Deck 11: Power and Political Behavior

Question 1

McClelland's two faces of power include:

A) coercive and rewarding powers.
B) legitimate and illegitimate powers.
C) personal and social powers.
D) interpersonal and intrapersonal powers.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In the context of intergroup sources of power, if a group's functioning is important to the organization's success, it has:

A) high centrality.
B) nonsubstitutability.
C) control of critical resources.
D) the ability to cope with uncertainty.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When determining whether a power-related behavior is ethical, the behavior will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

A) utilitarian outcomes
B) individual rights
C) distributive justice
D) procedural justice criterion determines whether the

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A manager may exercise reward power when determining the salary increases for her subordinates. The ethicality of her decision can be determined by which of the following criteria?

A) Individual rights
B) Utilitarian outcomes
C) Distributive justice
D) Principled dissent

Question 5

In the context of the sources of intergroup power, the key to the strategic contingency factors is:

A) authority.
B) influence.
C) uncertainty.
D) dependency.

Question 6

Of the five forms of power, has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction.

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

Question 7

To use power ethically a manager should examine the behavior by asking three questions regarding criterion outcomes of:

A) procedural justice, utilitarian outcomes, and individual rights.
B) individual rights, distributive justice, and procedural justice.
C) individual rights, utilitarian outcomes, and distributive justice.
D) procedural justice, distributive justice, and utilitarian outcomes.

Question 8

is similar to authority and is based on position and mutual agreement.

A) Expert power
B) Legitimate power
C) Reward power
D) Coercive power

Question 9

is an elusive power based on interpersonal attraction and is often associated with charismatic individuals.

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

Question 10

If a person can affect the thoughts, behavior, and feelings of another person, she has:

A) influence.
B) power.
C) authority.
D) dominance.

Question 11

Which of the following types of power would a Machiavellian manager rely on?

A) Social power
B) Information power
C) Personal power
D) Referent power

Question 12

Strategic contingencies:

A) create a uniform distribution of power in an organization.
B) grant the control of critical resources to all groups who require them.
C) eliminate intergroup dependency.
D) are activities that other groups depend on in order to complete their tasks.

Question 13

McClelland has found that managers who use power successfully have four power-oriented characteristics. Which of the following is one of these characteristics?

A) Belief in delegation of authority
B) Preference for work and discipline
C) Putting personal needs before the company
D) Ability to get placements for favored employees

Question 14

Assume you are a senior accounting major. A friend who is taking a Principles of Accounting course seeks you out for tutorial assistance. This is an example of power.

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

Question 15

The term refers to valid criticism that can encourage ethical behavior in organizations.

A) network centrality
B) Machiavellianism
C) framing
D) principled dissent

Question 16

Enlarging an individual's zone of indifference is best accomplished through:

A) authority.
B) politics.
C) power.
D) leverage.

Question 17

A manager withholds information in order to make another manager make an incorrect decision, and therefore look bad. The first manager is displaying:

A) reward power.
B) coercive power.
C) social power.
D) personal power.

Question 18

The range in which attempts to influence the employee are perceived as legitimate and are acted on without a great deal of thought is known as:

A) the principal/agent range.
B) agency theory.
C) the zone of indifference.
D) congruency.

Question 19

Donald Carty, the former CEO of American Airlines, wrestled approximately $1 billion in concessions from the labor union to keep American Airlines from going bankrupt. Unfortunately, Carty had to resign because he was providing special pension trust funding and huge retention bonuses for executives. Which of the following forms of power is being unethically used here?

A) Expert power
B) Coercive power
C) Referent power
D) Reward power

Question 20

is power that is based on an agent's ability to cause the target to have an unpleasant experience.

A) Legitimate power
B) Referent power
C) Coercive power
D) Social power

Question 21

All of the following are considered a key dimension for being politically skillful except:

A) social astuteness.
B) networking ability.
C) interpersonal influence.
D) manipulativeness.

Question 22

Which of the following is a symptom of powerlessness that a first-line supervisor is likely to display?

A) Overly close supervision
B) Seeking out change
C) Focus on budget increments
D) No regard for rules

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

Which of the following influence tactics is used most often to get support from peers and superiors to change company policy?

A) Pressure
B) Consultation
C) Inspirational appeal
D) Rational persuasion

Question 25

Women may have fewer opportunities to develop political skills because they:

A) aren't in power positions.
B) avoid the use of power.
C) don't have mentors.
D) are excluded from formal networks.

