the following is a key feature of 'Groupthink'?
A) Illusion of unanimity
B) Freedom of speech
C) Creative decision making
D) Independent thought
Answer: A
Which of the following best describes 'Groupshift'?
A) Group members tend to make more cautious decisions than individuals
B) A shift towards a more extreme version of the group's original position
C) The group agrees on an average decision
D) Individual members make their own decisions
Answer: B
In 'Advocacy Orientation' during group decision making, the goal is to:
A) Collaborate to find the best solution
B) Win
C) Share relevant information
D) Suppress dissenters
Answer: B
In 'Inquiry Orientation', the goal is to:
A) Win the argument
B) Arrive at the best possible solution
C) Control the group’s direction
D) Deter dissenting views
Answer: B
In an 'Advocacy Orientation', individuals view others as:
A) Collaborators
B) Competitors
C) Dissenters
D) Supporters of their ideas
Answer: B
In an 'Inquiry Orientation', how are dissenters handled?
A) They are suppressed
B) They are included as enrichers of analysis
C) They are ignored
D) They are marginalized
Answer: B
Team Psychological Safety involves: A) Members are not allowed to take interpersonal risks
B) A shared belief that it is safe to take interpersonal risks
C) Members avoid admitting mistakes
D) Only the leader can take risks
Answer: B
Which of the following is a risk associated with low team psychological safety?
A) Increased trust among team members
B) Members feel free to ask questions and challenge opinions
C) Members may avoid admitting mistakes and asking for help
D) Increased creativity in problem-solving
Answer: C
Which of the following promotes team psychological safety?
A) Suppressing negative feedback
B) Leader coaching and support
C) Encouraging silence
D) Ignoring individual perspectives
Answer: B
The absence of psychological safety in a team can lead to:
A) Increased collaboration
B) Better decision-making
C) Reduced willingness to speak up or challenge ideas
D) Higher member status differences
Answer: C
Team learning behavior is positively influenced by:
A) Reduced trust
B) High levels of psychological safety
C) Lack of leadership support
D) Ignoring individual differences
Answer: B
Which type of group decision-making involves face-to-face communication?
A) Brainstorming
B) Interacting group
C) Nominal group technique
D) Independent decision making
Answer: B
In an interacting group, members: A) Work independently
B) Communicate only through written messages
C) Rely on both verbal and non-verbal communication
D) Avoid face-to-face meetings
Answer: C
Which of the following is a benefit of brainstorming?
A) It promotes conformity
B) It helps generate a variety of alternatives
C) It encourages individual decision making
D) It restricts creativity
Answer: B
The leader’s role in a brainstorming session is to:
A) Criticize ideas
B) Clearly state the problem
C) Prevent new ideas
D) Control the discussion
Answer: B
In brainstorming, group members are encouraged to:
A) Criticize others' ideas
B) Provide only feasible alternatives
C) Think unusually and suggest creative ideas
D) Focus on practical solutions only
Answer: C
Which of the following is true about the nominal group technique?
A) It encourages free-wheeling and group interaction
B) Members work independently during the idea generation phase
C) Group members are discouraged from offering ideas
D) It requires members to provide their input at the same time
Answer: B
Which of the following describes the process in a nominal group technique?
A) Silent period followed by ranking of ideas
B) Spontaneous brainstorming without restrictions
C) Group members argue and debate each idea
D) Ideas are written down and discarded immediately
Answer: A
Research shows that nominal groups generally:
A) Outperform brainstorming groups
B) Are less effective in generating ideas
C) Encourage conformity pressures
D) Limit independent thinking
Answer: A
Which is an advantage of the nominal group technique?
A) It encourages groupthink
B) It permits independent thinking without restricting communication
C) It requires less time than brainstorming
D) It involves no face-to-face interaction
Answer: B
What is the final step in the nominal group technique?
A) A silent period for individual idea generation
B) Ranking ideas based on aggregate votes
C) Group debate and consensus
D) Immediate execution of the highest-ranked idea
Answer: B
Which type of role in decision making focuses on team goals and collaboration?
A) Individualistic role
B) Team role
C) Leadership role
D) Administrative role
Answer: B
Which of the following best describes an individualistic role in decision making?
A) Focus on collective success and team collaboration
B) A focus on personal achievements and individual goals
C) The primary responsibility of maintaining group harmony
D) Facilitating brainstorming sessions
Answer: B
Team roles are crucial because they:
A) Define individual tasks only
B) Promote personal success
C) Ensure effective collaboration and decision making
D) Encourage competition over cooperation
Answer: C
What is the primary advantage of small groups in decision making?
