Deck 10: Power and Politics

Question 1

Jabir is relatively new to Xenon Corporation and wants to make sure that he makes a good impression on his coworkers and supervisor. He agrees with the supervisor's opinion most of the time and is always doing nice things for him. Jabir makes sure that he associates with the "right" people and is constantly complimenting others about their good work.
Jabir is engaging in all of the following impression management techniques except .

A) mirroring
B) association
C) favors.
D) flattery
E) conformity

Answer 1

A

Question 2

People who are able to negotiate higher salaries and other benefits may benefit from _______.

A) the importance of their skills
B) the scarcity of individuals with their skills
C) the nonsubstitutability of their skills
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Answer 2

all of the above

Question 3

Leadership focuses on the _______.

A) elimination of dependency relationships
B) importance of lateral and upward influence patterns
C) downward influence of a leader on his or her followers
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Answer 3

downward influence of a leader on his or her followers

Question 4

Which of the following does not describe high self-monitors?

A) They exhibit higher levels of social conformity.
B) They are more likely to be skilled in political behavior.
C) The show greater sensitivity to social cues.
D) They possess an external locus of control.
E) They believe that they can control their environment.

Question 5

Reactive and protective behaviors designed to avoid action, blame, or change are termed_______ .

A) defensive behaviors
B) shielding bias
C) protectionism
D) impression management
E) political behaviors

Question 6

Legitimate power is based on_______ .

A) respect and admiration
B) expert knowledge
C) structural position
D) interpersonal trust
E) positive rewards

Question 7

Evidence suggests that_______ tends to be one of the most effective power tactics.

A) rational persuasion
B) flattery
C) pressure or coercion
D) exchange or rewards
E) personal appeals or friendship

Question 8

Power does not require goal compatibility, merely_______ .

A) dependence
B) understanding
C) confidence
D) reliance
E) communication

Question 9

Which of the following is most likely to help Jabir earn higher performance evaluations?

A) excuses
B) ingratiation
C) apologies
D) self-promotion
E) buffing

Question 10

One reacts to_______power out of fear of the negative ramifications that might result if one fails to comply.

A) coercive
B) abusive
C) referent
D) legitimate
E) punitive

Question 11

Your colleagues at work are constantly talking about the vice president in your region. He is perceived throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be antagonized. It is necessary for you to bring him a report, and you are very nervous about having to deal with him.

-You know that the vice president has the authority to accept or reject your report. This is part of his _______power.

A) personal
B) reward
C) coercive
D) legitimate
E) expert

Question 12

Which of the following is not an example of an impression management technique?

A) ingratiating
B) granting favors
C) admitting responsibility
D) capitulating
E) flattery

Question 13

Jabir is relatively new to Xenon Corporation and wants to make sure that he makes a good impression on his coworkers and supervisor. He agrees with the supervisor's opinion most of the time and is always doing nice things for him. Jabir makes sure that he associates with the "right" people and is constantly complimenting others about their good work.
Jabir is engaging in which of the following impression management techniques?

A) conformity
B) apologizing
C) mirroring
D) groveling
E) acclaiming

Question 14

Which of the following is not true?

A) The more an organization's culture emphasizes zero-sum reward allocations, the more employees will be motivated to engage in politicking.
B) The greater the opportunity for promotion or advancement within a company, the more employees will compete to positively influence outcomes.
C) The more growth stability a company demonstrates, the more likely its employees are to engage in politicking.
D) The greater the role ambiguity within a company, the more its employees can engage in political activity with little chance of it being visible.
E) The more pressure that employees feel to perform well, the more likely they are to engage in politicking.

Question 15

Your colleagues at work are constantly talking about the vice president in your region. He is perceived throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be antagonized. It is necessary for you to bring him a report, and you are very nervous about having to deal with him.

-The one base of power which the vice president does not seem to have is _______ .

A) legitimate
B) referent
C) formal
D) reward
E) none of the above

Question 16

Which of the following tactics involves involving an individual in the decision-making process?

A) exchange
B) ingratiation
C) consultation
D) pressure
E) inspirational appeals

Question 17

The process by which individuals attempt to control the perceptions that others form of them is called_______ .

