Deck 13: Conflict, Power, and Politics

Question 1

The greatest cause of intergroup conflict in organizations is probably:

A) goal incompatibility.
B) differentiation.
C) task interdependence.
D) limited resources.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In distinguishing between power and authority, we learned that power is:

A) vested in people.
B) can be exercised upward, downward, and horizontally.
C) flowing down the vertical hierarchy.
D) more narrow in scope than authority.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Being centrally located in the organization and having access to information and people that are critical to the company's success is referred to as:

A) decision premises.
B) strategic contingencies.
C) network centrality.
D) power sources.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Legitimate power comes from:

A) the positions in the organizations.
B) skill and knowledge.
C) personal characteristics.
D) resources controlled by managers.

Question 5

____ is the potential ability of one person/department to influence other persons/departments to carry out orders or do something they would not otherwise have done.

A) Cooperation
B) Collaboration
C) Power
D) Personal position

Question 6

Strategic contingencies refer to:

A) events and activities that are essential for attaining organizational goals.
B) environmental factors which have an indirect influence on goal attainment.
C) alternate strategic plans to cope with possible environmental changes.
D) competitors who may damage corporate standing.

Question 7

Applying what you know about sources of conflict, you could conclude that as task interdependence moves from pooled to reciprocal interdependence:

A) conflict would decrease and competition would increase.
B) the potential for cooperation increases.
C) the potential for conflict increases.
D) greater goal incompatibility arises.

Question 8

____ is power sharing, the delegation of power or authority to subordinates in an organization.

A) Empowerment
B) Confrontation
C) Dependency
D) Power sources

Question 9

Putting together what you know about the sources of potential conflict and about interdependence, which of the following attributes will create the greatest potential for conflict?

A) Pooled interdependence
B) Functional specialization
C) Reciprocal interdependence
D) Routine technology

Question 10

If a manager decides to control decision premises, he will:

A) tell subordinates the expected decision in advance.
B) restrict the budget allocated to decision making.
C) force subordinates to spend more time on decision making.
D) place constraints on decisions made by lower ranking persons.

Question 11

____ is difficult to measure because power differences are not defined on the organization chart.

A) Strategic contingencies
B) Horizontal power
C) Dependency
D) Decision premise

Question 12

Which model of organization often prevails because each department has different interests it wants met and different goals it wants to achieve?

A) Political
B) Rational
C) Garbage Can
D) Incremental

Question 13

When goals are in alignment, there is little differentiation, departments are characterized by pooled interdependence, and resources seem abundant, managers can use ____ of organization.

A) a political model
B) referent power
C) authority
D) a rational model

Question 14

Relative to power, the concept of formal authority is:

A) more narrow in scope.
B) the "umbrella term" that includes all power.
C) the same.
D) more dependent on personality.

Question 15

Which type of power does a manager enjoy because of his right to promote subordinates?

A) Legitimate
B) Reward
C) Coercive
D) Referent

Question 16

____ is defined as the behavior that occurs among organizational groups when participants identify with one group and perceive that other groups may block their group's goal achievement or expectations.

A) Goal incompatibility
B) Intergroup conflict
C) Political conflict
D) Strategic contingencies

Question 17

For lower level employees, network centrality:

A) is out of reach because they cannot have access to critical information.
B) can be gained by becoming knowledgeable about certain activities or taking on difficult tasks and acquiring specialized knowledge.
C) makes no difference because they cannot increase power.
D) takes on different meaning than it does for top managers; it means nothing more than being physically located next to those with power.

Question 18

People have authority in an organization because of:

A) the positions they hold.
B) skill and knowledge they possess.
C) personal characteristics.
D) resources they control.

Question 19

Attributes identified in our text as generating intergroup conflict include all of the following except:

A) differentiation.
B) task interdependence.
C) goal incompatibility.
D) personality.

Question 20

Vertical sources of power include all of the following except:

A) control of decision premises.
B) network centrality.
C) formal position.
D) manipulation.

Question 21

The win-win strategy of negotiation:

A) avoids confrontation.
B) finds creative agreements that satisfy both groups.
C) encourages each group to pursue their own outcomes.
D) communicates a high commitment regarding one's position.

