Deck 8: Power and Politics

Question 1

Yanni has been with the organization for 25 years; even though he hasn't been promoted,he is held in high regard by co-workers who ask for his ideas when trying to solve problems.It is agreed amongst his co-workers that "Yanni knows everything and everything around here!" Yanni possesses

A)no power.
B)referent power.
C)coercive power.
D)expert power.
E)legitimate power.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The statement "That person has experience and knowledge I respect," describes a person with what type of power?

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Keisha is an intimidating boss.It is known throughout the organization that if you do something wrong in her view,she will get angry and make things difficult for you.What type of power is Keisha exhibiting?

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Power is

A)alienation between two parties.
B)a function of relationship dependence.
C)corruption of ethical behaviour.
D)intermittent between management.
E)only possible if you have legitimate authority.

Question 5

Gino is a popular boss and his staff "walk through walls" for him.What type of power does Gino possess?

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

Question 6

Mai grants power to a colleague whom she admires and aspires to be like; the power Mai has granted is

A)coercive.
B)legitimate.
C)referent.
D)expert.
E)political.

Question 7

Bases of power refers to

A)power characteristics.
B)whether the power position has a good foundation.
C)what the power holder has that gives him or her power.
D)the elements of power.
E)leadership characteristics.

Question 8

Nicole is abrasive,but she is the boss and employees know she works hard and has earned her management position.When she asks you to do something,you agree to do it because "she's the boss." What type of power does Nicole possess?

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

Question 9

Power is

A)capacity to influence others.
B)dependence upon others.
C)equal to sexual harassment.
D)being rewarded by others.
E)independence.

Question 10

If a team leader decides to utilize an expert base of power they would be most apt to

A)have the data or knowledge that you need.
B)have the right to expect you to comply with legitimate requests.
C)make things difficult for people.
D)give special benefits or rewards to people.
E)have your admiration and respect.

Question 11

The most important aspect of power is

A)it is needed to get things done in an organization.
B)it is a function of dependence.
C)it tends to corrupt people.
D)it is counterproductive.
E)it is productive.

Question 12

Whenever someone in the department has to write a report about how to market a new product,they typically have to get input from Jim.Because Jim deals with customers on a daily basis he knows what their concerns are and what they want from company services.What is Jim's dominant type of power?

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

Question 13

Mohammed is good report writer,but a terrible speller,so he relies on Kelly,one of his co-workers,to help him with this aspect of his reports.What type of relationship does Mohammed have with Kelly?

A)cordial
B)collaborative
C)dependence
D)powerful
E)enduring

Question 14

Which of the following is most important in the definition of power?

A)persuasion
B)potential
C)discretion
D)dependence
E)capacity

Question 15

Lisa works in the Human Resources Department,and everyone tries to do favours for her because she can give special benefits to employees,like free corporate tickets to hockey games.Lisa possesses

A)coercive power.
B)reward power.
C)referent power.
D)legitimate power.
E)information power.

Question 16

People comply with ________ power because they fear negative outcomes if they don't comply.

A)knowledge
B)coercive
C)influence
D)persuasive
E)legitimate

Question 17

Research suggests that this type of power is positively related to employees' satisfaction with supervision,their organizational commitment,and their performance.

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

Question 18

Your physician has advised you to take medications to improve your health.You comply because of his or her ________ power.

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

Question 19

If a person decides to employ a coercive base of power,he or she would be most apt to

A)give special benefits or rewards to people.
B)have the experience and knowledge to earn your respect.
C)make things difficult for people.
D)have the data or knowledge that you need.
E)have the right to expect you to comply with legitimate requests.

Question 20

Your manager offers you a raise if you will complete additional work beyond the requirements of your job; he or she is exercising

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

Question 21

The degree of dependence a person feels is inversely proportional to

A)power.
B)alternative sources of supply.
C)knowledge.
D)financial resources.
E)leadership influence.

Question 22

Jacques is the only employee in the department who has been with the company for more than one year.As a result,he is the only one who knows what to do when unforeseen things happen.The other employees depend on him because the knowledge that he has is

A)powerful.
B)scarce.
C)timely.
D)political.
E)hearsay.

Question 23

Li did favours for two co-workers who supported her project proposal in a recent meeting.This is an example of

A)coercive practice.
B)influence tactics.
C)power play.
D)deceptive practices.
E)empowerment play.

Question 24

How do individuals translate their bases of power into specific,desired action?

A)influence tactics
B)pressure tactics
C)winning friends
D)implementation tactics
E)empowerment tactics

Question 25

Which influence tactic is effective across all levels of organizations?

A)inspirational appeals
B)rational persuasion
C)consultation
D)legitimating
E)coalition

Question 26

The ________ relationship can be seen in the power of occupational categories.In occupations where supply is low relative to demand,compensation is more attractive.