A) defensive behavior
B) perception management
C) impression management
D) reflection control
E) information management

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true concerning power?

A) A person can have power over you only if he or she controls something you desire.
B) Trust and mistrust affect the expression of power.
C) In order to have power, a person must impose their control over others.
D) Power requires some congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led.
E) To be effective, power must be actualized.

Question 19

The power tactic of using flattery and creating goodwill before making a request is known as_______ .

A) affective appeal
B) inspirational appeal
C) motivational appeal
D) ingratiation
E) exchange

Question 20

Which of the following is least likely to create dependency?

A) power legitimacy
B) nonsubstitutability
C) importance
D) supply and demand
E) scarcity

Question 21

Vivian has not been handling one portion of her duties in a satisfactory manner. As a result, her manager threatens to withhold her promotion. Which power tactic is being used?

A) ingratiation
B) personal appeals
C) exchange
D) inspirational appeals
E) pressure

Question 22

An individual most likely to engage in political behavior would have all of the following except a/an_______ .

A) high need for power
B) internal locus of control
C) high ability to self monitor
D) high charisma rating
E) high Machiavellian personality

Question 23

Shakil has decided that in general, his best defense is to focus on behaviors that enable him to avoid blame. Which of the following behaviors is he most likely to engage in?

A) protecting turf
B) overconforming
C) playing dumb
D) scapegoating
E) stalling

Question 24

Most organizations develop multiple suppliers rather than give their business to only one in order to_______ .

A) reduce dependency
B) develop interdependence
C) maximize power
D) increase knowledge and information
E) avoid uncertainty

Question 25

Shakil recognizes that his firm is plagued by organizational politics. He is not good at playing games and instead frequently engages in defensive behaviors in order to protect himself and his interests. Shakil is frustrated because he believes that he has little control over his environment, and his environment is uncomfortable to him. He has had some success at establishing a sense of control for himself by appearing to be more or less supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.
Shakil's rigorous documentation allows him to accomplish which of the following?

A) avoiding responsibility
B) avoiding action
C) avoiding power
D) avoiding change
E) avoiding blame

Question 26

The power that the College Dean has been granted by the University over the faculty is termed _______power.

A) legitimate
B) balanced
C) positional
D) academic
E) organizational

Question 27

The opposite of coercive power is_______ power.

A) legitimate
B) reward
C) charismatic
D) resourcive
E) referent

Question 28

Harun comes to you with a request for funds for a project. He reminds you that company policy supports his position. He is using the tactic of _______.

A) rational persuasion
B) coalitions
C) consultation
D) legitimacy
E) pressure

Question 29

The defensive behavior that he is engaged in falls under the category of_______ .

A) avoiding blame
B) avoiding change
C) avoiding action
D) avoiding power
E) avoiding responsibility

Question 30

Political behaviors usually_______ .

A) are seen only in large organizations
B) are expect as part of each job requirement
C) are counterproductive to individual goals
D) lie outside of an individual's specified job requirements
E) are frowned upon by organizational leaders

Question 31

Mariam's supervisor embarrasses her by constantly telling sexual jokes and by making sexual comments. Mariam was shocked when she observed that he had sexually explicit material on his computer screen during working hours. Although the supervisor has never directly approached Mariam in a physical way, she feels threatened and is so uncomfortable that it is difficult for her to do her job.
Now that the CEO of Mariam's company is aware of the supervisor's propensity for inappropriate behaviors, which of the following is most likely to be true in the case of a sexual harassment lawsuit against the supervisor?

A) The supervisor can escape liability by claiming he was also being harassed.
B) The company can be held liable, but not the supervisor.
C) The supervisor can escape liability by claiming he was unaware of the harassment.
D) Both the supervisor and the company can be held liable.
E) The supervisor can be held liable, but not the company.

Question 32

Which of the following types of power requires acceptance of the leader's authority by members of the organization?

A) legitimate
B) balanced
C) organizational
D) positional
E) personal

Question 33

Which of the following is not considered to be a power tactic?

