PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A project manager is forming a new project team. The team includes members from diverse cultural backgrounds and different functional areas. Which team development model should the project manager use to guide the team through forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse motivational theories (Maslow, Herzberg, McClelland) with team development models, because all involve stages or categories, but only Tuckman directly addresses the forming-storming-norming-performing-adjourning sequence.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Tuckman's stages of group development
Tuckman's stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning) is the correct model because it directly maps to the sequence described in the question. This model is specifically designed to guide project managers through the predictable phases a team goes through when forming, especially when members come from diverse cultural backgrounds and functional areas.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
McClelland's theory of needs
Why it's wrong here
McClelland's theory of needs focuses on individual motivational drivers: achievement, affiliation, and power. While understanding individual needs is valuable for a project manager in general, this theory does not provide a framework for the collective developmental stages a new team progresses through from its inception. It explains what motivates individual team members, rather than describing the predictable phases of group formation and evolution.
- ✓
Tuckman's stages of group development
Why this is correct
Tuckman's stages of group development, comprising Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning, directly addresses the predictable phases a team undergoes from its initial assembly to its eventual dissolution. This model is highly relevant when a project manager is forming a new team, as it outlines the typical behavioral patterns and challenges that will emerge as the group coalesces and matures. Understanding these stages allows the project manager to anticipate issues and facilitate the team's progression effectively.
- ✗
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Why it's wrong here
Maslow's hierarchy of needs describes a progression of individual human needs, from basic physiological requirements to safety, social belonging, esteem, and ultimately self-actualization. This theory is centered on individual motivation and personal growth, explaining what drives an individual's behavior. It does not, however, offer a model for the collective developmental stages or dynamics that a newly formed project team experiences as a cohesive unit.
- ✗
Herzberg's two-factor theory
Why it's wrong here
Herzberg's two-factor theory differentiates between 'hygiene factors' (which prevent dissatisfaction) and 'motivators' (which create satisfaction and motivation) in the workplace. This theory primarily addresses job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for individuals based on their work environment and content. While important for maintaining team morale, it does not describe the sequential stages of group development or the evolutionary process a team undergoes from its initial formation to becoming a high-performing unit.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 800 original PMP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.