Quick Answer
The answer is Tuckman’s team development model, specifically the forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning stages. This model is correct because it directly maps to the predictable phases a team undergoes when members from diverse cultural backgrounds and functional areas first come together, addressing the inevitable conflict (storming) and gradual alignment (norming) that arise from such diversity. On the PMP exam, this question tests your ability to match a scenario to the appropriate team development theory, often appearing as a straightforward recall item where the trap is confusing Tuckman’s model with other team-building approaches like the Drexler/Sibbet model or the situational leadership model. A key memory tip is to visualize the sequence as a staircase: you must Form the group, weather the Storm, establish Norms, then Perform before the team Adjourns.
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
McClelland's theory of needs
Why wrong: McClelland's theory is about individual needs.
Tuckman's stages of group development
Tuckman's model directly addresses team formation stages.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Why wrong: Maslow's hierarchy is not a team development model.
Herzberg's two-factor theory
Why wrong: Herzberg's theory is about motivation, not team stages.
Answer choices
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
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 is about individual needs.
Tuckman's stages of group development
Why this is correct
Tuckman's model directly addresses team formation stages.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Why it's wrong here
Maslow's hierarchy is not a team development model.
Herzberg's two-factor theory
Why it's wrong here
Herzberg's theory is about motivation, not team stages.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates 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.
Detailed technical explanation
Tuckman's model was originally proposed in 1965 and later refined to include the adjourning stage in 1977. The storming stage is particularly critical in diverse teams, as cultural and functional differences often surface as conflict, which must be resolved before the team can norm and perform effectively. A real-world scenario where this matters is a global project team with members from different time zones and organizational cultures, where skipping or rushing through storming can lead to unresolved tensions that undermine collaboration.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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