A) consultation
B) rational persuasion
C) substitution
D) enforcing legitimacy
E) ingratiation

Question 34

Isra and Karima are faculty members at a local college who feel very differently about their academic dean. Isra believes that he is always engaging in political activity that is not in the best interests of the college. She describes him as a man who transfers blame and who is scheming and arrogant. Karima believes that the dean is an effective manager.

-Karima's label for what Isra describes as "transferring blame" might be_______ .

A) facilitating cooperation
B) showing responsibility
C) demonstrating conscientiousness
D) delegating authority
E) encouraging dependency

Question 35

_______power is generally related to an individual's unique characteristics.

A) Idiosyncratic
B) Expert
C) Legitimate
D) Reward
E) Personal

Question 36

Mariam's supervisor embarrasses her by constantly telling sexual jokes and by making sexual comments. Mariam was shocked when she observed that he had sexually explicit material on his computer screen during working hours. Although the supervisor has never directly approached Mariam in a physical way, she feels threatened and is so uncomfortable that it is difficult for her to do her job.
The CEO of Mariam's company overhears an inappropriate remark made by Mariam's supervisor. He decides to implement measures to protect the company and its employees from sexual harassment. He should implement all of the following except .

A) establish a clear company policy that defines what constitutes sexual harassment
B) establish company procedures for how sexual harassment complaints can be made
C) investigate only those sexual harassment complaints that appear to be most legitimate
D) ensure employees that they will not be retaliated against if they issue a complaint
E) inform employees that they can be fired for harassing other employees

Question 37

Dependency is inversely proportional to_______ .

A) the type of informational analysis conducted in a situation
B) the level of an individual's personal power
C) a leader's influence over policy decisions
D) the number of alternative sources of a particular resource
E) the financial resources required to solve a problem

Question 38

Personal power is generally perceived as a result of all the following except .

A) charisma
B) expertise
C) skill
D) admiration
E) persuasiveness

Question 39

Which of the following is a form of illegitimate political behavior?

A) complaining to supervisors
B) forming coalitions
C) symbolic protests
D) bypassing the chain of command
E) excessive adherence to rules

Question 40

Shakil recognizes that his firm is plagued by organizational politics. He is not good at playing games and instead frequently engages in defensive behaviors in order to protect himself and his interests. Shakil is frustrated because he believes that he has little control over his environment, and his environment is uncomfortable to him. He has had some success at establishing a sense of control for himself by appearing to be more or less supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.
Which of the following behaviors is Shakil engaged in?

A) stalling
B) stretching
C) playing dumb
D) buck passing
E) overconforming

Question 41

_______power is based on an individual's position in an organization.

A) Influential
B) Informal
C) Leadership
D) Formal
E) Static

Question 42

When a bank robber points a gun at a bank employee, his base of power is_______ .

A) punitive
B) fractional
C) authoritative
D) coercive
E) positional

Question 43

Power tactics can be defined as _______ .

A) organizational structural characteristics
B) approaches for winning arguments
C) strategies for gathering and maintain support
D) techniques for translating power bases into specific action
E) the only legitimate sources of power

Question 44

Which one of the following is not implied in the definition of power?

A) potential
B) actualization
C) dependency
D) capacity
E) influence

Question 45

Formal power can arise out of which of the following?

A) control of information
B) formal authority
C) the ability to coerce or reward
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 46

Jabir is relatively new to Xenon Corporation and wants to make sure that he makes a good impression on his coworkers and supervisor. He agrees with the supervisor's opinion most of the time and is always doing nice things for him. Jabir makes sure that he associates with the "right" people and is constantly complimenting others about their good work.

-Jabir is attempting to use_______ .

A) impression management
B) defensive behavior
C) interdependence
D) politics
E) his power base

Question 47

Individuals who develop explanations to lessen their responsibility for negative outcomes are demonstrating which of the following defensive behaviors?

A) justifying
B) prevention
C) buffing
D) stretching
E) misrepresenting

Question 48

Mariam's supervisor embarrasses her by constantly telling sexual jokes and by making sexual comments. Mariam was shocked when she observed that he had sexually explicit material on his computer screen during working hours. Although the supervisor has never directly approached Mariam in a physical way, she feels threatened and is so uncomfortable that it is difficult for her to do her job.

