Deck 15: Power and Political Behavior

Question 1

Which of the following is not an aspect of political behavior in organizations.

A) Political behavior appears in almost all parts of organizational life.
B) It often maximizes self-interest at the expense of others' interests.
C) Political behavior often tries to reach individual, not organizational, goals.
D) It typically affects only senior executives.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The presence and use of power is

A) Actual power.
B) Potential power.
C) Potential for power.
D) Relational power.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When one party perceives another party as having power and the ability to use it, the other party has

A) Actual power.
B) Potential for power.
C) Relational power.
D) Potential power.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The chance for individuals and groups to build a power base with resources they control is

A) Actual power.
B) Potential for power.
C) Relational power.
D) Potential power.

Question 5

A manager who gets more financial resources for her department because of the position she holds has

A) Actual power.
B) Potential for power.
C) Relational power.
D) Potential power.

Question 6

An employee perceives that his supervisor can get him a desired promotion. In this example, the supervisor has

A) Actual power.
B) Potential for power.
C) Relational power.
D) Potential power.

Question 7

Which of the following is not a facet of power in organizations?

A) Potential power.
B) Dependence power.
C) Potential power.
D) Potential for power.

Question 8

Which of the following is not a dimension of power relationships in organizations?

A) Relational.
B) Referent.
C) Dependence.
D) Sanctioning.

Question 9

The ______________ dimension is the social interaction dimension of power.

A) Sanctioning.
B) Dependence.
C) Relational.
D) Political.

Question 10

The dimension of power that describes the reliance of one party on another party is

A) Sanctioning.
B) Dependence.
C) Relational.
D) No answers are correct.

Question 11

The dimension of power that describes the ability of one party to affect the results of another party by using rewards, penalties, or both is

A) Sanctioning.
B) Dependence.
C) Relational.
D) Legitimate.

Question 12

The dimension of power that arises from expected rewards or penalties or from a person's reputation for using rewards or penalties is

A) Actual sanctioning.
B) Coercive power.
C) Potential sanctioning.
D) No answers are correct.

Question 13

A computer user needs the services of a computer support staff person to install some hardware upgrades. The computer support staff person has which of the following dimensions of power?

A) Relational.
B) Dependence.
C) Actual sanctioning.
D) Potential sanctioning.

Question 14

Which of the following is false about power in organizations?

A) Power and authority are different concepts.
B) Power is dynamic, not static.
C) Power is different from dominance.
D) Power flows primarily downward in organizations.

Question 15

In which of the following directions can power flow in organizations?

A) Laterally.
B) Upward.
C) Downward.
D) All answers are correct.

Question 16

Which of the following is not an organizational basis of power?

A) Legitimate.
B) Reward.
C) Referent.
D) Information.

Question 17

The basis of power derived from a manager's organizational position is

A) Reward.
B) Information.
C) Expert.
D) Legitimate.

Question 18

The basis of power derived from a manager's technical knowledge is

A) Expert.
B) Legitimate.
C) Referent.
D) Reward.

Question 19

An executive knows which managers will be laid off in the forthcoming downsizing effort, but he is not sharing this knowledge with others in the organization. This executive has

A) Reward power.
B) Referent power.
C) Information power.
D) Expert power.

Question 20

A manager who can require employees to work overtime without pay has

A) Referent power.
B) Information power.
C) Reward power.
D) Coercive power.

Question 21

Oprah Winfrey, the head of Harpo Inc. and a highly regarded talk show host, has led her television and magazine productions to high success levels. Ms. Winfrey likely has which of the following bases of power?

A) Referent power.
B) Expert power.
C) Information power.
D) Coercive power.

Question 22

A supervisor's or manager's most basic source of power is

A) Reward power.
B) Legitimate power.
C) Coercive power.
D) Information power.

Question 23

Which of the following statements is false about power and leadership?

A) Powerful leaders delegate decision authority to subordinates.
B) Those with power take risks in organizations.
C) Powerlessness is more often associated with leaders than supervisors.
D) Those with little power use close supervision.

Question 24

Which of the following is a source of power in organizations?

A) Charisma.
B) Political networks.
C) Perceptions of dependence.
D) All answers are correct.

Question 25

The source of power that depends on the communication channels a person uses is

A) A work unit's power base.
B) Political network.
C) Charisma.
D) Work activities.

Question 26

Which of the following sources of power is most important in lateral relationships where the manager has no direct authority?

A) A work unit's power base.
B) Political network.
C) Charisma.
D) Work activities.

Question 27

Which of the following sources of power depends on controlling scarce resources?