A)substitutability
B)scarcity-dependence
C)referent power
D)importance-dependence
E)referent dependence

Question 27

University faculty that gain power through producing valued publication do so because of

A)non-substitutability.
B)scarcity.
C)dependence.
D)importance.
E)decision making.

Question 28

In which instance will dependence be absent?

A)having something that somebody wants
B)being uncertain of selling one's product
C)possessing specialized knowledge
D)empowering and sharing power
E)having a resource with no viable substitute

Question 29

SCENARIO 8-1 Your colleagues at work talk about the vice president of your area.He is feared throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be "messed with." It is necessary for you to bring him a report and you are nervous about having to deal with him.
Refer to Scenario 8-1.The vice president's bases of power likely cause which response to power in others?

A)reward
B)compliance
C)commitment
D)legitimate
E)connection

Question 30

When your organizational behaviour professor employs flattery prior to making a request,she/he is

A)making a personal appeal.
B)making an inspirational appeal.
C)using consultation tactics.
D)using ingratiation tactics.
E)using legitimating tactics.

Question 31

SCENARIO 8-1 Your colleagues at work talk about the vice president of your area.He is feared throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be "messed with." It is necessary for you to bring him a report and you are nervous about having to deal with him.
Refer to Scenario 8-1.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)connection

Question 32

SCENARIO 8-1 Your colleagues at work talk about the vice president of your area.He is feared throughout the organization as a ruthless man who is not to be "messed with." It is necessary for you to bring him a report and you are nervous about having to deal with him.
Refer to Scenario 8-1.The vice president's major base of power seems to be

A)reward.
B)coercive.
C)referent.
D)expert.
E)position.

Question 33

Dependence upon you is decreased when the resource you control is

A)important.
B)scarce.
C)plentiful.
D)in demand.
E)insufficient.

Question 34

Influence tactics explain

A)how to influence others in an organization.
B)how things motivate people to seek power.
C)how to organize power functions.
D)how to translate power bases into desired actions.
E)how to use power for organizational benefit.

Question 35

Antonio is the boss,and no one would ever dispute that because he is experienced and accomplished; he deserves his position.He is particularly good at using his power to get people both within and outside of his department to do what he wants and needs.Antonio is exhibiting

A)influence.
B)dependence.
C)empowerment.
D)reference.
E)harassment.

Question 36

Todd is great at influencing other people.He is particularly skilled at getting the support of other people to back him up when he asks for something from the boss.This influence tactic is known as

A)pressure.
B)coalition tactics.
C)legitimating tactics.
D)exchange.
E)rational persuasion.

Question 37

Kayla is considered to be a "political animal"; one of her redeeming qualities is that she is adept at influencing others in such a way that it enhances THEIR own objectives.This is known as

A)political behaviour.
B)influence.
C)political skill.
D)dependence.
E)harassment.

Question 38

When Rico,from accounting,presents a large amount of data to make a logical argument for his budgeting proposal,the influence tactic he is utilizing

A)inspirational appeals.
B)consultation tactics.
C)rational persuasion.
D)legitimating tactics.
E)personal appeal.

Question 39

The influence tactic that gets the support of other people to back a request is

A)exchange tactics.
B)inspirational appeals.
C)coalition tactics.
D)consultation tactics.
E)legitimating tactics.

Question 40

Pina is charming and warm; she uses these to her advantage by flattering others prior to asking them to do something for her,and it works most of the time.This influence tactic is known as

A)ingratiation.
B)personal appeals.
C)inspirational appeals.
D)pressure.
E)rational persuasion.

Question 41

Sheila is a demanding boss who regularly requires employees to work overtime without pay "or else." This is an example of

A)harassment.
B)workplace bullying.
C)intimidation.
D)political behaviour.
E)reward power.

Question 42

Emphasizing favourable benefits to someone in order to gain support from that person,is an example of which influence tactic?

A)exchange
B)rational persuasion
C)coalitions
D)favours
E)conformity

Question 43

When Akira,the team leader,says he has the authority and right to take extra supplies for his unit,he is

A)making a personal appeal.
B)making an inspirational appeal.
C)using consultation tactics.
D)using ingratiation tactics.
E)using legitimacy tactics.

Question 44

SCENARIO 8-3 Your supervisor embarrasses you by telling sexual jokes and making sexual comments.Although he has never directly asked you to sleep with him,you feel threatened and are uncomfortable; it is difficult for you to do your job.
Refer to Scenario 8-3.Which of the following would be the most effective workplace protection in this situation?

A)banning workplace romances
B)sexual harassment policies
C)transferring your supervisor to another department
D)firing your supervisor
E)transferring you to another department

Question 45

Sophia,your co-worker,gets others involved to support her idea for the new marketing strategy; she explains her ideas,shows people documents and concept plans and asks directly for their help at the meeting when the decision is made.Sophia is using what type of influence tactic?