-Studies show that this situation is probably more about _______than about sex.

A) attitudes
B) politics
C) power
D) impressions
E) coercion

Question 49

Leaders achieve goals, and power is_______ .

A) a goal in and of itself
B) defined by leaders' hopes and aspirations
C) usually used by poor leaders
D) a strong influence on leaders' goals
E) a means of achieving goals

Question 50

Power can be defined as_______ .

A) downward influence on one's followers
B) upward influence on one's leaders
C) the ability to influence the behavior of others
D) congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led
E) the actualization of the dependency of others

Question 51

Your doctor has advised you to take a series of medications. You comply because of her _______power.

A) personal
B) referent
C) expert
D) information
E) formal

Question 52

Your colleagues at work are constantly talking about the vice president in your region. He is perceived throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be antagonized. It is necessary for you to bring him a report, and you are very nervous about having to deal with him.

-The vice president's major base of power seems to be_______ .

A) personal
B) reward
C) referent
D) expert
E) coercive

Question 53

_______occurs when people within organizations use whatever influence they can to taint the facts to support their goals and interests.

A) Illegitimate political behavior
B) Legitimate political behavior
C) Camouflage
D) Politicking
E) Sabotage

Question 54

Mariam's supervisor embarrasses her by constantly telling sexual jokes and by making sexual comments. Mariam was shocked when she observed that he had sexually explicit material on his computer screen during working hours. Although the supervisor has never directly approached Mariam in a physical way, she feels threatened and is so uncomfortable that it is difficult for her to do her job.

-Mariam's supervisor is guilty of_______ .

A) sexual harassment
B) creating a hostile work environment
C) abusing his power
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 55

Your colleagues at work are constantly talking about the vice president in your region. He is perceived throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be antagonized. It is necessary for you to bring him a report, and you are very nervous about having to deal with him.

-The most likely reason for the success of this vice president in your organization is that his subordinates_______ .

A) find his leadership style inspiring
B) fear negative sanctions if they fail to comply
C) strive to emulate him
D) strive to make themselves indispensable to him
E) are envious of his success

Question 56

The most important aspect of power is probably that it _______.

A) is a function of dependency
B) is counterproductive
C) involves control
D) is needed to get things done in an organization
E) tends to corrupt people

Question 57

When your superior offers you a raise if you will perform additional work beyond the requirements of your job, he/she is exercising _______power.

A) reward
B) personal
C) reflective
D) coercive
E) legitimate

Question 58

Ismat approaches his supervisor with data and a logical presentation supporting his request for additional personnel. He is using_______ .

A) informational power
B) consultation
C) legitimacy
D) exchange
E) rational persuasion

Question 59

Which of the following is not an individual factor related to political behavior?

A) organizational investment
B) level of self-monitoring
C) expectations of success
D) perceived job alternatives
E) zero-sum reward practices

Question 60

Most political activities in organizations would be described as_______ political behaviors.

A) legitimate
B) effective
C) professional
D) functional
E) illegitimate

Question 61

Dependency is decreased when the resource you control is_______ .

A) insufficient
B) static
C) scarce
D) easily replaced
E) important

Question 62

"I've got two tickets to the game tonight that I can't use. Take them. Consider it a thank you for taking the time to talk with me." This is an example of which impression management behavior?

A) favors
B) self-promotion
C) conformity
D) association
E) flattery

Question 63

Leadership requires _______ .

A) a dependency of the leader on those being led
B) followers to share behavioral traits with their leaders
C) a dependency of those being led on the leader
D) strong two-way communication between the leader and those being led
E) some compatibility between the goals of the leader and those being led

Question 64

Some individuals promote their image by describing others with whom they are associated in a positive light. These individuals are using the impression management technique of _______.

A) flattery
B) conformity
C) self-promotion
D) association
E) attribution denial

Question 65

Most studies confirm that the concept of _______is central to understanding sexual harassment.

