The phrase 'team building exercises' may be new but the reality is not. Its origins go back at least as far as the medieval tournaments. These provided knights with military training and the opportunity to make reputations. Individual jousting and hand-to hand combat came first. Then there were team events. In these, a group of knights fought against another group. These teams often stayed together and fought side-by-side in real battle. Team games today, such as football, baseball, cricket and hockey, are the distant descendants of such medieval tournaments.
A crucial event in the movement from being a group to becoming a team can be the team building exercise. This can be based upon either (1) a substitute team task (for example, a business case study or a few days of outdoor activities) or (2) a real task (for example, going away for a weekend to plan company strategy).
There are pros and cons to both approaches. The advantage of a substitute task type of event is that success or failure is not of paramount importance. Nor are there any technological or professional challenges to meet, so that people can concentrate on the essential issue of learning how to work more effectively together as a team.
Match the task given in List -I with the appropriate example given in List - II.
|
List – I |
List – II |
|
(A) substitute team task |
(I) eg. a few days of outdoor activities |
|
(B) knights did military trainings |
(II) eg. plan company strategy |
|
(C) team events of group of knights |
(III) eg. individual Jousting |
|
(D) real task |
(IV) eg. real battle |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A)-(I), (B)-(III), (C)-(IV), (D)-(II)
| List-I | List-II | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| (A) substitute team task | (I) eg. a few days of outdoor activities | The passage gives "a business case study or a few days of outdoor activities" as examples of a substitute team task, a practice task done in place of real work. |
| (B) knights did military trainings | (III) eg. individual Jousting | The tournaments "provided knights with military training", and in them "individual jousting and hand-to hand combat came first". Jousting is a contest in which two knights on horseback charge at each other with long lances. |
| (C) team events of group of knights | (IV) eg. real battle | In the team events "a group of knights fought against another group", and these teams "fought side-by-side in real battle". |
| (D) real task | (II) eg. plan company strategy | The passage's example of a real task is "going away for a weekend to plan company strategy". |