A) Political network.
B) Work activities.
C) Charisma.
D) Creating perceptions of dependence.

Question 28

Which of the following departments is likely to have power in an organization?

A) A department at a key point in the workflow.
B) A department offering a unique service.
C) A department that can reduce uncertainty for an organization.
D) Each answer describes a department with power.

Question 29

An organization is facing lawsuits that threaten to force it into bankruptcy. Which of the following organizational units is most likely to accrue power?

A) Marketing.
B) Legal.
C) Production.
D) Human resources.

Question 30

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Successfully completing risky activities minimizes a manager's power.
B) A manager does not need to actually control resources to get power, as long as people perceive that the manager controls the resources.
C) Departments that reduce uncertainty develop power.
D) Managers with specialized expertise have power if others depend on that expertise.

Question 31

Which of the following is not a factor that can lead to attributions of power?

A) Holding a high status position.
B) Having a peripheral position in a communication network.
C) Membership in a powerful project.
D) High technical knowledge.

Question 32

Which of the following statements is not true about political behavior?

A) Political behavior is particularly important in managing lateral relationships.
B) Political behavior can lead to the institutionalization of current power holders.
C) Political behavior occurs within accepted authority channels in an organization.
D) Behavior that uses power is political.

Question 33

Which of the following is not a lateral relationship that features political behavior?

A) Line-staff relationships.
B) Superior-subordinate relationships.
C) Competition for resources.
D) Interdependence in the workflow.

Question 34

Political strategies have been documented in all the following areas except

A) Resource allocation decisions.
B) Pay increase decisions.
C) Hiring line worker decisions.
D) A person's career development.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is false about political strategies?

A) Only managers form political strategies.
B) Political strategies may or may not be written.
C) Political strategies affect performance appraisal results.
D) Political strategies recognize that political events do not always unfold as planned.

Question 36

Which of the following is a political tactic?

A) Using outside experts.
B) Controlling the decision-making agenda.
C) Selectively emphasizing decision criteria.
D) Each answer is a political tactic.

Question 37

Which of the following is a political tactic?

A) Using outside experts.
B) Impression management.
C) Specific influence tactics.
D) Each answer is a political tactic.

Question 38

Which of the following is part of the repertoire of influence tactics?

A) Ingratiation.
B) Exchange of benefits.
C) Consultations.
D) Each answer describes part of the repertoire of influence tactics.

Question 39

The party in power in the U.S. Congress often decides which issues will be open for discussion and vote on a given day. Congress is using which of the following political tactics?

A) Building coalitions.
B) Controlling the agenda.
C) Co-optation.
D) Using outside experts.

Question 40

An organization that develops and manufactures chemical fertilizers places a well-known environmentalist on its board of directors. This political tactic is

A) Controlling the agenda.
B) Selectively emphasizing decision criteria.
C) Co-optation.
D) Building coalitions.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is true about a politically skilled person?

A) A politically skilled person has the ability to interact effectively in various social situations to affect the behavior of another person or group.
B) A person has a sense of trust and confidence after a social interaction with a politically skilled person.
C) Politically skilled people can work successfully within an organization's political system and influence others in the desired direction.
D) Each answer is a true statement about a politically skilled person.

Question 42

Which of the following statements is false about political skill?

A) The social situations in which a person uses political skill can occur outside or inside an organization.
B) Interactions that use political skill do not occur over communication media such as e-mail, discussion boards, and chat rooms.
C) Using political skill at a social event outside the organization can be as important as using the same skill inside the organization.
D) Politically skilled people can get positive results for self and often their organization.

Question 43

Which of the following is a political skill dimension?

A) Apparent sincerity.
B) Social astuteness.
C) Networking ability.
D) Each answer lists a political skill dimension.

Question 44

Which of the following is not a political skill dimension?

A) Interpersonal influence.
B) Social astuteness.
C) Inspirational appeal.
D) Apparent sincerity.

Question 45

Which of the following is not assessed as part of a political diagnosis?

A) Individuals.
B) Coalitions.
C) Strategic mission.
D) Political networks.

Question 46

Which of the following statements is false about a political diagnosis?

A) A political diagnosis helps determine where power is located in an organization and what type of political behavior is likely to happen.
B) It identifies politically active individuals and coalitions in the organization, the amount of power they have, and the likely ways they will use their power.
C) The diagnosis ignores political networks in the organization.
D) A political diagnosis helps an employee understand the political systems present in the organization.

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true about a political diagnosis focused on individuals?

