Deck 8: Using Power and Influence

Question 1

Over-promising and over-delivering is a good strategy for creating positive relationships.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Influence is power in action.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The "foot-in-the-door" technique is an example of the social influence principle of social proof.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Legitimate power is often called authority.

Question 5

Compliance is the most likely outcome of the influence tactic of consultation.

Question 6

One of the most common complaints of frontline workers is that their managers do not fully understand what they (the workers)really do.

Question 7

Cialdini's social influence weapons include reciprocity and social proof.

Question 8

Commitment is the most likely consequence of the use of an inspirational appeal.

Question 9

The most common ways for people to build their expert power is through disciplinary actions.

Question 10

Referent power is often sufficient to gain compliance behavior.

Question 11

Strong ties grow exponentially when your immediate network grows.

Question 12

Behavioral norms influence individual behavior through the imposition,or threat of imposition,of sanctions.

Question 13

Being threatened with firing is considered the most extreme form of referent power.

Question 14

Conformity is an important influence on the actions of people,especially in the presence of formal authority or power.

Question 15

To more effectively manage your boss,come prepared with a recommendation whenever you present a problem.

Question 16

To effectively manage your boss,try to communicate in his/her preferred style.

Question 17

Rationality is the best form of influence.

Question 18

The influence tactic of legitimizing is most likely to produce commitment.

Question 19

Personal appeal and exchange are the most frequently used influence tactics.

Question 20

Compliance is characterized by doing only what is required by a request-and nothing more.

Question 21

Building good relationships at work includes regularly talking a little about your personal life.

Question 22

Which of the following statements best describes the difference between strong ties and weak ties?

A)Strong ties are based on shared values.Weak ties are based on business opportunity.
B)Strong ties are evident between spouses.Weak ties are evident between golf partners.
C)Strong ties are between people who are friends of a friend.Weak ties are between strangers.
D)Strong ties are found in direct relationships.Weak ties are found in indirect relationships.
E)Strong ties grow in business opportunity.Weak ties grow in school board membership.

Question 23

Social networks are built through involvement in clubs and professional organizations.

Question 24

Managers damage relationships with their employees when they refuse to ask for help.

Question 25

Good business etiquette almost always includes a good,firm handshake with people who enter your office.

Question 26

Managers damage relationships with their employees when they take credit for the work of others.

Question 27

Which of the following statements is a myth of power and influence?

A)Power can be used for good or evil.
B)Title alone is only one form of power.
C)Sharing power usually increases your ability to influence.
D)First impressions are important in your ability to influence others.
E)Rationality is the best form of influence.

Question 28

Madge,who reports to Yvonne,questions the overtime schedule for the weekend.At the end of the discussion,Madge says,"Sorry I bothered you.Of course I'll do it.I was just asking about the schedule.Please don't write me up for insubordination." Which part of Yvonne's power base did Madge acknowledge?

A)Expert
B)Reward
C)Coercive
D)Legitimate
E)Referent

Question 29

Should managers try to build their coercive power base?

A)Yes.That is the best way to build commitment.
B)No.That activity can significantly decrease referent power.
C)Yes.That base is the easiest to reinforce and foundational for the acquisition of other types of power.
D)No.That activity can significantly decrease legitimate power.
E)Yes.All power bases should be aggressively cultivated.

Question 30

Having a positive outlook on needing help and about soliciting support is important for building a good social network.

Question 31

Jenna learned that Brady wanted to go to an out-of-town ball game in three weeks when he was scheduled to work.Jenna offered to work for him that weekend if he would work her shifts next weekend.Jenna used the influence tactic of:

A)pressure.
B)ingratiation.
C)legitimizing.
D)coalition.
E)exchange.

Question 32

When making introductions in the business world,defer to office seniority and social standing,not gender.

Question 33

When introducing others,try to state each name several times to give each person the best chance of picking up on the name.

Question 34

What is the best way to build reward power?

A)Actually reward people
B)Maintain budget control
C)Obtain advanced information
D)Reveal specialized information
E)Get promoted.

Question 35

In introductions,when positive information is given first,people are more likely to ignore later information.

Question 36

Great managers know that respect comes from idealistic and noble intentions regardless of whether they were able to deliver on those or not.

Question 37

Frieda,who reports to Shauna,questions the overtime schedule for the weekend.At the end of the discussion,Frieda says,"OK.I'll do it.Thanks for the opportunity to meet the head office representative that recommended you for promotion.You know,I want to be just like you! If I can follow in your career steps here,I'll be happy to work every weekend." Which part of Shauna's power base did Frieda acknowledge?

A)Expert
B)Influence
C)Coercive
D)Legitimate
E)Referent

Question 38

Solomon Asch's work demonstrates the important role of _____ as a powerful source of influence.