Question 26

Kanter's symbols of power focus on one's:

A) inclination to be coercive.
B) ability to help others.
C) expertise in accomplishing job tasks.
D) charisma and liking by others.

Question 27

An individual who seems to always have a busy schedule and frequently goes to meetings displays , according to Korda.

A) top-down power
B) expert power
C) legitimate power
D) time power

Question 28

Which of the following organizational conditions encourages political activity?

A) Explicit goals
B) Definitive lines of authority
C) Adequate resources
D) Autocratic decision making

Question 29

The influence tactic that has the most positive effect on supervisors' assessments of promotability is:

A) upward appeals.
B) inspirational appeals.
C) rational persuasion.
D) consultation.

Question 30

When both men and women witness political behavior and the agent is of their gender and the target is of the opposite gender, evidence suggests:

A) women will view the political behavior more negatively than men.
B) men will view the political behavior more negatively than women.
C) both men and women will view the political behavior negatively.
D) both men and women will view the political behavior positively.

Question 31

Korda's symbols of power focus on:

A) the ability to help others.
B) status.
C) access to information.
D) personality.

Question 32

According to Kanter's perspective on power, which of the following is a symbol of powerlessness?

A) Making external attributions
B) Exceeding budget limitations
C) Loose supervision of subordinates
D) Delegating jobs and tasks

Question 33

To use ingratiation effectively, an employee has to have high skills.

A) rational persuasion
B) professional
C) political
D) participative

Question 34

_{34. A person using tactics seeks to get her target in a good mood or to think favorably of her before asking the}
Target to do something.

A) ingratiation
B) consultation
C) rational persuasion
D) exchange

Question 35

Research has shown that four tactics are used most frequently regardless of the target of the influence attempt. Which of the following is NOT one of the four tactics used most frequently?

A) Exchange
B) Inspirational appeals
C) Ingratiation
D) Consultation

Question 36

In the context of organizational politics, is the least effective influence tactic.

A) inspirational appeals
B) ingratiation
C) rational persuasion
D) pressure

Question 37

Indra Nooyi, CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo, who is considered the most powerful woman on Fortune's 50 most powerful women's list, uses the strategy "performance with purpose" to guide PepsiCo. An example of a program consistent with this strategy is PepsiCo's "Pepsi Challenge" which provides consumers with the opportunity to come up with creative solutions that "refresh the world". In this situation, Nooyi is an example of someone who uses:

A) personal power.
B) social power.
C) referent power.
D) expert power.

Question 38

_{40. A person who uses tactics seeks the participation of her target in making a decision or planning how to}
Implement a proposed policy, strategy, or change.

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

Question 39

Offering to do favors for someone in an effort to create a favorable impression is a(n) tactic.

A) consultation
B) coalition
C) exchange
D) ingratiation

Question 40

Michael Korda offers a semiserious look at power, and his symbols of power are:

A) level of organization, time power, and standing by.
B) size of office, time power, and level of organization.
C) office furnishings, time power, and standing by.
D) office furnishings, size of office, and time power.

Question 41

Empowerment can be thought about as being related to the job dimensions of:

A) content and variety.
B) autonomy and variety.
C) context and autonomy.
D) content and context.

Question 42

Which of the following should NOT be done when managing the relationship with one's boss?

A) Assessing oneself and one's needs
B) Sharing minimal information with the boss
C) Assessing the boss's strengths and weaknesses
D) Finding out the boss's blind spots

Question 43

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

Question 44

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

A) job content
B) job context
C) job conditions
D) job setting

Question 45

When employees experience all four of the empowerment dimensions, organizations reap the hoped-for rewards from empowerment efforts. These rewards are:

A) increased effectiveness, efficiency, and higher job satisfaction.
B) lower turnover, less absenteeism, and higher job satisfaction.
C) higher organizational commitment, increased effectiveness, and less absenteeism.
D) higher organizational commitment, reduced job stress, and better job performance.

Question 46

In the context of the four dimensions of empowerment,

A) meaning
B) competence
C) self-determination
D) impact is the belief that one's job makes a difference within

Question 47

When a supervisor denies your request to be considered for a job transfer because you have a unique expertise, he is exercising expert power.

Question 48

A police officer exercises both legitimate and coercive power when she subdues a criminal.