A) It assesses the power base of each person.
B) It helps a person decided how a person will likely use power.
C) It identifies the goals a person is trying to reach through power and political behavior.
D) All answers are correct about a political diagnosis focused on individuals.

Question 48

Which of the following statements is false about a political diagnosis?

A) A person's power base is strong if the person has discretion in using important resources.
B) One gathers information only from inside the organization.
C) One assesses each person's skills in using a power base.
D) The diagnosis of networks depends on knowledge from informants and experience in the organization.

Question 49

Which of the following statements is false about a political diagnosis focused on coalitions?

A) Reports of past major decisions are a useful source of information about coalitions.
B) A coalition's power also depends on its membership stability and how effectively it manages group processes.
C) Observing the coalition in action can help you assess its power.
D) You only use information from veteran informants inside the organization to help identify coalitions.

Question 50

Which of the following statements is false about a political diagnosis focused on political networks?

A) Diagnosing political networks gets at the heart of an organization's political processes.
B) Information from the diagnosis helps identify people in strategic positions within the network.
C) The political diagnosis should identify the people with informal access to the organization's decision-making processes.
D) The diagnosis will not identify the people and coalitions that have major influence within the network.

Question 51

Which of the following is not part of the dark side of organizational politics?

A) Deception.
B) Coalitions.
C) Lying.
D) Intimidation.

Question 52

When an individual's personal goals become more important than the organization's goals, the person is likely to use

A) Intimidation.
B) Lying.
C) Co-optation.
D) Deception.

Question 53

______________ may be a manager's response to a subordinate who wants to make organizational changes but does not have the authority to cause the changes.

A) Lying.
B) Deception.
C) Intimidation.
D) No answers are correct.

Question 54

Which of the following is a form of intimidation?

A) Firing the employee.
B) Defaming the employee.
C) Isolating the employee.
D) Each answer is a form of intimidation.

Question 55

Subordinates would not respect a consultative-oriented manager in which of the following countries?

A) New Zealand.
B) Mexico.
C) Israel.
D) Switzerland.

Question 56

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Managers who show interest in their subordinates' private lives are accorded higher power in South American organizations than in North American organizations.
B) Workers in Denmark expect managers to make risky decisions.
C) Consultative-oriented managers have an advantage when trying to maneuver through the political systems of power-directive cultures.
D) Workers in Greece expect managers to maintain low levels of uncertainty. Managers who can do this will have power.

Question 57

Which of the following statements describes unethical political behavior?

A) Utilitarian ethics view: Using power and political behavior in an organization to serve self-interest is unethical.
B) Rights ethics view: Using power and political behavior that violates another person's rights is unethical.
C) Justice ethics view: Treating someone preferentially to build a sense of obligation is unethical.
D) Each answer describes unethical behavior based on a different ethics theory or view.

Question 58

Which of the following statements describes unethical political behavior?

A) Individuals the political actor is trying to affect clearly know the person's intent.
B) While the political behavior unfolds, all those affected have the right of due process within the organization.
C) The administration of the organization's policies and procedures allows fair treatment of all affected people.
D) The behavior serves only the political actor.

Question 59

Political behavior in organizations focuses on the development and use of power.

Question 60

Political behavior often focuses on self-interest, not organizational interests.

Question 61

Actual power exists when one party perceives another as having power and the ability to use it.

Question 62

Power has a big perceptual element.

Question 63

Potential sanctioning can arise from a person's reputation for using sanctions.

Question 64

Power and authority are the same.

Question 65

A person who holds any position in an organization can have power.

Question 66

The manager's ability to tie positive results to a subordinate's behavior is legitimate power.

Question 67

Each management position in an organization has some organizational basis of power.

Question 68

Coercive power refers to efforts to affect another person's behavior through the fear of punishment.

Question 69

Information power derives from the distribution and control of an organization's information.

Question 70

Coercive and reward power are two forms of personal bases of power.

Question 71

The less a subordinate identifies with a manager, the greater the manager's referent power.

Question 72

The more a manager knows about the technical aspects of his or her job, the greater the manager's expert power.

Question 73

Information power is a personal basis of power.

Question 74

A powerful manager does not delegate decision authority to subordinates.

Question 75

Powerlessness is more a feature of supervisors than leaders.

Question 76

A person does not build professional credibility as a source of power by serving on professional association committees and giving talks at professional meetings.

Question 77

Forming alliances with peer managers helps a person build a political network as a power source.

Question 78

A manager's work unit is a source of power when it has a central position in the organization's workflow.

Question 79

Creating a perception of dependence on oneself as a source of scarce resources helps build power in an organization

Question 80

Successfully completing risky work activities is not an important source of power.