MGT 4440 Spring 2020 Exam 3 (Take-Home Exam)

GROUP DECISION MAKING

Student Name: _________________________

Student’s signature (type your name in the line above to serve as your signature)

Type your answer/response below each question to which you are responding.

1.      Which approach to group decision making is considered the best way to fully utilize team resources? [3 points]

Answer:

2.      When are group decisions superior to individual decisions? [3 points]

Answer:

3.      List [1 point each] three causes of group decision-making problems, and explain [up to 2 points each] how each (explain for each separately) is a cause of group decision-making problems.

Problem 1:

Problem 2:

Problem 3:

4.      Reflect on the structured group decision-making techniques.

a.      What are the benefits of the nominal group technique? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

b.      What are the problems with the nominal group technique? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

c.      What are the benefits of the Delphi technique? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

d.      What are the problems with the Delphi technique? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

5.      Reflect on creativity and its characteristics.

a.      What is divergent thinking? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

b.      When should divergent thinking be used? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

c.      What is convergent thinking? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

d.      When should convergent thinking be used? [up to 3 points]

Answer:

6.      List [1 point each] three factors that increase group creativity, and explain [up to 2 points each] how each (explain for each separately) increases group creativity.

Factor 1:

Factor 2:

Factor 3:

7.      Tim Brown begins his Ted Talk by referring to creativity researcher Bob McKim who liked to do an exercise with his students where he got them to take a piece of paper and draw the person who sat next to them as quickly as they could. He consistently found that the response after the exercise was a lot of apologies. What did he consider this (the embarrassment and apologies) evidence of? Explain. [up to 5 points]

Answer:

8.      What three reasons [3 points each] does Tim Brown give to explain why IDEO uses finger blasters as their big symbol?

Reason 1:

Reason 2:

Reason 3:

9.      List [1 point each] three potential problems that can arise from including team members in team member (peer) evaluations, and explain [up to 2 points each] how each (explain for each separately) can be a problem.

Problem 1:

Problem 2:

Problem 3:

10.   List [1 point each] three biases that are likely to affect team member (peer) evaluations, and explain [up to 2 points each] how each (explain for each separately) can be a problem (can impact ratings).

Bias 1:

Bias 2:

Bias 3:

11.   Provide two reasons why team-building programs are often not used by organizations. [2 points each]

Reason 1:

Reason 2:

12.   Reflect on the types of team-building programs.

a.      Which type of team-building program fosters team spirit and builds interpersonal connections among team members? [2 points]

Answer:

b.      Which type of team-building program involves asking team members to analyze their work situations and identify what other people could do to improve their effectiveness? [2 points]

Answer:

c.      Which type of team-building program is designed to clarify the purpose of the team? [2 points]

Answer:

13.   Reflect back over what you have learned in this course regarding developing and leading effective teams. Then reflect back over your team experience in this course. Knowing what you know now, explain one thing you would do differently (not what you wish your team members had done) regarding your team interactions to make your team more successful (remember team success includes the task, social relations, and the individual) if you could return to your first team interaction and start over. Explain. (Note: Even if you had the best team experience you have ever had, there is always room for improvement and development.) [up to 5 points]

Response:

14.   Continue your reflection from Question 13. Knowing what you know now, what will be one thing you will be sure to implement (examples: a behavior, a tool, a mindset, a strategy, etc.) in new teams (work teams, other school teams, clubs, social groups, etc.) you are a part of in the future to better set them up for success? Explain. [up to 5 points]