A)consultation tactics
B)personal appeal
C)inspirational appeal
D)pressure tactics
E)ingratiation tactics

Question 46

SCENARIO 8-3 Your supervisor embarrasses you by telling sexual jokes and making sexual comments.Although he has never directly asked you to sleep with him,you feel threatened and are uncomfortable; it is difficult for you to do your job.
Refer to Scenario 8-3.A basic problem in this situation is that

A)your clothes are probably too suggestive.
B)there is an unequal power relationship between your supervisor and you.
C)your perception of the situation is the same as your supervisor's.
D)this is not clearly sexual harassment,since he has not requested that you give him sexual favours.
E)your supervisor probably has nothing better to do.

Question 47

"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 influence tactic?

A)exchange
B)flattery
C)accounts
D)conformity
E)collaboration

Question 48

SCENARIO 8-2 Jerod is new to Xenon Corporation and wants to make a good impression on his co-workers and supervisor.He is on a three-month probationary status,and he knows that all of the office staff have a say in whether he is permanently hired.He agrees with the supervisor's opinion most of the time and is always doing nice things for him.Jerod makes sure that he associates with the "right" people and is constantly complimenting others about their good work.
Refer to Scenario 8-2.Research on influence tactics would suggest Jerod should use "softer" tactics first.Softer tactics rely on

A)coercion.
B)impression management.
C)legitimate power.
D)personal power.
E)favours.

Question 49

When Ang,your desk partner,offers to give you tickets to a concert in return for your support of his marketing strategy,he is

A)using exchange tactics.
B)making a personal appeal.
C)making an inspirational appeal.
D)using coalition tactics.
E)using pressure tactics.

Question 50

When Jing,your co-worker,demands and threatens that you must support his ideas on the marketing strategy,he is

A)making a personal appeal.
B)using pressure tactics.
C)using coalition tactics.
D)using exchange tactics.
E)making an inspirational appeal.

Question 51

Unwelcome advances,requests for sexual favours,and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature is

A)sexual harassment.
B)not illegal.
C)ethical-power usage.
D)flattering.
E)welcoming.

Question 52

SCENARIO 8-2 Jerod is new to Xenon Corporation and wants to make a good impression on his co-workers and supervisor.He is on a three-month probationary status,and he knows that all of the office staff have a say in whether he is permanently hired.He agrees with the supervisor's opinion most of the time and is always doing nice things for him.Jerod makes sure that he associates with the "right" people and is constantly complimenting others about their good work.
Refer to Scenario 8-2.Jerod was hired to a permanent position and continues to be popular in the company.Jerod has

A)persuasive personality.
B)ingratiation.
C)effective resources.
D)political empowerment.
E)political skill.

Question 53

SCENARIO 8-2 Jerod is new to Xenon Corporation and wants to make a good impression on his co-workers and supervisor.He is on a three-month probationary status,and he knows that all of the office staff have a say in whether he is permanently hired.He agrees with the supervisor's opinion most of the time and is always doing nice things for him.Jerod makes sure that he associates with the "right" people and is constantly complimenting others about their good work.
Refer to Scenario 8-2.Jerod is using

A)politics.
B)influence tactics.
C)defensive behaviour.
D)his power base.
E)influence association.

Question 54

Ingmar appeals to your loyalty and friendship when asking you to edit his major paper for him; he is

A)making an inspirational appeal.
B)using consultation tactics.
C)using legitimating tactics.
D)making a personal appeal.
E)using ingratiation tactics.

Question 55

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

A)power
B)sex
C)politics
D)locus of control
E)common sense

Question 56

Companies have a responsibility to protect their employees from a hostile work environment.If a manager was unaware that one of their employees was being sexually harassed,who could investigators hold liable?

A)both the manager and the company
B)only the manager
C)only the company
D)neither the manager nor the company
E)both but only if they were aware

Question 57

SCENARIO 8-3 Your supervisor embarrasses you by telling sexual jokes and making sexual comments.Although he has never directly asked you to sleep with him,you feel threatened and are uncomfortable; it is difficult for you to do your job.
Refer to Scenario 8-3.Your supervisor is guilty of

A)sexual harassment.
B)abusing his influence.
C)creating an equitable work environment.
D)exercising common sense.
E)showing respect.

Question 58

Which of the following is TRUE of sexual harassment?

A)It includes a single request for a date when a person.
B)Sexual harassment is accepted in western business cultures.
C)Higher-ranking women can sexually harass junior male colleagues.
D)It cannot occur between co-workers.
E)A man cannot be sexually harassed by a woman.

Question 59

When your co-worker,Filsan,suggests that his preferred course of action is also the course of action your supervisor prefers,she is

A)using upward appeals.
B)using exchange tactics.
C)making an inspirational appeal.
D)using coalition tactics.
E)using pressure tactics.

