Deck 13: Power and Politics

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

D
Explanation: D) Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so B acts in accordance with A's wishes. However, A can have power over B only if A controls something B desires. Someone can thus have power but not use it; it is a capacity or potential. Probably the most important aspect of power is that it is a function of dependency.

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true regarding legitimate power?

A) Legitimate power develops out of admiration of another and a desire to be like that person.
B) Legitimate power comes from an individual's unique characteristics.
C) Legitimate power is broader than the power to coerce and reward.
D) Celebrities who endorse products in commercials wield legitimate power over people.
E) Legitimate power is a type of personal power.

Answer 2

C
Explanation: C) In formal groups and organizations, probably the most common access to one or more of the power bases is through legitimate power. It represents the formal authority to control and use organizational resources based on structural position in the organization. Legitimate power is broader than the power to coerce and reward.

Question 3

If your superior tells you that she will offer you a raise provided you perform additional work beyond the requirements of your job, he/she is exercising ________ power.

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

Answer 3

C
Explanation: C) The opposite of coercive power is reward power, with which people comply because it produces positive benefits; someone who can distribute rewards others view as valuable will have power over them. These rewards can be either financial, such as controlling pay rates, or nonfinancial, including recognition, or promotions.

Question 4

Which of the following types of power can be categorized as personal power?

A) coercive
B) legitimate
C) reward
D) referent
E) positional

Question 5

Leadership requires ________.

A) congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led
B) focus on tactics for gaining compliance
C) a dependency of those being led on the leader
D) followers who share behavioral traits with their leaders
E) a dependency of the leader on those being led

Question 6

Larry can assign Oliver work activities that Oliver finds unpleasant. Larry possesses ________ power over Oliver.

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

Question 7

Leadership focuses on the ________.

A) importance of lateral and upward influence patterns
B) elimination of dependency in relationships
C) downward influence of a leader on his or her followers
D) ways to increase a leader's following
E) resolution of conflicts among followers

Question 8

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

A) referent
B) coercive
C) legitimate
D) expert
E) charismatic

Question 9

The power that the College Dean has been granted by the University over the faculty is referred to as ________ power.

A) academic
B) positional
C) legitimate
D) referent
E) charismatic

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

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

A) coercive
B) referent
C) positional
D) authoritative
E) expert

Question 12

________ power is based on the fear of the negative results from failing to comply.

A) Legitimate
B) Coercive
C) Punitive
D) Referent
E) Abusive

Question 13

At the organizational level, if Jenn can dismiss, suspend, or demote Polene, assuming Polene values his or her job. Jenn has ________ power over Polene.

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

Question 14

The opposite of coercive power is ________ power.

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

Question 15

The two general groupings of power are ________.

A) informational and personal
B) formal and informal
C) informal and legitimate
D) personal and formal
E) direct and indirect

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true regarding power?

A) A is said to have power over B if B controls something that A desires.
B) The greater A's dependence on B, the greater A's power in the relationship.
C) If A has the capacity to influence the behavior of B, then A is said to have power over B.
D) A can have power over B only if A is B's leader.
E) A can have power over B only when A and B have similar goals.

Question 17

Legitimate power is based on ________ in the organization.

A) the ability to provide rewards
B) interpersonal trust
C) structural position
D) expert knowledge
E) respect and admiration

Question 18

Power is a function of ________.

A) goal congruency
B) realization
C) inheritance
D) dependency
E) altruism

Question 19

Most of us follow our doctor's advice because our doctor has ________ power.

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

Question 20

Which of the following terms best represents a point of difference between power and leadership?

A) control
B) potential
C) cognitive dissonance
D) goal compatibility
E) negative affect

Question 21

James approaches his supervisor with data and a logical presentation supporting his request for additional personnel. Which of the following power tactics is used by James?

A) consultation
B) legitimacy
C) rational persuasion
D) inspirational appeal
E) exchange

Question 22

Sally finds out that her salary is lower than her peers. She discusses this with her boss, showing him how her performance has increased company revenues. As a result, she gets a substantial raise. Which of the following power tactics did she use?

A) pressure
B) inspirational appeals
C) exchange
D) rational persuasion
E) legitimacy

Question 23

John is good with numbers, but he wasn't sure what he wanted to study in college. During his senior year in high school he had a math teacher, Mr. Roury. John liked his teaching style and got interested in numbers. He also joined the Math Club to spend more time with Mr. Roury. As a result, John went on to study math and later engineering in college, and today tells his kids that he owes his career to Mr. Roury. Mr. Roury exhibited ________ power over John.

A) positional
B) referent
C) coercive
D) reward
E) legitimate

Question 24

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

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

Question 25

Which of the following power tactics involves increasing the target's support by involving him or her in decision making?

