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) capacity

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The two general groupings of power are ________.

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

________ power is generally related to an individual's unique characteristics.

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following statements is true concerning power?

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

Question 5

Legitimate power is based on ________.

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

Question 6

Leadership focuses on the ________.

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

Question 7

Power does not require goal compatibility, merely ________.

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

Question 8

Celia does not think that the new logo design for the company, which is mostly blue, is very effective. She has mentioned her disagreement on the design to a few others in the design team. In a meeting, Tom, one of her coworkers that is quite admired by the team, makes the comment that Celia doesn't like the design, and that she probably wants it to be pink, since she always wears pink. The group laughs at Tom's joke, and Celia doesn't add any more input into the logo discussion. Which type of power has Tom used over Celia?

A) reward
B) expert
C) control
D) coercive
E) dependency

Question 9

Power can be defined as ________.

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

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

Clifford has to work to support his family. He would like to go home before nine, but his boss says that he must stay and complete an assignment. Clifford is ________ his boss, who controls his job.

A) grateful to
B) more powerful than
C) dependent on
D) similar to
E) a leader to

Question 12

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

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

Question 13

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

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

Leadership requires ________.

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

Question 16

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

Question 17

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

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

Question 18

The opposite of coercive power is ________ power.

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

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

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) the effective use of threats

Question 21

Which of the following is least likely to create dependency?

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

Question 22

Which of the following is not effective as a lateral tactic of influence?

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

Question 23

Rodrigo has developed a new technology for reading bar codes in grocery stores. There is no other technology like his, but Rodrigo is not powerful because no one wants to change from the system that they already have. Rodrigo is not able to create dependency because ________.

A) his product is not scarce
B) his product is nonsubstitutable
C) Rodrigo lacks expert power
D) his product is not important
E) Rodrigo lacks reward power

Question 24

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

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

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

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

Question 27

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

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

Question 28

John was good with numbers, but he wasn't sure what he wanted to study in college. His senior year in high school he had a math teacher that he thought was awesome. Mr. Roury was the first mathematician that spoke to John on his level and got him really excited about numbers. John joined the Math Club to spend more time with Mr. Roury. 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) leadership
B) referent
C) coercive
D) reward
E) legitimate

Question 29

Power tactics can be defined as ________.

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

Question 30

Dependency is inversely proportional to ________.

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

Question 31

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

Question 32

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

A) power
B) sex
C) reasonableness
D) abuse
E) love

Question 33

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

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

Question 34

Dependency is decreased when the resource you control is ________.

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

Question 35

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

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

Question 36

James approaches his supervisor with data and a logical presentation supporting his request for additional personnel. He is using ________.

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

Question 37

Which of the following is not a true statement about sexual harassment?

A) Sexual harassment has a negative impact on the work environment.
B) Organizations often respond in a negative way to reports of sexual harassment.
C) Sexual harassment affects organizational productivity.
D) Sexual harassment generally occurs in large organizations.
E) The majority of U.S. women have experienced sexual harassment.

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

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

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

Question 40

Your physician has advised you to take a series of medications. You comply because of her ________ power.

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

Question 41

An employee that telecommutes is more likely to engage in IM because ________.

A) the risk associated with misrepresentation is reduced
B) there is low ambiguity when telecommuting
C) there is a lot of information available to challenge
D) telecommuting employees work closely with supervisors
E) the risk associated with misrepresentation is increased

Question 42

Which of the following is not a management strategy to prevent workplace sexual harassment?

A) Establish an active policy that defines what constitutes sexual harassment.
B) Clearly define procedures for filing sexual harassment complaints.
C) Include HR and legal departments in reports of sexual harassment.
D) Discipline offenders of sexual harassment in the workplace.
E) Support retaliation policies when employees make complaints.

Question 43

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

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

Question 44

Which of the following is not necessarily a form of workplace sexual harassment?

A) unwanted physical touching
B) telling off-color jokes
C) posting pinups in a cubicle
D) leering and unwanted looks
E) asking for a date

Question 45

Which of the following is not a cost that an organization can incur due to the prevalence of sexual harassment?

A) decreased productivity
B) increased employee health costs
C) lower job satisfaction
D) increased legal and settlement costs
E) ineffective recruiting

Question 46

Co-workers usually ________ to wield power and engage in sexual harassment.

A) withhold information, support and cooperation
B) gain the trust and cooperation of supervisors
C) threaten negative consequences of rewards and promotions
D) promise positive rewards and promotions
E) are less likely

Question 47

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

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

Question 48

________ 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) Camouflage

Question 49

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

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

Question 50

________ percent of women report having experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

A) Twelve
B) Twenty-four
C) Thirty-six
D) Fifty-eight
E) Seventy-two

Question 51

Which of the following groups is the most frequent perpetrator of workplace sexual harassment?

A) supervisors
B) co-workers
C) subordinates
D) women
E) upper management

Question 52

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 more pressure that employees feel to perform well, the more likely they are to engage in politicking.
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 greater the opportunity for promotion or advancement within a company, the more employees will compete to positively influence outcomes.

Question 53

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

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

Question 54

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

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

Question 55

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 56

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

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

Question 57

Most political activities in organizations would be described as ________ political behaviors.

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

Question 58

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

Question 59

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

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

Question 60

Which of the following is not an organization factor contributing to a high rate of political behavior?

A) promotion opportunities
B) democratic decision making
C) self-serving senior managers
D) low performance pressure
E) low trust

Question 61

Sexual harassment is frequently concerned with power dynamics between individuals.

Question 62

Those who are powerful, articulate, and persuasive are most vulnerable to ________.

A) unethical practices
B) politicking harm
C) ethical lapses
D) exploitation
E) unfair evaluation

Question 63

Because of the coalition factor, the expert power of an individual within an organization is strengthened when another individual with the same job-related knowledge and skills is hired by the organization.

Question 64

High self-monitors are good at reading situations and molding their appearances and behavior.

Question 65

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) favors

Question 66

What is the best way to determine if politicking is ethical or not?

A) Determine if there is a large gain for the behavior.
B) Determine if the benefits outweigh the harm.
C) Determine if the behavior is fair and just.
D) Determine the likelihood of being discovered.
E) Determine if the behavior has lasting affects.

Question 67

"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) flattery
C) association
D) self-promotion
E) conformity

Question 68

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

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

Question 69

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

Question 70

When employees in organizations convert their power into action, we describe them as being engaged in politics.

Question 71

Individuals use conformity to manipulate the impressions that others hold of them.

Question 72

By definition, all political behavior is considered an illegitimate activity.

Question 73

The effect of scarcity on dependency can be observed in the supply/demand relationships that exist regarding personnel within various industries.

Question 74

In China, the best power tactic to use is ________.

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

Question 75

Evidence demonstrates that impression management techniques are rarely successful.

Question 76

When people perceive politics as an opportunity, they respond with defensive behaviors.

Question 77

Referent power is based on identification with a person who is famous and wealthy.

Question 78

Formal power is a measure of an individual's ability to control organizational resources.

Question 79

The vice president's major base of power seems to be ________.

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

Question 80

Unlike power, leadership requires a significant degree of goal compatibility.