Which type of team includes members from different departments working toward a common goal?

• A. Homogeneous Teams
• B. Functional Teams
• C. Virtual Teams
• D. Cross-functional Teams

Answer: (D)

When members from multiple departments work toward a shared objective, they are a cross-functional team. This structure pulls together different areas—such as marketing, engineering, finance, and operations—so the team can tackle problems that require diverse expertise. By integrating multiple perspectives, the team can design solutions that consider how different parts of the organization interact, reduce delays from handoffs, and make faster, more informed decisions because those with the relevant knowledge are collaborating directly on the same goal.

Homogeneous teams, by contrast, bring together people with similar roles or backgrounds from the same department, which strengthens depth in a single area but limits input from other functions. Functional teams stay within one department focused on that department’s goals. Virtual teams are defined by geographic dispersion and digital collaboration, and they can be cross-functional or not, but the defining feature isn’t the mix of departments.