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MBA601 Final Study Guide
1. What is an effective definition of work teams?
Fully mature work teams set their own work goals and perform all of tasks associated with the
work process. Work teams/groups are formed for the synergy.
What are the various types of teams??????????????????????
Project/Problem solving TEAMS
Matrix/Cross functional TEAMS
Semi-autonomous TEAMS
Self Directed/Autonomous TEAMS.
2. Describe the five stages of group/team development.
I. FORMING
II. STORMING
III. NORMING (initial integration stage)
IV. PERFORMING (Total integration stage)
V. AJOURNING (group dismemberment)
3. What are the key elements for successfully implementing and developing work teams?
a. COMMITMENT
i. Top Management Support
b. TRAINING and DEVELOPMENT
c. INFORMATION RESOURCES
d. REWARD SYSTEMS:
i. Most difficult component
ii. Hard to measure team performance
iii. Hard to deal with individual performance
e. PATIENCE AND TRUST
i. Team learning curve (takes a while to get up to speed)
4. What are the potential barriers to implementing work teams?
a. RESISTANCE to CHANGE
i. “If you do what you’ve always done, you will always get what have always
got.”
b. WORK CONTEXT:
i. Work teams not always appropriate
ii. 25-30% workers don’t want empowerment.
c. MANAGEMENT INDULGENCE
i. Failure to provide proper direction
ii. Team might be motivated but lack direction
iii. Empowerment does not mea abandonment.
d. IMPATIENCE
i. Teams are not immediately effective.
ii. Teams have a learning curve.
e. INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
i. Status differences
ii. Role relationships
iii. Work sequencing
f. EMPLOYEE SECURITY
i. Some employees feel as a company moves to work teams their jobs are
threatened.
g. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS:
i. Trust
ii. Policies
iii. Reinforcement systems
5. What are the characteristics of good team leaders?
a. Faciliator
b. Problem solver
c. Motivator
d. Coach/Mentor
e. Listener
f. Empowerer
g. Participatory decision maker
h. Communicator
i. Resource seeker
j. Understands change
6. What is effective communication? Draw and label a model of two-way communication.
a. ???????????????????? Need to define effective communication
7. Describe the four erroneous assumptions made about communication.
a. People assume we only communicate when we choose to do so.
b. People assume all messages are verbal messages.
c. People assume that words have intrinsic meaning and are understood by all who use
them.
d. Senders assume that receivers are passive receptacles of messages.
8. Differentiate between one-way and two-way communication. What advantages does two-way
communication have over one-way?
a. TWO WAY
i. Greatly reduced potential for misunderstandings
ii. Significant involvement by both parties
iii. Two-way discussion is welcomed
iv. Helps build working relationships
b. ONE WAY
i. Large potential for misunderstandings
ii. Minimum involvement
iii. Mostly one-way and top-down
iv. Little opportunity for discussions
v. Does not build relationships
9. How important is non-verbal communication?
i. 93 percent
ii. Three Major Emotions from Nonverbal Cues…
1. Like/Dislike
2. Dominance
3. Positive/Negative Reaction
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
What can you do to enhance non-verbal communication?
Note that nonverbal language conveys an “emotional” message
Listen to the speaker’s tone of voice, pacing and pauses
Learn to read the speaker’s eyes, face, hands and body position
Recognize cultural differences
Be alert to your own nonverbal messages
Strive to make your verbal and nonverbal messages consistent
10. What are the barriers to effective communication?
•Interpersonal Barriers
•Personality Traits
•Low Cognitive Moral Development
•Perceptual Errors
•Communication Approach
•Noise
•Bypassing and Semantics
•Bypassing
•Semantics
•Language Routines
•Lying, Distortion and Filtering
•Cultural Barriers and Cultural Contex
11. Describe some tips for better listening.
•Note that nonverbal language conveys an “emotional” message
•Listen to the speaker’s tone of voice, pacing and pauses
•Learn to read the speaker’s eyes, face, hands and body position
•Recognize cultural differences
•Be alert to your own nonverbal messages
•Strive to make your verbal and nonverbal messages consistent
12.
What are some guidelines you might use when deciding who to ___ in the decision making
process?
a. nIf a high quality decision is necessary but employee acceptance is not a concern,
then include those who are experts in the area.
b. nIf acceptance by employees is necessary but quality of the decision is not an issue,
then include representation by those employees affected by the decision
13. Describe the steps of a good decision-making process.
Step 1—Identifying/Defining the Problem
Was everyone who might have relevant data present or represented at the team meeting?