A)norms
B)conformity
C)coercion
D)adaptation
E)illusion

Question 39

Anna,who reports to Cynthia,questions the overtime schedule for the weekend.At the end of the discussion,Anna says,"OK.I'll do it.You are the boss." Which part of Cynthia's power base did Anna acknowledge?

A)Expert
B)Reward
C)Coercive
D)Legitimate
E)Referent

Question 40

The most effective influence outcome is:

A)compliance.
B)sanctions.
C)dependence.
D)commitment.
E)resistance.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is true of building a good social network?

A)Needing help is a sign of weakness.
B)Proactively seek reasons to contact the people in your network.
C)Having a lot of Facebook friends implies having a large social network.
D)In general,all people like to feel needed,but involving them in your personal network is likely to be an unwanted imposition.
E)Building a social network to enhance your power and influence is a complex undertaking.

Question 42

Lucy receives a call from a cell phone marketer.The marketer starts with,"Don't you want to switch to Smart Networks? Your friends Tracy and Cindy did.They both said you would be interested in our options." Which social influence weapon was the marketer attempting to use on Lucy?

A)Pressure
B)Reciprocity
C)Appeal to authority
D)Social proof
E)Scarcity

Question 43

When subordinates approach their managers,the best communication strategy starts with:

A)knowing and expressing the strategic importance of the issue.
B)engaging their manager in light,casual banter.
C)addressing any cost or benefits involved.
D)asking for the manager's input to any suggestions made.
E)suggesting a problem solution to the manager.Steps for "Managing Your Boss" include: Begin with the end in mind,do not confuse raw data with useful information,outline both costs and benefits,being as specific as you can about both,and ask for input.

Question 44

Jacob,while hiring a college placement counselor for his son,asked himself,"Is this authority truly an expert?" How did this question provide a defense against the social influence weapon of appeals to authority?

A)It directed Jacob's attention to the symbols of authority.
B)It helped his son challenge Jacob's authority.
C)It defended Jacob's authority in this matter.
D)It drew Jacob's attention to the reality of the authority status.
E)It gave Jacob time to think about alternatives.

Question 45

Much of your first business impression will be based on:

A)clothing and handshake.
B)background and references.
C)expertise and language skills.
D)writing skills and sense of humor.
E)your protégé and your age.

Question 46

Psychological reactance theory,in the context of social influence weapons,proposes that:

A)if a manager lies to a subordinate,the subordinate feels free to lie to the manager.
B)if a subordinate is not respectful toward a manager,the manager will not assign good tasks to that subordinate.
C)if all of your friends like a movie,you will like it as well.
D)whenever there is a threat of scarcity of gadgets,we want more variety than before.
E)men choose to marry "the girl next door" because of the comfort and trust of shared backgrounds.

Question 47

Tina cornered Darryl in the breakroom.She said in an undertone,"Look,I know you said you would not switch scheduled work weekends with me next month.If you don't,I'll tell the manager what really happened in Denver.Understand?" Tina used the influence tactic of:

A)rational persuasion.
B)ingratiation.
C)personal appeal.
D)coalition.
E)pressure.

Question 48

Chad watched as his friend,Ned,learned the hard way that some influence tactics generate resistance.The employees pay little or no attention to what Ned has requested of them.Chad has a major project for his team.It needs to be completed on time,on budget.Ned suggests using pressure tactics,but which influence tactic do you think Chad should use?

A)Pressure
B)Exchange
C)Inspirational appeal
D)Coalition
E)Ingratiation

Question 49

_____ is a social influence weapon.

A)Collusion
B)Coercion
C)Scarcity
D)Pressure
E)Rational persuasion

Question 50

Research findings show that _____ are the most common target of influence attempts.

A)superiors
B)subordinates
C)peers
D)customers
E)rivals

Question 51

Whenever George meets someone new at an investor's meeting,he immediately introduces (or tries to introduce)that person to three others.Which of Levy's name principles does George use?

A)Repetition
B)Focus
C)Address
D)Conversation
E)Employ

Question 52

According to research,three kinds of symbols are most dangerous in creating artificial authority: They are:

A)coercion,reward,and reference.
B)titles,clothing,and automobiles.
C)scarcity,reciprocity,pressure.
D)hair,height,and age.
E)money,name,and fame.

Question 53

Sandra trains consumers at a consumer awareness workshop titled,"Door-in-the-face." She prepares her students to guard against the social influence weapon of:

A)friendship/liking.
B)commitment and consistency.
C)scarcity.
D)social proof.
E)reciprocity.

Question 54

Compliance is the most common outcome of this influence tactic.

A)Pressure
B)Legitimizing
C)Consultation
D)Personal appeal
E)Inspirational appeal

Question 55

James,Daniel,and Frank own an electronics shop,one-third each.James likes merchandise with snob appeal.Daniel wants to stock old,traditional items.Frank orders anything that is new.Which of the following weapons of social influence are the three trying to use?

