ORGB 364 UPDATED 2026 EXAMINATION QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔define teamwork - ✔✔teams internal dynamics or relationships. teamwork behaviour
is activities devoted to enhancing the quality of interactions, interdependencies,
cooperation and coordination
✔✔what are the two models of team development - ✔✔-5-stage model
-punctuated equilibrium model
✔✔explain the components of the 5-stage model - ✔✔shows teams moving from one
stage to the next, with chances of falling backwards if new members join
1. forming- 1st stage of development, testing and orientation where members learn
about each other/ group
2. storming- interpersonal conflict because members are proactive and compete for
various roles
3. norming- team cohesion develops as roles are established and consensus forms
about group objectives
4. performing- members have learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts
5. adjourning- when the team is about to disband due to attention shifting away from
task orientation
✔✔descirbe the punctuated equilibrium model - ✔✔focuses on how teams pay attention
to time and deadlines. 3 important phases:
1. initial meeting point
2. midpoint transition
3. period close to end point
each phase is connected by a period of inertia (major changes in task/ direction are
unlikely to occur)
✔✔what are two processes commonly overlooked in team development models? - ✔✔-
developing team identity: team development occurs when employees take ownership of
teams success/ make team part of their social identity
developing team mental models/ coordinating routines: developing habitual routines
with team members and forming shared mental models
✔✔describe team building and some types of interventions - ✔✔team building- consists
of formal activities intended to improve the development and functioning of a working
team. can be for new or old teams.
-can be tasked forced
-can try and improve teams problem solving skills
-can try and clarify/reconstruct members perceptions of their role and role expectations
that members have of other team members
the most common type of team building is aimed at helping members learn more about
each other, build trust, and develop ways to manage conflict within the team
,✔✔what are two distinct features of SDT? - ✔✔1. teams complete an entire piece of
work requiring several interdependent tasks
2. teams have substantial autonomy over the execution of their tasks
✔✔in what 2 ways do virtual teams differ from traditional teams? - ✔✔1. not usually co-
located (working in different areas)
2. members depend primarily on information technologies rather than face to face
interaction to communicate/coordinate their work
✔✔list 4 problems with virtual teams - ✔✔1. lack face to face communication which can
exchange more info faster/ more accurately
2. people trust others more easily when they are nearby
3. the further people are located, the more they differ in experiences, beliefs, culture,
expectations
4. people seem to have less influence/control over co-located co-workers
✔✔list 4 strategies to minimize virtual team problems - ✔✔1. team members require
communication technology skills, strong leadership and high emotional intelligence
2. should have a toolkit of communication channels to choose from
3. teams need plenty of structure
4. teams should meet face to face in the early team development process
✔✔what are the 5 common constraints on team decision making - ✔✔1. time
constraints- when only one person can speak at a time (production blocking, forgetting
ideas, not paying attention to convo)
2. evaluative apprehension- not mentioning bizarre/ silly ideas to avoid member
evaluation (protect self-esteem)
3. pressure to conform- team cohesion leads employees to conform to team norms
(keeps group organized but suppresses individual opinion)
4. overconfidence- develop a false sense of efficacy/ invulnerability (less vigilant in
making decisions, may be due to previous successful experiences)
5. information shaping problem- teams have more access to diverse knowledge,
perspectives which can lead to better decisions, but only if the majority of group
members know about it
✔✔what is brainstorming and its 4 rules? - ✔✔an event where participants try to think of
as many ideas as possible.
11. speak freely
2. don't criticize others ideas
3. provide as many ideas as possible
4. build on ideas others have presented
, ✔✔define brainwriting - ✔✔variation of brainstorming that minimizes the problems of
production blocking by removing the conversation (individuals write ideas and people
can look at each others ideas to spark creativity)
✔✔describe electronic brainstorming - ✔✔similar to brain writing but typed into
technology. ideas are distributed anonymously for people to build off of.
individuals vote electronically on ideas, and face to face discussion follows. minimal
production blocking but its too structured/ technology bound
✔✔describe nominal group technique - ✔✔-problem is described, members silently
write solutions
-participant describe their solutions without criticism debate
-participants silently rank/ vote for the preferred proposed solutions
production blocking and evaluative apprehension can still occur to some point
✔✔define communication - ✔✔the process by which information is transmitted and
understood between two or more people. it supports coordination, organizational
learning, decision making and employee well being.