A) unethical behavior
B) abuse
C) reasonableness
D) love
E) power

Question 66

Isra and Karima are faculty members at a local college who feel very differently about their academic dean. Isra believes that he is always engaging in political activity that is not in the best interests of the college. She describes him as a man who transfers blame and who is scheming and arrogant. Karima believes that the dean is an effective manager.
Karima's effective management label for Isra's phrase "scheming" is probably _ .

A) establishing expertise
B) displaying charisma
C) planning ahead
D) fixing responsibility
E) distributing rewards

Question 67

Isra and Karima are faculty members at a local college who feel very differently about their academic dean. Isra believes that he is always engaging in political activity that is not in the best interests of the college. She describes him as a man who transfers blame and who is scheming and arrogant. Karima believes that the dean is an effective manager.

-Karima sees the dean as always paying careful attention to detail. Isra would most likely describe the dean instead as_______ .

A) ambitious
B) overachieving
C) cunning
D) a perfectionist
E) opportunistic

Question 68

Unlike leadership research, research on power tends to focus on_______ .

A) the administration of rewards
B) individual styles in using power
C) the effective use of threats
D) strategies for goal attainment
E) tactics for gaining compliance

Question 69

An individual could be subjected to sexual harassment perpetrated by_______ .

A) a supervisor
B) a coworker
C) a subordinate
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 70

Isra and Karima are faculty members at a local college who feel very differently about their academic dean. Isra believes that he is always engaging in political activity that is not in the best interests of the college. She describes him as a man who transfers blame and who is scheming and arrogant. Karima believes that the dean is an effective manager.

-Behaviors that Isra views as "arrogant" are probably viewed by Karima as _______.

A) responsible
B) astute
C) practical-minded
D) confident
E) competent

Question 71

The two general groupings of power are_______ .

A) informational and personal
B) formal and informal
C) informal and legitimate
D) static and fluid
E) personal and formal

Question 72

Celebrities are paid millions of dollars to endorse products in commercials because the advertisers believe the celebrities have_______ power.

A) expert
B) star
C) legitimate
D) personal
E) referent

Question 73

Leadership research emphasizes_______ .

A) power
B) persuasion
C) style
D) commitment
E) communication

Question 74

Activities that influence the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within an organization are known as_______ .

A) influential power moves
B) interactive initiatives
C) sexual harassment
D) political behaviors
E) human resources

Question 75

Mariam's supervisor embarrasses her by constantly telling sexual jokes and by making sexual comments. Mariam was shocked when she observed that he had sexually explicit material on his computer screen during working hours. Although the supervisor has never directly approached Mariam in a physical way, she feels threatened and is so uncomfortable that it is difficult for her to do her job.
What is one basic problem in this situation?

A) There is an unequal power relationship between Mariam and her supervisor.
B) Mariam's clothes are probably too suggestive.
C) Mariam's perception is probably very different from her supervisor's.
D) It's not clearly sexual harassment since he has not physically approached her.
E) It is very ambiguous as to who is at fault.

Question 76

Shakil recognizes that his firm is plagued by organizational politics. He is not good at playing games and instead frequently engages in defensive behaviors in order to protect himself and his interests. Shakil is frustrated because he believes that he has little control over his environment, and his environment is uncomfortable to him. He has had some success at establishing a sense of control for himself by appearing to be more or less supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.

-If Shakil wishes to avoid change at work, he will most likely_______ .

A) build coalitions
B) divide alliances
C) share resources
D) overachieve
E) guard information

Question 77

Personal appeal is a power tactic based on flattery.

Question 78

_______power is based on identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits.

A) Associational
B) Source
C) Referent
D) Legitimate
E) Personal

Question 79

Shakil recognizes that his firm is plagued by organizational politics. He is not good at playing games and instead frequently engages in defensive behaviors in order to protect himself and his interests. Shakil is frustrated because he believes that he has little control over his environment, and his environment is uncomfortable to him. He has had some success at establishing a sense of control for himself by appearing to be more or less supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.

-Shakil also attempts to project an image of competence and thoroughness by rigorously documenting all of his activity. This defensive behavior is termed_______ .

A) misrepresenting
B) playing safe
C) scapegoating
D) buffing
E) justifying

Question 80

Power is a function of dependency.