Deck 11: Power and Political Behavior

Question 1

Sean, a manager, threatens Will, his employee, with a decrement in salary if Will reveals the embezzling habits of Sean to the auditor.In this scenario, Sean is using his coercive power.​

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true of reward power?​

A)​It is effective when managers are not explicit about the behavior being rewarded and do not make the connection clear between the behavior and the reward.
B)It is based on interpersonal interaction.​
C)It can lead to better performance, but only as long as an employee sees a clear and strong link between performance and rewards.​
D)It has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction.​

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Women tend to view political behavior more favorably than do men.​

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The positive face of power is personal power.​

Question 5

Referent power is the power that exists when an agent has specialized knowledge or skills that a target needs.​

Question 6

For an agent to have referent power over a target, the agent should be superior to the target.​

Question 7

To use reward power effectively, a manager should:​

A)​make the connection clear between the behavior being rewarded and the reward.
B)not be explicit about the behavior being rewarded.​
C)inform subordinates of rules and penalties.​
D)not select subordinates similar to himself/herself .​

Question 8

Enlarging an individual's zone of indifference is best accomplished with _____.​

A)​authority
B)ingratiation​
C)power​
D)consultation​

Question 9

When employees perceive that there are dominant interest groups or cliques at work, they are less satisfied with pay and promotions.​

Question 10

Coercive power is power based on an agent's ability to control rewards that a target wants, such as salary increases, bonuses, and promotions.​

Question 11

A guideline for the ethical use of legitimate power is that managers should inform subordinates of rules and penalties.​

Question 12

In the context of power, the person using power is known as a(n)_____.​

A)​agent
B)target​
C)philanthropist​
D)altruist​

Question 13

Expert power has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction in comparison to the other forms of power.​

Question 14

In the context of power, the recipient of the attempt to use power is known as a(n)_____.​

A)​target
B)Machiavellian​
C)agent​
D)altruist​

Question 15

Empowerment should begin with job context and proceed to job content.​

Question 16

To use reward power effectively, employees must believe that a manager has the right to tell them what to do.​

Question 17

Influence is only exercised upward within an organization.​

Question 18

When both men and women witness political behavior, they view it negatively if the agent is of their gender and the target is of the opposite gender.​

Question 19

Reward power leads to better performance, but only as long as the employee sees a clear and strong link between performance and rewards.​

Question 20

If a manager makes a request to his or her employee and the employee thinks that the manager has no right to make that request, then the request falls outside the employee's:​

A)​political behavior.
B)zone of indifference.​
C)referent power.​
D)job content.​

Question 21

In the context of information power, _____ is the spin that managers put on information.​

A)​ingratiation
B)altruism​
C)networking​
D)framing​

Question 22

According to Korda, which of the following is true of managers who are really secure in their power?​

A)​They believe that nothing important can happen without them.
B)They have a fairly free calendar.​
C)They take a favorable view of political behavior.​
D)They are dissatisfied with their jobs.​

Question 23

Which of the following is a guideline for the ethical use of legitimate power?​

A)​Managers should act confident and decisive.
B)Managers should fit punishment to the infraction.​
C)Managers should enforce compliance.​
D)Managers should be oblivious to subordinates' concerns.​

Question 24

In the context of political behavior in organizations, _____ encourages political activity.​

A)​clear goals
B)definitive lines of authority​
C)abundant resources​
D)autocratic decision making​

Question 25

Which of the following is true of people who use referent power?​

A)​They are most often individualistic and respected by a target.
B)They internalize what they observe.​
C)They learn from managers they perceive to be experts.​
D)They influence their top management teams in ways that are profitable for their firm.​

Question 26

In the context of using power ethically, managers should _____ for the ethical use of legitimate power.​

A)​make only ethical requests
B)be cordial and polite​
C)maintain credibility​
D)engage in role modeling​

Question 27

According to McClelland, people who approach relationships with an exchange orientation often use _____ to ensure that they get at least their fair share-and often more-in the relationship.​

A)​personal power
B)social power​
C)legitimate power​
D)expert power​

Question 28

Anne, a manager, increases the salary of Susan, one of her employees, by 30 percent because she likes Susan.But for the others, she increases the salary by only 20 percent.In this scenario, Anne's behavior is unethical as it violates the criteria of:​

A)​individual rights.
B)utilitarian outcomes.​
C)distributive justice.​
D)principled dissent.​

Question 29

According to McClelland, the two faces of power are:​

A)​coercive power and reward power.
B)legitimate power and illegitimate power.​
C)personal power and social power.​
D)interpersonal power and intrapersonal power.​

Question 30

In the context of interpersonal power, _____ is called the power of future.​

A)​legitimate power
B)referent power​
C)expert power​
D)social power​

Question 31

Which of the following is true of Kanter's symbols of power?​

A)​They can only identify weak people in organizations.
B)They have an active, other-directed element.​
C)They are used for budget cutting.​
D)They are used to create motivation.​

