Deck 8: Power and Politics

Question 1

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 1

D

Question 2

Power is

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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

Answer 3

E

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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 6

The most important aspect of power is

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

Question 7

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 8

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 9

What type of power base allows celebrities to demand millions of dollars to endorse products?

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

Question 10

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 11

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 coworkers 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.

Question 12

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 13

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

Question 14

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 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

Power is

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

Question 17

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 18

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 19

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)dependency
D)powerful
E)enduring

Question 20

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 21

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

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

Question 22

The vice president's bases of power likely causes which response to power in others

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

Question 23

In which instance will dependency 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 24

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 25

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 26

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 27

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 28

Dependency upon you is decreased when the resource you control is

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

Question 29

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-dependency
C)referent power
D)importance-dependency
E)referent dependency

Question 30

According to research the power tactic most effective across all levels of organizations is

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

Question 31

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)dependency.
E)harassment.

Question 32

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)dependency.
C)empowerment.
D)reference.
E)harassment.

Question 33

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 34

The study of scarcity helps explain

A)how low-ranking members in an organization, who have important information, gain power.
B)where power comes from within an organization.
C)how employee behaviour is manipulated by management.
D)how leaders are forced to act in order to achieve goals.
E)how decisions are made throughout an organization.

Question 35

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 36

The degree of dependency a person feels is inversely proportional to

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

Question 37

Power 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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

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)dependency.
B)power.
C)empowerment.
D)class.
E)political behaviour.

Question 42

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 43

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 44

Studies show that this situation is probably more about ________ than about sex.

A)power
B)coercion
C)politics
D)impressing you
E)influence

Question 45

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 46

Research shows using self-promotion ________ job interview outcomes and ________ performance evaluation outcomes.

A)decreases, decreases
B)increases, decreases
C)decreases, increases
D)increases, increases
E)decreases, has no impact on

Question 47

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 48

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 49

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 50

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 51

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 52

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 53

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 54

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 55

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 56

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 57

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 58

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 59

When employees have a sense of self-determination and a sense of competence the employee is likely experiencing

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

Question 60

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 61

Which of the following is an example of impression management?

A)dressing to match the company dress code
B)mirroring the behaviours of an interviewer
C)finding areas of disagreement
D)asking favours of others
E)associating with your friends

Question 62

One of the most unpleasant characteristics of Stephan, a new employee, is that he attempts to take credit for the positive accomplishments of others. This is known as

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

Question 63

Managing impressions so that others see you positively is

A)likely to benefit your career.
B)threating to others.
C)negatively affects emotions.
D)outside the work role.
E)decreases your referent power.

Question 64

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 65

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 66

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 67

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 68

Norma is notorious for doing favours for her co-workers so that they will "owe" her favours later on when she really needs them. Norma is

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

Question 69

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 70

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 71

"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 72

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 73

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 74

Jerod is using

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

Question 75

The reality of the situation is probably related to company politics. Peter was not overly concerned with politics; he pays careful attention to the running of his division and keeps his people motivated to produce above average results. In fact, Peter appeared to be quite oblivious to what led up to Les's promotion. Which of the following factors would assist Peter to improve his political effectiveness?

A)Peter should make himself appear to be indispensable to GIC.
B)Peter should develop powerful allies with potentially influential people.
C)Peter needs to support his boss more frequently.
D)Developing the right image to "fit" into GIC might be beneficial.
E)All of the actions listed here would help Peter create a more influential presence at GIC.

Question 76

The process by which individuals attempt to control the impressions others form of them is referred to as

A)impression management.
B)misdirection.
C)defensive behaviour.
D)perception management.
E)value management.

Question 77

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 78

Which of the following is FALSE, concerning impression management techniques?

A)Applicants using impression management techniques did better in interviews.
B)Applicants using a self-promotion during an interview were rated higher.
C)Using impression management techniques in job interviews tends to work.
D)Applicants using a submissive style were preferred because this demonstrated respect.
E)Applicants use self-promotion more than ingratiation.

Question 79

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 80

As a political tactic, ingratiating likely works because

A)self-promotion works.
B)supervisors know your performance level.
C)interviewers don't know your performance level.
D)people like to be treated nicely.
E)finding agreement makes other uncomfortable.