Question 60

When employees have a sense of self-determination and a sense of competence,the employees are likely experiencing

A)tasks.
B)self-management.
C)empowerment.
D)participation.
E)mission.

Question 61

Showing up to work earlier than your boss is an example of

A)conformity.
B)self-promotion.
C)ingratiation.
D)enhancement.
E)exemplification.

Question 62

Alison is very happy with her job primarily because she has total decision-making power with respect to both the content and context of her job.When she makes a mistake,her supervisor discusses it with her.For Alison to be empowered,what steps must a manager ensure?

A)Alison is demoted if she makes a mistake.
B)Alison is encouraged to blame others for mistakes.
C)Alison is given relevant training to try to prevent such mistakes.
D)Alison discusses her mistake with a committee to ensure she doesn't repeat it.
E)Alison's mistake is discussed in the company newsletter.

Question 63

One of the most unpleasant characteristics of Stephan,a new employee,is that he attempts to deflect criticism for his negative accomplishments to his co-workers.This is known as

A)building coalitions.
B)managing impressions.
C)blaming others.
D)being political.
E)abuse of power.

Question 64

What type of behaviours would you expect employees to exhibit when politics are viewed as a threat?

A)aggressive
B)reactive
C)passive
D)positive
E)manipulative

Question 65

One study shows the more an organization ________,the less women tend to engage in organizational citizenship behaviour.

A)allows politics
B)appraises an individual immediately following performance
C)behaves ethically
D)emphasizes an overall performance measure
E)sets specific standards for performance

Question 66

Gina has been given the authority to decide for herself how the tasks and procedures relating to her project will be executed,but how the project fits into the organization's mission and objectives has been set for her.Thus,for this project,Gina has

A)impact.
B)pressure.
C)dependency.
D)empowerment.
E)influence.

Question 67

What employees love about Abdul is that he doesn't micromanage; they are free to choose how to do their work.His employees are enjoying

A)a sense of competence.
B)empowerment.
C)a sense of pride.
D)a sense of impact.
E)a sense of meaning.

Question 68

When employees see their work environment as political,the effect on work attitude and behaviour is usually

A)positive.
B)negative.
C)compliance.
D)cooperation.
E)ambiguous.

Question 69

Roy's product development committee has authority to make decisions about both tasks and procedures relating to the new product; the committee operates independently,based on company's values and mission.This is an example of

A)job context.
B)job content.
C)empowerment.
D)dependency.
E)referent power.

Question 70

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

A)"I'm sorry that my report was late."
B)"I agree 110% percent with your idea."
C)"I finished the report in half the time of your last employee."
D)"I could never be as patient with that customer as you were."
E)"I didn't get the new client,but I think they would have been more trouble than they were worth."

Question 71

Ron is very adept at trying to influence employees in other departments on various matters to gain an advantage for himself or for his department.This is known as

A)political behaviour.
B)abuse of power.
C)harassment.
D)referent power.
E)dependency.

Question 72

Wanda is well-known for sharing her ideas with co-workers so that they can develop favourable impressions about the ideas.Wanda is

A)influencing people.
B)using information.
C)building support.
D)managing impressions.
E)creating obligations.

Question 73

Activities that influence the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization are

A)human resources.
B)political behaviour.
C)tactical planning activities.
D)strategic planning activities.
E)power brokering activities.

Question 74

Political behaviour is

A)outside one's formal role.
B)part of each job requirement.
C)seen only in large organizations.
D)counterproductive to individual goals.
E)not related to power.

Question 75

One of the greatest things about working for Francois is that he lets his staff make decisions and commitments without always having to check with him first.Francois is practicing

A)dependence.
B)power.
C)empowerment.
D)class.
E)political behaviour.

Question 76

Political behaviour negatively impacts ________ when individual's have low understanding of political behaviour within their organization

A)internal locus of control
B)high self-monitoring
C)job performance
D)role ambiguity
E)role conflict

Question 77

Which of the following defensive behaviours is an example of avoiding action?

A)bluffing
B)scapegoating
C)justifying
D)self-protection
E)buck passing

Question 78

Which of the following factors is most likely to contribute to political behaviour in an organization?

A)authoritarian personalities
B)employees' high need for power
C)organizational culture
D)age of the organization
E)management's high need for power

Question 79

Key elements of political behaviour include

A)using a base of power.
B)acting outside of the job requirements.
C)using a base of power and acting outside your job requirements.
D)enforcing organizational policies and acting outside your job requirements.
E)enforcing organizational policies and using a base of power.

Question 80

Presenting only some of the facts is an example of

A)self-protection.
B)stalling.
C)misrepresenting.
D)bluffing.
E)prevention.