Question 49

Employees need to experience of the four empowerment dimensions in order to feel truly empowered.

A) any one
B) at least two
C) at least three
D) all four

Question 50

All of the following are guidelines for implementing an empowerment program except:

A) creating opportunities for employees to participate in significant problem solving.
B) removing tight controls.
C) allowing failure and offering constructive criticism.
D) setting modest goals.

Question 51

Alan Gilbert, music director of the New York Philharmonic, recognizes that his musicians have considerable experience playing classical music. While a director is expected to put his "brand" on the orchestra, Gilbert believes the "best" music is played when all musicians are able to "access their own points of view." During concerts, Gilbert gives the audience a chance to vote through text messages and choose the orchestra's encore piece. Which of the following does Gilbert use to motivate his musicians?

A) Networking ability
B) Empowerment
C) Sincerity
D) Social astuteness

Question 52

The least effective power bases, which include legitimate power, are the ones most likely to be used by managers.

Question 53

The ability to get things done through positive interpersonal relationships outside the formal organization is known as:

A) informal authority.
B) the use of power.
C) political skill.
D) the use of expert knowledge.

Question 54

Which of the following personality characteristics is central to empowerment?

A) Locus of control
B) Emotional stability
C) Self-esteem
D) Self-efficacy

Question 55

In the context of the employee empowerment grid, result in employee distress.

A) mission definition
B) no discretion
C) task setting _{d. self-management}
Represents the traditional, assembly-line job, and can

Question 56

Four dimensions comprise the essence of empowerment. Among them, meaning is a dimension that refers to:

A) the fit between work roles and employees' values and beliefs.
B) the belief that one has the ability to do a job well.
C) the belief that one's job makes a difference within the organization.
D) the degree to which one has control over the way one does his or her work.

Question 57

Which of the following is one of Conger's guidelines on how leaders can empower others in an organization?

A) Managers should create decision-making opportunities for employees.
B) Managers should set low performance expectations for employees.
C) Managers should enforce bureaucratic constraints to create autonomy.
D) Managers should set organization-centric goals, instead of employee-centric ones.

Question 58

Which of the following sets of dimensions comprises the essence of empowerment?

A) Teamwork, delegation, trust, and autonomy
B) Meaning, teamwork, competence, and trust
C) Delegation, trust, competence, and autonomy
D) Meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact

Question 59

_{57. In the context of the employee empowerment grid, represents a situation that is typical of autonomous work}
Groups that have some decision-making power over both job content and job context.

A) participatory empowerment
B) task setting
C) mission defining
D) self-management

Question 60

You have a new boss, someone hired from outside the firm. He has several years of managerial experience in the industry of your firm, but, of course he doesn't have specific knowledge of operational matters for your firm. If you want to develop an effective work relationship with him, you should:

A) provide information on performance deficiencies in the organization.
B) share information and keep him informed.
C) limit his time with other employees.
D) try to encourage a better match between his management style and those being supervised.

Question 61

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

Question 62

When you delegate responsibility and authority, you must be prepared to allow employees to fail.

Question 63

Briefly define zone of indifference.

Question 64

Women are more inclined to use political behavior in organizations and are much better than men at exercising influence.

Question 65

While Kanter's symbols focus on the ability to help others, Korda's symbols focus on status.

Question 66

The strategic contingencies model suggests that groups or individuals will have more power when their functioning is central to the organization's success.

Question 67

Identify and briefly discuss the major sources of intergroup power within an organization.

Question 68

Why is organizational political behavior important to study and understand?

Question 69

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

Question 70

Distinguish between power, authority, and influence.

Question 71

A lack of awareness of organizational politics is a barrier that holds women back in terms of moving into senior executive ranks.

Question 72

Groups or individuals have power to the extent that they control strategic contingencies.

Question 73

How many major forms of interpersonal power were identified by French and Raven? Name them all.

Question 74

The positive face of power is social power.

Question 75

Match the following:
a. Legitimate power
b. Area within which one accepts authority and influence
c. The process of affecting thoughts and behavior of others
d. Power based on interpersonal attraction
e. Power based on knowledge
Authority

Question 76

A manager who makes external attributions for negative events looks like he or she has no power.

Question 77

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

Question 78

Name the symbols of power as identified by Kanter.

Question 79

In the context of information power, explain how managers can influence subordinates through framing.

Question 80

Groups seen as powerful tend to be given more resources from top management.