Question

question 11

a project manager is tasked with assembling a work group for a complex product development project.

which of the following considerations is most aligned with design factors that affect group potential?

• assembling a work group with members who share similar backgrounds and perspectives to minimize conflicts
• appointing work group members without any established work norms to encourage creative thinking
• selecting work group members primarily based on their individual skills and expertise without considering diversity
• forming a work group that includes individuals with diverse skills, perspectives, and knowledge

Explanation:

Analyze the question and core concepts

The question asks which consideration is most aligned with design factors that affect group potential when assembling a work group for a complex product development project.

Using the Group Dynamics knowledge point, group performance and potential are heavily influenced by structural design factors. These design factors include group composition (such as the diversity of skills, knowledge, and perspectives), group size, and member roles. For complex tasks like product development, a diverse group composition is a critical design factor that enhances problem-solving capacity and overall group potential.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "Assembling a work group with members who share similar backgrounds and perspectives to minimize conflicts" — While this addresses group composition, high homogeneity often limits the creative potential needed for complex projects and can lead to groupthink.
• Option 2: "Appointing work group members without any established work norms to encourage creative thinking" — Norms are development/process factors rather than structural design factors, and a complete lack of norms typically hinders performance.
• Option 3: "Selecting work group members primarily based on their individual skills and expertise without considering diversity" — Ignoring diversity ignores a key dimension of group design that directly impacts a group's ability to tackle complex, multi-faceted problems.
• Option 4: "Forming a work group that includes individuals with diverse skills, perspectives, and knowledge" — This directly aligns with the design factor of group composition. For complex tasks, designing a group with heterogeneous skills and perspectives maximizes its collective potential.

Select the correct option

Option 4 is the most aligned with positive group design factors because deliberate diversity in composition directly enhances a group's potential to innovate and solve complex problems.

Answer:

• (A) Assembling a work group with members who share similar backgrounds and perspectives to minimize conflicts
• (B) Appointing work group members without any established work norms to encourage creative thinking
• (C) Selecting work group members primarily based on their individual skills and expertise without considering diversity
• (D) Forming a work group that includes individuals with diverse skills, perspectives, and knowledge (Correct answer)