A)Pressure
B)Reciprocity
C)Appeals to authority
D)Social proof
E)Scarcity

Question 56

Greg wants his mechanics and material handlers to work double shifts for two weeks without extra pay to fulfill contract requirements.If Greg's firm does not make the deadline,Greg anticipates a major layoff and possible plant closing.Greg prepares a 100-page report full of charts,data,deadlines,etc.He has all the information needed to explain the situation to his employees.Irwin,a consultant,advises Greg to combine an inspirational appeal with the solid rational persuasion he has prepared.Was Irwin right?

A)Yes.The appeal will take the pressure off Irwin's charts and graphs.
B)No.Workers are confused by the use of multiple influence tactics.
C)Yes.The emotional appeal will help isolate the mechanics and the material handlers from the rest of the workforce.
D)No.This combination of tactics runs counter to what is known about persuasion.
E)Yes.Impacting emotions often brings rational elements into line.

Question 57

Michael,a college registrar,has scheduled a meeting with Patricia,his supervisor,to talk about low-course enrollments for the next semester.Which of the following is the best opener for that meeting?

A)"Hey,I saw you and your husband at the Club last weekend.Did you try the new ostrich special?"
B)"What are we going to do about the lack of students for next semester? Recruiters are not trained and knowledgeable about our campus."
C)"I think we should cancel 75 sections of courses for next semester.Most of the courses are not interesting to the students today.Required courses have steady enrollments."
D)"Did you hear that Coach M had another heart attack? The team will probably be shaken up for the rest of the season."
E)"I know we need to maintain an enrollment minimum of 12 students per section,and I have a preliminary schedule to address the enrollment shortage for next semester."

Question 58

Jessica trains people in a consumer awareness workshop titled,"Lowballing,foot-in-the-door,and bait-and-switch." She prepares her students to guard against the social influence weapon of:

A)friendship/liking.
B)commitment and consistency.
C)scarcity.
D)social proof.
E)appeals to authority.

Question 59

Which of the following theories proposes that whenever free choice is limited,the need to retain our freedom makes us want it more than before?

A)Psychological reactance theory
B)Regulatory focus theory
C)Self-determination theory
D)Behavioral constraint theory
E)Rational-emotive theory

Question 60

George stacked some old tires at the end of his driveway with a red sign,"Free tires.Some good tread left." The tires remained there for months,without anyone buying them.He replaced the red sign with a black sign,"Last set of original Model QZ tires - Available for only $100 through month end.Knock on first green door on the right for details or leave your telephone number." The next morning,the tires had been stolen.George had inadvertently used the social influence weapon of:

A)liking.
B)scarcity.
C)anonymity.
D)reciprocity.
E)appeals to authority.

Question 61

You are a systems administrator responsible for maintaining the computer systems at your company.You suddenly realize there is a glitch in the system.If this problem is not rectified soon,it might lead to a disastrous computer system crash.You have a slightly "out-of-the-box" solution in mind.Since your boss is not as tech savvy as you are,you might have a hard time convincing him.Outline how you will communicate this issue to your boss.

Question 62

Just out of college,Jack has already landed his dream job at a mobile app development company.Before joining,the HR manager briefed him that no written or official dress code exists in that company and he could wear what he likes.His hiring interviews did not take place in the company location and he has never been inside the workplace.Eager to make a good impression,Jack turns up in strict formal attire on his first day at work.He is met with "stares" and "sneers" from his new co-workers,who are all dressed in T-shirts and jeans.Which form of influence does this scenario illustrate? Why is it important to learn about this form of influence?

Question 63

Describe French and Raven's model of power bases.Which power base is often thought of as the most difficult to increase and why?

Question 64

What is the key principle behind the social influence weapon of commitment and consistency? Explain with one example how this weapon can be used in an unethical way.

