Deck 5: Delegating Authority and Empowering Employees

Question 1

Power is not related to leadership.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Authority comes with position and results from delegation by a higher-level manager.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Companies that focus on employee empowerment place a high priority on recruiting and selecting the right people.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Organizations can function properly without a system of authority.

Question 5

There are two views of authority: the acceptance view of authority, and the informal view of authority.

Question 6

Mastering the art of delegation and empowerment is essential to a leader's growth, development, and effectiveness.

Question 7

The only way that power can be obtained is by experience.

Question 8

The acceptance view of authority states that a supervisor's authority originates only when that supervisor has accepted his/her own authority.

Question 9

A manager's power is diminished when he or she shares it with others.

Question 10

A high need for power is an important characteristic of successful managers.

Question 11

Accountability is the right to tell others how to act to reach organizational objectives.

Question 12

The three key aspects of delegation are granting authority, assigning responsibility, and requiring accountability.

Question 13

Decentralization refers to the extent to which authority is delegated from one unit of the organization to another.

Question 14

The process by which leaders distribute and entrust activities and related authority to other people in the organization is known as accountability.

Question 15

Referent power is based on people's identification with a leader and what that leader symbolizes.

Question 16

According to the formal view of authority, authority exists because someone was granted it.

Question 17

Accountability flows downward.

Question 18

According to the formal authority view, authority flows upward.

Question 19

Granting authority is one of the key aspects of delegation.

Question 20

Empowerment is the granting of authority to employees to make key decisions within their enlarged areas of responsibility.

Question 21

Authority flows:

A) downward.
B) horizontally.
C) upward.
D) laterally.

Question 22

Two of the least effective ways of empowering and developing people are coaching and teaching.

Question 23

The strength of the manager-subordinate relationship is a key determinant of managerial delegation.

Question 24

In mid- to large-size organizations, the _____ provides information to employees about the important job-related tasks.

A) job specialization
B) job rotation
C) job description
D) job simplification

Question 25

Experiential learning refers to using an integrated process of experiencing, identifying, analyzing, and generalizing to gain insights in learning.

Question 26

Managers must assess an employee's job maturity level and need for growth when selecting an employee for delegation.

Question 27

One of the benefits of delegation is that employees will have enhanced power.

Question 28

Increased delegation may cause stress to employees.

Question 29

Unsuccessful executives underestimate obstacles.

Question 30

The right to do something, is known as:

A) accountability.
B) authority.
C) responsibility.
D) liability.

Question 31

Granting authority, assigning responsibility, and requiring accountability are part of the:

A) delegation process.
B) regulation process.
C) consolidation process.
D) deregulation process.

Question 32

In terms of delegation, managers never feel that their employees are capable of doing tasks better than they can.

Question 33

Some leaders do not like to delegate tasks due to the desire for control.

Question 34

Successful executives see themselves and their companies as dominating the environment.

Question 35

Delegation leads to employee development.

Question 36

One reason for employees not welcoming delegation is the fear of failure.

Question 37

_____ is a key aspect of delegation.

A) Contingency planning
B) Requiring accountability
C) Financing
D) Brainstorming

Question 38

Accountability flows:

A) downward.
B) laterally.
C) horizontally.
D) upward.

Question 39

_____ is best defined as the process by which leaders distribute and entrust activities and related authority to other people in an organization.

A) Delegation
B) Controlling
C) Motivation
D) Centralization

Question 40

Reframing and training helps organizations to face adaptive challenges through changing values and behaviors and by helping to identify new approaches and strategies.

Question 41

According to the formal theory of authority, authority is:

A) conferred.
B) taken.
C) accepted.
D) abdicated.

Question 42

Which of the following is an informal reward?

A) Pay
B) Promotion
C) Verbal praise
D) Employees' bonuses

Question 43

Jane is a manager  and is highly knowledgeable and experienced in her area of specialization. Which of the following types of power is Jane most likely to possess owing to her knowledge?

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

Question 44

According to the acceptance theory of authority:

A) a manager has authority if the manager accepts that authority.
B) a manager has authority when it has been accepted by the manager's subordinates.
C) a manager has authority when the authority is conferred upon him or her by higher management.
D) a manager has authority if he has formerly performed a managerial role in a different company.

Question 45

_____ is the the ability to influence individuals, groups, events, and decisions.

A) Power
B) Accountability
C) Responsibility
D) Parity

Question 46

_____ develops from internalized values that dictate that a leader has an inherent right to influence subordinates.

A) Reward power
B) Coercive power
C) Legitimate power
D) Control-of-information power

Question 47

The driving idea of empowerment is to:

A) get more work done by employees for the same amount of money.
B) decrease the workload of operative employees and increase the workload of supervisors.
C) increase the workload of the top level management.
D) provide employees closest to the work and to customers the opportunity to make decisions.

Question 48

_____ results from people's perceived expectation that punishment will follow if they do not comply with the orders of a leader.

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

Question 49

Describe the six different ways by which a manager can obtain/possess power.

Question 50

_____ is defined as examining a situation from multiple vantage points to develop a holistic picture.

A) Deflecting
B) Reframing
C) Stagnating
D) Recasting

Question 51

Describe the three key aspects involved in the delegation process.

Question 52

Which of the following is a habit of unsuccessful managers?

A) They know they don't have all the answers.
B) They estimate obstacles correctly.
C) They see themselves and their companies as dominating the environment.
D) There is a clear boundary between their personal interests and the corporation's interests.

Question 53

A reason for employees not welcoming delegation is:

A) because they will not have the power to make decisions.
B) because it will lead to increased centralization in the organization.
C) because the duties given to them are often ambiguous or unclear.
D) because they have to do less work for lesser amount.

Question 54

The CEO of an organization fires a department head. The CEO is most likely to have got his authority from:

A) the middle management.
B) the supervisory management.
C) the operative employees.
D) the board of directors.

Question 55

What are the two contradictory views regarding a manger's source of authority?

Question 56

Which of the following is true of delegation?

A) Managers usually delegate more to employees who they perceive to be incompetent.
B) Some leaders do not delegate because of a lack of trust in other workers.
C) Some leaders do not delegate because employees are held accountable for results.
D) Managers do not delegate because delegation is ineffective in building skills.

Question 57

_____ is best defined as the obligation that is created when an employee accepts a leader's delegation of authority.

A) Accountability
B) Responsibility
C) Control
D) Dominance

Question 58

Two of the most significant ways of empowering and developing people are coaching and:

A) teaching.
B) analyzing.
C) controlling.
D) appraising.

Question 59

Tom is a very charming, hard-working, and dedicated leader. Which of the following types of power is Tom most likely to possess because of these qualities?

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

Question 60

Which of the following is true of power?

A) A high need for power is an important characteristic of successful managers.
B) Power is not related to leadership.
C) Staff personnel have little power but much authority to influence line managers.
D) A leader's possession of authority is sufficient to assure that subordinates respond as the leader's desires.

Question 61

What are the reasons that employees may not welcome delegation?

Question 62

Define power. Explain how power can be used.

Question 63

Describe the benefits of delegation.

Question 64

What are the two most significant ways of empowering and developing people?

Question 65

What are the adaptive challenges that organizations face today?

Question 66

What are the seven habits of unsuccessful executives?

Question 67

It is important for successful managers to be able to delegate effectively, yet many managers are reluctant to do so. Describe the reasons why leaders fail to delegate.

Question 68

What is "empowerment,"and what is the driving idea behind empowerment?