A) Ability to pool more information
B) Less pressure to conform
C) Better suited for coordinating complex tasks
D) Ability to generate a wider range of ideas
Answer: C
Which of the following is true about conformity pressures in group decision making?
A) Conformity pressures usually lead to more creativity
B) Conformity pressures can result in poor decision making
C) Conformity pressures help reduce ambiguity
D) Conformity pressures always lead to group consensus
Answer: B
What does groupthink primarily lead to?
A) Greater diversity of ideas
B) Uncritical appraisal of minority views
C) Increased acceptance of dissenting opinions
D) Encouraged critical thinking
Answer: B
The illusion of unanimity in groupthink refers to:
A) The belief that all members agree with the decision
B) The realization that no one agrees with the decision
C) Open disagreement among members
D) The ability to make quick decisions
Answer: A
Group decisions are more likely to be effective when:
A) All members agree on every aspect of the decision
B) There is a high level of trust and psychological safety
C) The group is dominated by a single leader
D) Members suppress dissenting opinions
Answer: B
Which of the following techniques reduces the pressure for conformity in decision making?
A) Groupthink
B) Brainstorming
C) Nominal Group Technique
D) Both B and C
Answer: D
The interaction in brainstorming sessions primarily aims to:
A) Generate as many ideas as possible without criticism
B) Rank ideas based on feasibility
C) Allow for individual decision making
D) Focus on only practical solutions
Answer: A
Which of the following is true about team roles in decision making?
A) They should be rigid and unchanging
B) They focus only on individual success
C) They help clarify responsibilities and facilitate collaboration
D) They always result in consensus without disagreement
Answer: C
What is the impact of a group’s size on its decision-making process?
A) Larger groups always make better decisions
B) Smaller groups are more effective at idea generation
C) Larger groups facilitate pooling of information for complex tasks
D) Smaller groups are less suited for coordinating complex tasks
Answer: C
Which of the following describes the "illusion of unanimity" in groupthink?
A) The belief that the group has considered all possible alternatives
B) The assumption that everyone in the group agrees with the decision
C) The open expression of disagreement
D) The tendency to avoid making a decision altogether
Answer: B
Which of the following is a common result of groupthink?
A) More creative ideas
B) Pressure to conform and suppress dissent
C) Independent thinking
D) Increased diversity of opinions
Answer: B
Group decision-making often suffers from the dominance of a few members due to:
A) Brainstorming techniques
B) Conformity pressures
C) Effective leadership
D) Equal participation
Answer: B
Which group decision-making method encourages free-flowing ideas and discourages criticism?
A) Nominal Group Technique
B) Interacting Group
C) Brainstorming
D) Consensus Building
Answer: C
In the Nominal Group Technique, after each member presents an idea, the next step is:
A) Silent period for idea generation
B) Discussion of ideas for clarity
C) Group debate to finalize the decision
D) Voting on the best idea
Answer: B
Which of the following is a feature of the Nominal Group Technique that helps enhance independent thinking?
A) Immediate consensus
B) Restricting discussion during idea generation
C) Group leaders making final decisions
D) Only one person presenting ideas at a time
Answer: B
Which of the following group decision-making methods involves no criticism and encourages wild ideas?
A) Brainstorming
B) Nominal Group Technique
C) Interacting Group
D) Consensus Method
Answer: A
In brainstorming, the role of the group leader is primarily to:
A) Criticize ideas to improve them
B) Ensure all ideas are feasible
C) Define the problem clearly
D) Moderate group discussion
Answer: C
Which technique is considered more effective for group decision making than brainstorming?
A) Interacting group
B) Nominal Group Technique
C) Groupthink
D) Majority rule
Answer: B
Which of the following best describes "conformity pressure" in group decision-making?
A) Encouragement of diverse ideas
B) The tendency to conform to the group’s opinion to avoid conflict
C) Promotion of independent thinking
D) Allowing members to express dissenting opinions freely
Answer: B
Which of the following occurs in a team with high psychological safety?
A) Members feel safe to take interpersonal risks
B) Members avoid voicing concerns
C) Only the team leader is allowed to take risks
D) Mistakes are punished harshly
Answer: A
Which of the following is NOT a condition affecting psychological safety?