Question 22

Confrontation as a method of reducing conflict is likely to be more effective when:

A) all other forms of collaboration have failed.
B) no mutually acceptable outcomes can be envisioned.
C) the conflict is viewed as a win-win situation and the groups avoid threats.
D) all of these.

Question 23

Intergroup conflict can occur horizontally across departments, vertically between different levels, and between divisions or business units within the organization.

Question 24

Intergroup conflict requires three ingredients: group identification, observable group differences, and commitment.

Question 25

One measure of ____ is the extent to which the work of the department affects the final output of the organization.

A) dependency
B) financial resources
C) nonsubstitutability
D) centrality

Question 26

Which of the following was not a reaction of managers toward political behavior uncovered in surveys?

A) Managers believe political behavior is uncommon to practically all organizations.
B) Political behavior arises in certain decision domains, such as structural change, but is absent from other decisions, such as handling employee grievances.
C) Most managers have a negative view toward politics and believe that politics will more often hurt than help an organization in achieving its goals.
D) Most managers think political behavior occurs more often at upper rather than lower levels in organizations.

Question 27

Dependency power is derived from:

A) being dependent on others for something.
B) having something someone else wants.
C) becoming paternalistic in one's management style.
D) immature subordinates.

Question 28

All of the following, except ____, are the domains of political activity.

A) management succession
B) expanded networks
C) resource allocation
D) structural change

Question 29

The sources of intergroup conflict are goal incompatibility, differentiation, task interdependence, and limited resources.

Question 30

Which of the following is a political tactic for increasing power?

A) Creating dependencies
B) Satisfying strategic contingencies
C) Providing resources
D) All of these

Question 31

____ are designed to increase worker participation and provide a cooperative model for solving union-management problems.

A) Labor-management teams
B) Decision making teams
C) Venture teams
D) Negotiation teams

Question 32

Collective bargaining:

A) cannot be used to describe today's union-management relations, but does apply to general vertical conflict.
B) is one type of negotiation used to resolve disagreements between workers and management, through a union, establishing fixed responsibilities for the next two to three years.
C) is considered to be an integration device that results in contracts establishing flexible responsibilities for the next ten to fifteen years.
D) has been eliminated because of the introduction of more innovative cooperative approaches.

Question 33

Goal incompatibility can be a kind of "built-in" conflict between departments--especially marketing and manufacturing--that are faithfully attempting to accomplish their own missions.

Question 34

Differentiation refers to the dependence of one unit on another for materials, resources, or information.

Question 35

Which of the following is not one of strategic contingencies that influence horizontal power among departments?

A) Centrality
B) Financial resources
C) Substitutability
D) Dependency

Question 36

Which of the following is not a political tactic for using power?

A) Expand networks
B) Schedule intergroup consultation
C) Enhance legitimacy and expertise
D) Control decision premises

Question 37

We know which of the following about horizontal power?

A) It is reflected on the organization flow chart.
B) The sales department invariably carries higher power rating than other departments.
C) Its relationships changes as strategic contingencies change.
D) The concept of vertical linkages explains relative power.

Question 38

____ involves activities to acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to influence others and obtain the preferred outcome when there is uncertainty or disagreement about choices.

A) Negotiation
B) Organizational politics
C) Collective bargaining
D) Confrontation

Question 39

____ is a mechanism for arriving at consensus when uncertainty is high and there is disagreement over goals or problem priorities.

A) Power
B) Authority
C) Politics
D) Decision premise

Question 40

Which of the following means that a department's function cannot be performed by other readily available resources?

A) Coping with uncertainty
B) Financial resources
C) Dependency
D) Nonsubstitutability

Question 41

One of the three primary domains of political activity is structural change.

Question 42

Formal authority is exercised downward along the hierarchy and is the same as vertical power and legitimate power.

Question 43

A win-win strategy means that both departments adopt a positive attitude and strive to resolve the conflict in a way that will benefit each other.

Question 44

People at the bottom levels of an organization can never obtain more power than those in higher levels of the organization.

Question 45

"He who has the gold makes the rules" refers to control of financial resources as a strategic contingency that influences horizontal power among departments.

Question 46

Network centrality means that managers have access to information and people that are critical to the company's success, and thereby increase their power base.

Question 47

Middle managers and lower-level employees do not have access to information that would increase their power.