Question 32

A symptom of powerlessness that a first-line manager displays is:​

A)​an overly close supervision of employees.
B)a focus on budget expansion.​
C)the ability to intercede for someone in trouble.​
D)flexible adherence to the rules.​

Question 33

To coerce someone into doing something means to:​

A)​engage in role modeling.
B)​exercise power consistently.
C)​threaten his or her selfesteem.
D)force the person to do it.​

Question 34

Which of the following statements is true of information power?​

A)​It has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction.
B)It is the power that exists when an agent has specialized knowledge or skills that a target needs.​
C)It may flow upward from subordinates to managers as well as downward from managers to subordinates.​
D)It can lead to better performance, but only as long as an employee sees a clear and strong link between performance and rewards.​

Question 35

Managers using coercive power may:​

A)​maintain credibility.
B)​exercise power consistently or engage in role modeling.
C)​verbally abuse employees or withhold support from them.
D)​be cordial and polite.

Question 36

For expert power to work, _____.​

A)​a target must trust that the expertise given is accurate.
B)the knowledge involved must be relevant and useful to an agent.​
C)an agent and a target must agree that the agent has the right to influence the target.​
D)an agent's perception of a target as an expert is crucial.​

Question 37

In the context of positive versus negative power, which of the following is true of dissenters?​

A)​They can serve as checks on powerful people outside an organization.
B)They can prevent the exposure of wrongdoings within an organization.​
C)They can sway employees in favor of an organization.​
D)They can create a climate conducive to the ethical use of power.​

Question 38

Which of the following powers has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction?​

A)​Reward power
B)Legitimate power​
C)Referent power​
D)Expert power​

Question 39

According to Kanter, which of the following is true of executives feeling powerless?​

A)​They exceed budget limitations.
B)They use dictatorial, top-down communication.​
C)They have access to early information.​
D)They procure above-average raises for employees.​

Question 40

In the context of interpersonal forms of power, charismatic individuals are often thought to have _____ power.​

A)​reward
B)legitimate​
C)referent​
D)expert​

Question 41

Which of the following best defines competence?​

A)​It is a fit between work roles and employees' values and beliefs.
B)It is the belief that one has the ability to do a job well.​
C)It is the belief that one's job makes a difference within an organization.​
D)It is having control over the way one does work.​

Question 42

Which of the following is an advantage of negative feedback?​

A)​It is the engine of empowerment through which employees become energized about their jobs.
B)It can bring about a closer employee-boss relationship if given in a problem-solving format.​
C)It boosts the morale of employees by drawing attention to their work.​
D)It has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction.​

Question 43

In _____, individuals use influence tactics to control others' impressions of them.​

A)​impression management
B)zone of indifference​
C)organizational politics​
D)high degree of centrality​

Question 44

In the context of influence tactics, _____ is used most often to get support from peers and superiors to change company policy.​

A)​rational persuasion
B)consultation​
C)inspirational appeal​
D)pressure​

Question 45

Identify and briefly discuss the factors that can give a group control over a strategic contingency.​

Question 46

How can political behavior in organizations be managed effectively? Explain briefly.​

Question 47

In the context of influence tactics, _____ is particularly effective for gaining support and resources for a new project.​

A)​consultation
B)rational persuasion​
C)​pressure
D)​principled dissent

Question 48

Identify the characteristics of powerful people in organizations provided by Kanter.​

Question 49

The effects of political behavior in organizations can be negative when the political behavior is:​

A)​seen as the only means by which to accomplish something.
B)strategically undertaken to maximize self-interest.​
C)used for impression management.​
D)aligned with organizational goals.​

Question 50

In the context of empowerment, _____ is the belief that one's job makes a difference within an organization.​

A)​impact
B)competence​
C)self-determination​
D)meaning​

Question 51

Which of the following is true of self-managed teams?​

A)​They take on decisions and activities that traditionally belong to managers.
B)They have the ability to control rewards that a target wants.​
C)They believe that the institution is important and that its authority system is valid.​
D)They are comfortable influencing and being influenced.​

Question 52

In the context of empowerment, _____ consists of the tasks and procedures necessary for doing a particular job.​

A)​job content
B)competence​
C)job context​
D)meaning​

Question 53

Which of the following is the first step that employees should take in managing their relationship with their boss?​

A)​They should try to understand as much as they can about their boss.
B)They should assess their own needs differently from the way they analyze their boss's needs.​
C)They should not be dependent on their boss.​
D)They should remember that their boss is not on the same team they are.​

Question 54

According to Jay Conger, which of the following is a guideline on how managers can empower employees in an organization?​

A)​Managers should set low performance expectations.
B)Managers should exclude employees from decision-making processes.​
C)Managers should reinstate bureaucratic constraints in the organization.​
D)Managers should set inspirational or meaningful goals.​