A) Member status differences
B) Leader coaching and support
C) Avoiding interpersonal risks
D) Level of familiarity among team members
Answer: C
In teams with high psychological safety, members are likely to:
A) Avoid asking for help or admitting mistakes
B) Be penalized for expressing dissent
C) Speak up, ask questions, and challenge prevailing opinions
D) Hide their concerns to avoid conflict
Answer: C
What is a primary outcome of psychological safety in teams?
A) More competition between team members
B) Better decision making and increased team learning
C) Increased groupthink
D) Less willingness to admit mistakes
Answer: B
Which of the following is a key difference between interacting groups and nominal groups?
A) Interacting groups have less communication between members
B) Nominal groups allow for independent idea generation without immediate discussion
C) Interacting groups require members to work alone
D) Nominal groups promote conformity more than interacting groups
Answer: B
Which decision-making technique is particularly useful for avoiding conformity pressures?
A) Interacting Group
B) Groupthink
C) Brainstorming
D) Nominal Group Technique
Answer: D
Which group decision-making technique involves a formal process where members silently write down their ideas?
A) Brainstorming
B) Interacting Group
C) Nominal Group Technique
D) Delphi Technique
Answer: C
When using the Nominal Group Technique, group members rank-order the ideas after:
A) Discussing each idea for clarity
B) Freewheeling a list of alternatives
C) Debating the merits of each idea
D) Selecting the leader’s preferred idea
Answer: A
Which of the following is true about brainstorming?
A) It discourages new ideas
B) Members are encouraged to criticize others’ ideas
C) It allows members to think freely without judgment
D) It does not require group interaction
Answer: C
A key disadvantage of group decision making is:
A) Reduced diversity of opinions
B) Increased conformity pressures
C) Faster decision making
D) Better information pooling
Answer: B
Which of the following is a potential advantage of group decision making?
A) More conformity pressures
B) Increased diversity of views
C) Less time-consuming
D) Less creativity
Answer: B
Team roles in decision making are important because they help:
A) Encourage conflict
B) Promote individual success
C) Facilitate collaboration and ensure responsibilities are clear
D) Discourage diverse opinions
Answer: C
Which of the following statements is true about "groupthink"?
A) It leads to more critical and independent decision making
B) It can cause the group to ignore important dissenting viewpoints
C) It encourages diversity and open expression of opinions
D) It fosters an environment where mistakes are acknowledged
Answer: B
Which of the following is a disadvantage of brainstorming?
A) It encourages creative ideas
B) It may lead to groupthink
C) It reduces the pressure to conform
D) It promotes independent thinking
Answer: B
In group decision making, the presence of a dominant member often leads to:
A) Increased creativity
B) Greater team collaboration
C) The suppression of alternative ideas
D) More diverse viewpoints
Answer: C
The main goal of brainstorming is to:
A) Criticize all ideas
B) Generate a wide variety of creative alternatives
C) Achieve a consensus quickly
D) Rank the ideas in order of importance
Answer: B
Which of the following best describes a team with high psychological safety?
A) Members avoid sharing their concerns
B) Members are penalized for making mistakes
C) Members feel safe to voice dissent and seek help
D) Only the team leader expresses opinions
Answer: C
In a team with low psychological safety, members are likely to:
A) Share their concerns openly
B) Engage in collaborative problem solving
C) Avoid taking risks or challenging the status quo
D) Offer constructive feedback
Answer: C
Which decision-making process involves restricting communication during the idea generation phase?
A) Brainstorming
B) Interacting Group
C) Nominal Group Technique
D) Delphi Technique
Answer: C
The "Nominal Group Technique" encourages:
A) Spontaneous verbal exchanges of ideas
B) Silent reflection and independent idea generation
C) Group leaders to make the final decision
D) Debate and discussion until a consensus is reached
Answer: B
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of having diverse views in group decision making?
A) Increased acceptance of solutions
B) More complete information and knowledge
C) Reduced conformity pressures
D) Reduced creativity
Answer: D
Which technique involves independent idea generation followed by a discussion and ranking of ideas?
A) Brainstorming
B) Nominal Group Technique
C) Groupthink
D) Interacting Group
Answer: B
A team that does not allow its members to express different opinions or admit mistakes likely has:
A) High psychological safety
B) Low psychological safety
C) High creativity
D) Strong collaboration
Answer: B
In which group decision-making technique are ideas ranked based on aggregate votes after being discussed for clarity?
A) Nominal Group Technique
B) Brainstorming
C) Groupthink
D) Interacting Group
Answer: A
Which of the following is a major strength of group decision making?
A) Increased conformity pressures
B) Improved individual performance
C) Better pooling of information and perspectives
D) Quicker decision-making process
Answer: C