Question 48

The following statement is a correct usage of the terms "power" and "authority:" Some secretaries are likely to have a great deal of power in the organization even though they have little authority.

Question 49

Centrality reflects a department's role in the primary activity of an organization.

Question 50

Negotiation occurs when parties in conflict directly engage one another and try to work out their differences.

Question 51

Limited resources refer to the dependence of one unit on another for materials, resources, or information.

Question 52

The allocation of power to middle managers and staff is dangerous because it hinders those employees from being productive.

Question 53

Strategic contingencies are succession plans that are made within the corporation.

Question 54

Legitimate power is the authority to punish or recommend punishment, whereas expert power derives from a person's greater skill or knowledge about the tasks being performed.

Question 55

Nonsubstitutability means that departmental power will be decreased with the loss of control over resources.

Question 56

Empowerment is power sharing, the delegation of power or authority to subordinates in an organization.

Question 57

Departments can cope with critical uncertainties by obtaining prior information, prevention, and absorption.

Question 58

Horizontal power is not defined by the formal hierarchy or the organization chart.

Question 59

Differentiation refers to the dependence of one unit on another for materials, resources, or information.

Question 60

Two of the four tactics suggested in our text for increasing management's power are: (1) Answer every challenge, and (2) Get those who can help you indebted to you.

Question 61

Explain what is meant by strategic contingencies that influence horizontal power among departments, and provide examples.

Question 62

Explain the five sources of personal power and provide an example of each.

Question 63

In most organizations, are decisions more likely to be made using the rational or political model of organization? Explain and defend your position.

Question 64

The advantage of intergroup consultation is that individuals become submerged in the values, attitudes, problems, and goals of the other department.

Question 65

Do you agree with the manager who made the following statements: "As a proponent of cooperative relationships within the organization, I believe that there is no place for the application of power and politics. They are dirty processes that set conflict in motion." Explain your position.

Question 66

Today e-commerce departments have growing power in many organizations. Explain why, based on the strategic contingencies and power sources that apply to horizontal sources of power.

Question 67

During your job interview for a position in purchasing with Ideal Corporation, the interviewer poses the following question for you to answer: If the two departments of marketing and manufacturing have been experiencing considerable conflict, what explanation could you offer for the likely conflict areas?

Question 68

Contrast three tactics for enhancing collaboration with three tactics for increasing power.

Question 69

What is empowerment? Describe the three elements that enable empowered employees to act more freely to accomplish their jobs.

Question 70

Why will the rational choice model not always work? Under what circumstances will it work?

Question 71

Members of the marketing department have become aware that manufacturing is inflating their expense forms when they turn in claims. If marketing decides to report manufacturing to the vice president, they will need to proceed with care. What recommendations would you give to marketing, based on your reading of the chapter on power and politics?

Question 72

Working in the offices of the state legislature was an aspiring young man who provided clerical research services for legislators on a wide range of issues. He always provided easy-to-read summary sheets on current issues at the top of their in-baskets, and always tried to make every party so that they would know him personally. When he realized that water distribution was a key issue in the state, he became an expert on water distribution. Finally it got to the point that whenever bills came up that dealt with water distribution, he provided information to the legislators that was exclusive because they did not look elsewhere for detail. Analyze this young man's use of power, utilizing principles from our textbook.

Question 73

At a southern university, the campus printing department was declared in university policy to be the only printer that the schools could utilize. They could not go off campus to have services provided, even though off campus printers could do the work at about half the cost of the campus printer. Needless to say, the campus printing department became quite profitable because they could bill the departments very high fees regardless of their costs. Analyze the power of the campus printing department, utilizing principles from our textbook.

Question 74

Describe the conditions under which a rational model of behavior could be operative. How does the rational model compare to the political model?

Question 75

From reading the chapter on power and politics, what political tactics for increasing power did you glean that you would be willing to use?

Question 76

What political tactics are recommended for using power?

Question 77

Describe when political activity is used.

Question 78

Why is it that some employees may obtain power that is disproportionate to the level of their formal position?

Question 79

What are similarities and differences between power and politics in organizations?

Question 80

When faced with uncertainty, some departments end up losing power, and others end up gaining power. What makes the difference? What are the actions and techniques of those departments that end up gaining power?