Were those most directly involved in defining the problem encouraged by the leader and
other team members to give information?
Did the team take the information relating to the problem and consider how it fits together?
Was everyone asked whether he or she agrees with the final problem statement as
written?
Step 2 – Solution Generation
Step 3 – Ideas to Action
Once a list of possible solutions have been generated, the team creates an action plan for each of
these possible solutions generated. Specifically, the team should assess people, resources
(including time), processes, and machinery involved in the problem.
Step 4 -- Implementing the Decision
After the team reaches consensus on the best solution, the action plan (completed in Step 3) for
that solution must be implemented. Meetings to secure the resources need to be conducted. Also,
the team should devise a time line for full implementation.
Step 5 -- Team Decision Making Evaluation
In order to not repeat mistakes made in the first four decision making steps, the team should
evaluate the effectiveness of their decision making process. In addition, the team should
determine the appropriate criteria to evaluate the success of the decision itself.
Questions for the team...
 Has the team reviewed the desired outcomes and developed measures to indicate the degree of
success achieved?
 Were contingency plans outlined for critical steps so that the overall plan could continue with
modifications if necessary?
14. Differentiate between brainstorming and nominal groups.
nNo evaluation of any kind is permitted as alternatives are being generated. Individual
energy is spent on generating ideas not defending them.
nThe wildest possible ideas are encouraged. It is easier to tighten alternatives up than
loosen them.
Nominal groups is Jeff’s favorite, it involves the index card. It is form of structured brain
storming. In the beginning there is not talking and no sharing. Steps in nominal groups
include, generating ideas, structured sharing of ideas, clarifying ideas, and voting on ideas.
Nominal groups are very effective when there are barriers preventing quality decision
making such as group think.
15. Describe the motivation equation.
16. Why do supervisors and managers seem to make so many “mistakes?”
o
because they are thrown to the wolves
o interpersonal skills such as teambuilding, communication, decision-making etc. can be developed!
o managers/supervisors are often promoted because of their technical competency and not their
interpersonal competence but yet their effectiveness as a manager relies mainly on the interpersonal
skills.
We should look for dual career paths for technical people
17. Describe the steps of an effective employee discipline program
(SV+TI+TS/3)X AUTONOMY X FEEDBACK = MOTIVATING POTENTIAL SCORE
18. What is the “hot stove” rule and how do you apply it for effective employee relations?
The Hot-Stove Rule...
Employee discipline is analogous to burning your hand on a hot stove
where...
1
2
3
4
The hot stove burns immediately. Disciplinary policies should be
administered quickly. There should be no question of cause and
effect.
The hot stove gives a warning and so should discipline.
The hot stove consistently burns everyone who touches it.
Discipline should be consistent.
The hot stove burns everyone in the same manner regardless of
who they are. Discipline must be impartial. People are disciplined
for what they have done and not because of who they are.
19. How should discipline be delivered? What should the manager do to prepare?
Supervisor Checklist for Effectively Applying Discipline...
Be familiar with the law and past practices of the company as they
affect disciplinary decisions.
Maintain adequate records.
Investigate rule infractions and mitigating circumstances.
Administer discipline as soon as possible.
Precede formal discipline with a warning.
Supervisor Checklist for Effectively Applying Discipline...
Be consistent among employees.
Relate the penalty to the offense rather than the person.
Administer discipline in private.
Warn the employee of the results of a future violation.
Spell out discipline expectations and consequences for infractions
in company handbook.
20. What is meant by the zone of peak performance?
Your zone of peak performance is your place to stand. It
incorporates all the principles upon which your life is built
including church, job, relationships, money, etc.
21. Describe Covey’s Time Management Matrix.
22. Describe the tips for better time management.
Conclusions--Six Tips...
 Continually
review personal mission and where you fall in the
“zone of peak performance.”
 List and prioritize weekly objectives.
– Follow the Time Management Commandment
 Make
a daily “to do” list and prioritize it.
Conclusions--Six Tips...


Devote primary attention to your A’s.
Handle each piece of paper only once.
Continually ask, “What is the best use of my time right now?” and do it
STILL NEED TO GO OVER THE DIFFERENT MOTIVATION MODELS:
ALWAYS A HORNSBY FAVORITE.