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

Question 26

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

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

Question 27

Which of the following power tactics is more effective when the audience is highly interested in the outcomes of a decision process?

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

Question 28

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

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

Question 29

When the power tactic of ________ works, it's generally downward only.

A) exchange
B) coalition
C) ingratiation
D) pressure
E) legitimacy

Question 30

________ is the only power tactic that is effective for exerting upward influence, downward influence, and lateral influence.

A) Legitimacy
B) Exchange
C) Ingratiation
D) Pressure
E) Rational persuasion

Question 31

Which of the following power tactics tends to backfire and is typically the least effective of the nine power tactics?

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

Question 32

Power tactics are defined as ________.

A) approaches for influencing goal setting
B) techniques for translating power bases into specific action
C) strategies for gathering and maintaining support
D) characteristics of organizational structure
E) approaches for reducing conflict

Question 33

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

A) consultation
B) substitution
C) rational persuasion
D) ingratiation
E) coalition

Question 34

People especially likely to comply with soft power tactics tend to ________.

A) be more action oriented
B) have greater desire for control
C) be extrinsically motivated
D) have low self-esteem
E) be more focused on getting along with others than with getting their own way

Question 35

Of the bases of power, research indicates that ________ power is most effective.

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

Question 36

Joe 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) coalition
B) consultation
C) ingratiation
D) legitimacy
E) pressure

Question 37

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 by Vivian's manager?

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

Question 38

Which of the following types of power is most likely to be negatively related to employee satisfaction and commitment?

A) expert power
B) reward power
C) legitimate power
D) coercive power
E) referent power

Question 39

Which of the following power tactics can be used most effectively for exerting lateral influence?

A) legitimacy
B) inspirational appeal
C) coalition
D) ingratiation
E) pressure

Question 40

Which of the following influence tactics is considered a "harder" tactic that emphasizes formal power and incurs greater costs and risks?

A) personal appeal
B) coalition
C) rational persuasion
D) inspirational appeal
E) consultation

Question 41

Which of the following statements is true regarding impression management (IM) techniques?

A) During interviews, applicants appear to use ingratiation more than self-promotion.
B) Ingratiation is negatively related to performance ratings.
C) Those who self-promote receive higher performance evaluations.
D) Ingratiation works well in interviews.
E) Giving excuses is considered as an assertive IM technique.

Question 42

Which of the following is a self-focused impression management technique?

A) flattery
B) enhancement
C) apology
D) excuses
E) conformity

Question 43

Which of the following impression management (IM) techniques is used by a sales manager who says to her boss, "We failed to get the ad in the paper on time, but no one responds to those ads anyway"?

A) flattery
B) enhancement
C) excuses
D) conformity
E) exemplification

Question 44

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

A) zero-sum approach
B) defensive behaviors
C) protectionism
D) impression management
E) shielding bias

Question 45

Which of the following factors encourages politicking?

A) clear performance evaluation systems
B) role clarity
C) zero-sum reward allocation practices
D) increase in organizational resources
E) low pressures for performance

Question 46

Which of the following statements is true regarding effectiveness of power tactics in different countries?

A) People from politically turbulent countries in the Middle East tend to be less willing to use aggressive political tactics in the workplace, than people from countries such as Great Britain or Switzerland.
B) United States managers tend to evaluate "gentle persuasion" tactics such as consultation and inspirational appeal as less effective than their Chinese counterparts.
C) In Israel, perception of organizational politics relates to decreased job satisfaction.
D) In countries that are more politically unstable, employees seem to demonstrate lower tolerance of intense political processes in the workplace.
E) Chinese managers prefer the influence tactic of rational persuasion.

Question 47

Which of the following skills best represents the ability of people to influence others to enhance their own objectives?

A) analytical skill
B) critical thinking skill
C) political skill
D) reflective thinking skill
E) cognitive skill

Question 48

Which of the following organizational factors encourages political behavior?

A) use of objective criteria in the appraisal
B) using multiple outcomes to measure performance
C) allowing significant time to pass between the time of an action and its appraisal
D) avoiding the zero-sum approach for resource allocation
E) ensuring role clarity

Question 49

Which of the following defensive behaviors is demonstrated by individuals who develop explanations and documentation to lessen their responsibility for negative outcomes?

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

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of the impression management (IM) technique of "exemplification"?

A) A manager tells his boss, "You're absolutely right on your reorganization plan for the western regional office. I couldn't agree with you more."
B) A salesperson says to a prospective client, "I've got two tickets to the theater tonight that I can't use. Take them. Consider it a thank-you for taking the time to talk with me."
C) An employee says to his boss, "I'm sorry I made a mistake on the report. Please forgive me."
D) A salesperson tells his boss, "Matt worked unsuccessfully for three years to try to get that account. I sewed it up in six weeks. I'm the best closer this company has."
E) An employee sends e-mails from his work computer when he works late so that his supervisor will know how long he's been working.