✔✔what does the communication process involve? - ✔✔forming, encoding, and
transmitting the intended message to the receiver who then decodes the message and
provides feedback to the sender
✔✔what are the four influences on effective communication encoding and decoding? -
✔✔-the process depends on if the sender/receiver have similar code-books
-the senders proficiency at encoding message to the audience
-the senders and receivers motivation and ability to transmit messages through the
particular communication channel
-the common mental models of the communication context
✔✔what are the two main types of communication - ✔✔verbal and non-verbal
✔✔advantages and limitations of email - ✔✔-efficient and useful filing cabinet
-relatively poor at communicating emotions, reduce politeness/respect, inefficient
medium for communication in ambiguous, complex and novel situations, contributes to
information overload
✔✔advantages and limitations of social media - ✔✔-provides an emerging set of
communication channels that allows users to generate and interactively share
information
-more conversational and reciprocally interactive than traditional styles. allows people to
enable conversations, share information, maintain relationships, reveal reputation or
status
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔define teamwork - ✔✔teams internal dynamics or relationships. teamwork behaviour
is activities devoted to enhancing the quality of interactions, interdependencies,
cooperation and coordination
✔✔what are the two models of team development - ✔✔-5-stage model
-punctuated equilibrium model
✔✔explain the components of the 5-stage model - ✔✔shows teams moving from one
stage to the next, with chances of falling backwards if new members join
1. forming- 1st stage of development, testing and orientation where members learn
about each other/ group
2. storming- interpersonal conflict because members are proactive and compete for
various roles
3. norming- team cohesion develops as roles are established and consensus forms
about group objectives
4. performing- members have learned to efficiently coordinate and resolve conflicts
5. adjourning- when the team is about to disband due to attention shifting away from
task orientation
✔✔descirbe the punctuated equilibrium model - ✔✔focuses on how teams pay attention
to time and deadlines. 3 important phases:
1. initial meeting point
2. midpoint transition
3. period close to end point
each phase is connected by a period of inertia (major changes in task/ direction are
unlikely to occur)
✔✔what are two processes commonly overlooked in team development models? - ✔✔-
developing team identity: team development occurs when employees take ownership of
teams success/ make team part of their social identity
developing team mental models/ coordinating routines: developing habitual routines
with team members and forming shared mental models
✔✔describe team building and some types of interventions - ✔✔team building- consists
of formal activities intended to improve the development and functioning of a working
team. can be for new or old teams.
-can be tasked forced
-can try and improve teams problem solving skills
-can try and clarify/reconstruct members perceptions of their role and role expectations
that members have of other team members
the most common type of team building is aimed at helping members learn more about
each other, build trust, and develop ways to manage conflict within the team
,✔✔what are two distinct features of SDT? - ✔✔1. teams complete an entire piece of
work requiring several interdependent tasks
2. teams have substantial autonomy over the execution of their tasks
✔✔in what 2 ways do virtual teams differ from traditional teams? - ✔✔1. not usually co-
located (working in different areas)
2. members depend primarily on information technologies rather than face to face
interaction to communicate/coordinate their work
✔✔list 4 problems with virtual teams - ✔✔1. lack face to face communication which can
exchange more info faster/ more accurately
2. people trust others more easily when they are nearby
3. the further people are located, the more they differ in experiences, beliefs, culture,
expectations
4. people seem to have less influence/control over co-located co-workers
✔✔list 4 strategies to minimize virtual team problems - ✔✔1. team members require
communication technology skills, strong leadership and high emotional intelligence
2. should have a toolkit of communication channels to choose from
3. teams need plenty of structure
4. teams should meet face to face in the early team development process
✔✔what are the 5 common constraints on team decision making - ✔✔1. time
constraints- when only one person can speak at a time (production blocking, forgetting
ideas, not paying attention to convo)
2. evaluative apprehension- not mentioning bizarre/ silly ideas to avoid member
evaluation (protect self-esteem)
3. pressure to conform- team cohesion leads employees to conform to team norms
(keeps group organized but suppresses individual opinion)
4. overconfidence- develop a false sense of efficacy/ invulnerability (less vigilant in
making decisions, may be due to previous successful experiences)
5. information shaping problem- teams have more access to diverse knowledge,
perspectives which can lead to better decisions, but only if the majority of group
members know about it
✔✔what is brainstorming and its 4 rules? - ✔✔an event where participants try to think of
as many ideas as possible.
11. speak freely
2. don't criticize others ideas
3. provide as many ideas as possible
4. build on ideas others have presented
, ✔✔define brainwriting - ✔✔variation of brainstorming that minimizes the problems of
production blocking by removing the conversation (individuals write ideas and people
can look at each others ideas to spark creativity)
✔✔describe electronic brainstorming - ✔✔similar to brain writing but typed into
technology. ideas are distributed anonymously for people to build off of.
individuals vote electronically on ideas, and face to face discussion follows. minimal
production blocking but its too structured/ technology bound
✔✔describe nominal group technique - ✔✔-problem is described, members silently
write solutions
-participant describe their solutions without criticism debate
-participants silently rank/ vote for the preferred proposed solutions
production blocking and evaluative apprehension can still occur to some point
✔✔define communication - ✔✔the process by which information is transmitted and
understood between two or more people. it supports coordination, organizational
learning, decision making and employee well being.
✔✔what does the communication process involve? - ✔✔forming, encoding, and
transmitting the intended message to the receiver who then decodes the message and
provides feedback to the sender
✔✔what are the four influences on effective communication encoding and decoding? -
✔✔-the process depends on if the sender/receiver have similar code-books
-the senders proficiency at encoding message to the audience
-the senders and receivers motivation and ability to transmit messages through the
particular communication channel
-the common mental models of the communication context
✔✔what are the two main types of communication - ✔✔verbal and non-verbal
✔✔advantages and limitations of email - ✔✔-efficient and useful filing cabinet
-relatively poor at communicating emotions, reduce politeness/respect, inefficient
medium for communication in ambiguous, complex and novel situations, contributes to
information overload
✔✔advantages and limitations of social media - ✔✔-provides an emerging set of
communication channels that allows users to generate and interactively share
information
-more conversational and reciprocally interactive than traditional styles. allows people to
enable conversations, share information, maintain relationships, reveal reputation or
status