Question 65

Don owns and operates Don's House,a suburban restaurant in a large metropolitan area.He took Coogie,his assistant manager,to the monthly dinner meeting of the local restaurant owner's association.The restaurant owners take turns hosting the event,providing dinner for each other.Each restaurant shares a taste of some agreed upon menu item.Last month,Don's chicken salad was voted "the best chicken salad in town." So,tonight Don is supposed to share the recipe with the group at Harry's Harmony Palace.Next week,all member restaurants will feature "Don's chicken salad" as a menu special,with a footnote about Don's House.The free publicity practically guaranteed Don new visitors from all over town.Don and Coogie arrived early,going around the room.Other owners greeted Don warmly and congratulated him for the chicken salad and admired the picture of his new grandson,Don Jr.Don introduced Coogie to each one in turn,saying,"Coogie,this is [owner's name] from [owner's restaurant].They have the best [something] in town.Coogie here perfected my chicken salad recipe!" Coogie did not remember any of the names,and had forgotten all his chicken salad stories by the time they finally sat down.Ray from "The Place in the Shade" won the onion soup competition.On the way home,Coogie commented,"That was terrific! You know everyone in town! How did this start? Whoever heard of sharing favorite recipes? They really liked my chicken salad,didn't they? Thanks,Don.I feel like I made some new friends tonight." Don commented,"Thank yourself,kid.It was your recipe.It was my pleasure to help you show it off.They are a great bunch of guys.Me and Ray started this,I guess,about 15 years ago,him on the east side and me out on the west.We'd run into each other at that little market downtown on Thursday mornings.Pedro,the market owner,introduced us one day.We started talking about business and stuff.Our kids were the same age,liked the same sports,that kind of stuff.People here don't try new places on their own.So,we hit on the idea of mentioning each other's restaurant to our steady customers,telling them to try something different once in a while.Pretty soon,the other guys started hanging out with us and we decided to do the dinner routine.We formed the association to put that little decal doodad in our front windows.Customers like that kind of stuff,you know.Want to come again next month? Maybe we can work on the names a little bit beforehand.I almost died laughing when you called Tubby Jones 'Sir.' That was terrific." Please refer to this scenario for the following question.
Assume you have the requisite culinary skills.Would you work for Don? Talk about the influence tactics he uses and his professionalism.

Question 66

What is the psychological reactance theory?

Question 67

You have just started on your new,high-profile job in Seattle.You landed the job mostly because of your expertise in a niche area of technology.Soon after joining,your boss gives you the responsibility of undertaking a project in your area of expertise.You start enthusiastically,but soon realize that the project will require substantial help and inputs from many of your new co-workers and their bosses.Your problem is that you do not know anyone in your workplace and you do not have any authority over the colleagues whose help you need.Which French and Raven's power bases will you be able to use? How do you plan to use them?

Question 68

Julie is very active on Facebook and has many "Facebook friends." She is a recent college grad and is about to actively start job hunting.Of late,she has become alarmed with the rising number of candidates not being hired because of their Facebook profiles.Julie fears she might have to quit Facebook altogether.Advise her.

Question 69

Don owns and operates Don's House,a suburban restaurant in a large metropolitan area.He took Coogie,his assistant manager,to the monthly dinner meeting of the local restaurant owner's association.The restaurant owners take turns hosting the event,providing dinner for each other.Each restaurant shares a taste of some agreed upon menu item.Last month,Don's chicken salad was voted "the best chicken salad in town." So,tonight Don is supposed to share the recipe with the group at Harry's Harmony Palace.Next week,all member restaurants will feature "Don's chicken salad" as a menu special,with a footnote about Don's House.The free publicity practically guaranteed Don new visitors from all over town.Don and Coogie arrived early,going around the room.Other owners greeted Don warmly and congratulated him for the chicken salad and admired the picture of his new grandson,Don Jr.Don introduced Coogie to each one in turn,saying,"Coogie,this is [owner's name] from [owner's restaurant].They have the best [something] in town.Coogie here perfected my chicken salad recipe!" Coogie did not remember any of the names,and had forgotten all his chicken salad stories by the time they finally sat down.Ray from "The Place in the Shade" won the onion soup competition.On the way home,Coogie commented,"That was terrific! You know everyone in town! How did this start? Whoever heard of sharing favorite recipes? They really liked my chicken salad,didn't they? Thanks,Don.I feel like I made some new friends tonight." Don commented,"Thank yourself,kid.It was your recipe.It was my pleasure to help you show it off.They are a great bunch of guys.Me and Ray started this,I guess,about 15 years ago,him on the east side and me out on the west.We'd run into each other at that little market downtown on Thursday mornings.Pedro,the market owner,introduced us one day.We started talking about business and stuff.Our kids were the same age,liked the same sports,that kind of stuff.People here don't try new places on their own.So,we hit on the idea of mentioning each other's restaurant to our steady customers,telling them to try something different once in a while.Pretty soon,the other guys started hanging out with us and we decided to do the dinner routine.We formed the association to put that little decal doodad in our front windows.Customers like that kind of stuff,you know.Want to come again next month? Maybe we can work on the names a little bit beforehand.I almost died laughing when you called Tubby Jones 'Sir.' That was terrific." Please refer to this scenario for the following question.
Help Don grow his business.Make your suggestions in the context of the six social influence weapons.Tell him how to guard against misusing them.

Question 70

As a newly promoted manager,you have been asked to introduce new hires to their co-workers in your group.How will you do this in a professional manner?

Question 71

Describe any four of the nine most common influence tactics.

Question 72

Identify a few myths of power and influence.

Question 73

Discuss how people are able to influence without any real legitimate or formal authority.

Question 74

Discuss the three possible outcomes of influence tactics.What are the most likely outcomes of the nine influence tactics?