Question 51

Delray is about to sit down with his boss for his performance review. Which IM technique should Delray avoid using in the performance evaluation?

A) ingratiation
B) self-promotion
C) flattery
D) conformity
E) rationalization

Question 52

Placing the blame for a negative outcome on external factors that are not entirely blameworthy is known as ________.

A) scapegoating
B) buffing
C) stalling
D) buck passing
E) overconforming

Question 53

Political behaviors usually ________.

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

Question 54

If an individual ________, then he is less likely to engage in illegitimate political behavior.

A) has invested a lot in the organization in terms of time and efforts
B) possesses a scarce skill or knowledge
C) has influential contacts outside the organization
D) does not expect any future benefits from the organization
E) has an external locus of control

Question 55

To avoid politicking during performance evaluations, an organization should ________.

A) use subjective criteria
B) use democratic decision making
C) use a single outcome measure
D) use objective criteria
E) allow a long time lapse between the time of an action and its appraisal

Question 56

Employees exhibiting which of the following traits are more likely to engage in political behavior?

A) lack of sensitivity to social cues
B) external locus of control
C) low need for power
D) Machiavellian personality
E) low self-monitoring

Question 57

Evidence indicates people in different countries tend to prefer different power tactics. Chinese managers prefer ________.

A) rational persuasion
B) exchange
C) ingratiation
D) coalition
E) inspirational appeals

Question 58

A manager tells his boss, "You're absolutely right on your reorganization plan for the western regional office. I couldn't agree with you more." In this example the manager is using the impression management (IM) technique of ________.

A) favor
B) flattery
C) conformity
D) exemplification
E) enhancement

Question 59

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

A) Legitimate political behavior
B) Politicking
C) Illegitimate political behavior
D) Sabotage
E) Whistle-blowing

Question 60

Which of the following is an assertive impression management technique?

A) conformity
B) apologies
C) self-promotion
D) flattery
E) buffing

Question 61

Jerrod 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 constantly compliments others about their good work.
Jerrod is attempting to use ________.

A) illegitimate political behavior
B) impression management
C) defensive behavior
D) referral power
E) expert power

Question 62

Personal power is based on an individual's position in an organization. It can come from the ability to coerce or reward, or from formal authority.

Question 63

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

Question 64

Legitimate power is influence wielded as a result of expertise, special skill, or knowledge.

Question 65

Jerrod 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 constantly compliments others about their good work.
Unlike power, leadership requires a significant degree of goal compatibility.

Question 66

Jerrod 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 constantly compliments others about their good work.
Leadership focuses on the lateral and upward influence patterns.

Question 67

You're more likely to be effective if you begin with "harder" tactics and move to "softer" tactics only if the harder tactics fail.

Question 68

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

Question 69

Jerrod 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 constantly compliments others about their good work.
Jerrod is engaging in which of the following impression management techniques as far as his supervisor is concerned?

A) enhancement
B) self-promotion
C) excuses
D) conformity
E) apologizing

Question 70

Jerrod 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 constantly compliments others about their good work.
Which of the following is most likely to help Jerrod earn higher performance evaluations?

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

Question 71

Thomas 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. Thomas 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 supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.
Buffing falls under the category of avoiding ________.

A) growth
B) power
C) change
D) action
E) blame

Question 72

Expert power develops out of admiration of another and a desire to be like that person.

Question 73

People especially likely to comply with soft power tactics tend to be more reflective and have greater desire for control.

Question 74

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.
Your immediate supervisor is a nice person. He helps you solve your problems and gives valuable advice. You admire your supervisor and aspire to become like him. The power that your supervisor possesses over you is known as ________ power.

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

Question 75

Thomas 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. Thomas 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 supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.
The defensive behavior that Thomas engages in falls under the category of avoiding ________.

A) action
B) blame
C) change
D) power
E) growth

Question 76

Thomas 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. Thomas 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 supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.
Which of the following behaviors is Thomas engaged in?

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

Question 77

Thomas 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. Thomas 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 supportive publicly while doing little or nothing privately.
Thomas also attempts to project an image of competence and thoroughness by rigorously documenting all of his activity. This defensive behavior is known as ________.

A) justifying
B) overconforming
C) buffing
D) scapegoating
E) buck passing

Question 78

Power does not require goal compatibility.

Question 79

Rational persuasion is the only power tactic that is effective across all organizational levels.

Question 80

Expert power is the opposite of coercive power.