Deck 13: Influence, Power, and Politics: an Organizational Survival Kit

Question 1

Role models and peer pressure are powerful cultural forces in social settings.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Researchers have found that the nine influence tactics remain the same in terms of their ranking irrespective of whether the direction of social influence is upward,downward,or lateral.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

According to research,the most widely used influence tactic in the workplace is pressure.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

According to French and Raven,there are five bases of power,with reward power being the most influential and advantageous.

Question 5

According to organizational behavior specialists,power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,especially in modern organizations.

Question 6

According to one management writer,power undermines organizational effectiveness.

Question 7

Social influence through rational persuasion involves getting others to support your efforts to persuade someone.

Question 8

Coalition tactics were seen to be highly effective at building commitment in employees.

Question 9

A manager who can elicit a verbal commitment from an employee has taken an important step toward influence and persuasion.

Question 10

Robert B.Cialdini recommends that the six principles of persuasion and influence when used in combination have maximum impact.B.Cialdini recommends using the six principles of influence and persuasion separately rather than together for maximum impact.
Robert

Question 11

Maggie is skilled at talking her way through situations by using her charm.She always compliments her colleagues and makes sure whoever she wants something from is in a good mood before making a request.She is using ingratiation.

Question 12

Referring to friendship and loyalty when making a request is using personal appeal.

Question 13

In today's hurried workplaces,managers must settle for compliance or face resistance as an outcome of influence attempts because they do not invest themselves in the situation.

Question 14

The use of power is not only top-down.Employees can and do exercise power upward and laterally.

Question 15

Rational persuasion is considered,a "hard" influence tactic because it is coercive.

Question 16

Role models have referent power over those who identify closely with them.

Question 17

Special opportunities and privileged information are influence-builders for managers.

Question 18

Expert power is when one's personal characteristics become the reason for compliance.

Question 19

Rick is a quality analyst heading a team of 10 people at Softech Systems.Using his authority,he gets work done by team members within extremely tight deadlines.He is said to be using legitimating tactics.

Question 20

In a survey of 101 employees from two different organizations,employees were more likely to resist change when managers used a legitimating tactic and were more apt to accept change when managers relied on a consultative strategy.

Question 21

Noticeable flattery and ingratiation can backfire by embarrassing the target person and damaging your credibility.

Question 22

Which of the following is a "soft" influence tactic?

A) Exchange
B) Coalition
C) Pressure
D) Legitimating
E) Consultation.

Question 23

Organizational politics can be eliminated through impression management.

Question 24

Research reveals that senior employees are far more political than junior ones,primarily because of their positions.

Question 25

Leslie,an employee at Mindtech Corp.,is trying to get his company to provide free dinner for those employees who frequently have to stay back past midnight.He also wants to get special permission to swipe in late the next day.He gathers support from his team to persuade the manager to discuss this.Leslie is using:

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

Question 26

Social power is unlimited.

Question 27

Jeff,in his meeting with Adam,made the following remark: "Adam,we have been good friends for a long time.I value our friendship and trust your judgment and loyalty.I would like you to take up the transition of the process to the new platform." Jeff is using which of the following influence tactics?

A) Consultation
B) Personal appeal
C) Exchange
D) Coalition tactics
E) Legitimating tactics

Question 28

Which of the following situations best illustrates an inspirational appeal?

A) Marge has veto power over choosing the board members and votes for Richard to be evicted from the board.
B) Damien asks every member of the team to offer a measure that they think will improve the team's performance.
C) Denver is always helpful with tasks just before asking for a leave.
D) June is asking her colleagues to reduce the carbon footprint by opting to join the carpool.
E) Nick asks Sam to cover for him at work on account of them being best friends.

Question 29

Delegation is a technique with very low degree of employee empowerment.

Question 30

Organizational politics involves intentional enhancement of self-interest

Question 31

_____ refer(s)to getting others to support your effort to persuade someone.

A) Consultation
B) Personal appeals
C) Exchange
D) Coalition tactics
E) Legitimating tactics

Question 32

Zeena has a tendency to use praise or flattery with her boss prior to making a request for her per diem invoice.Zeena is using which of the following influence tactics?

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

Question 33

People who are strictly nonpolitical run the risk of being called self-serving and lose their credibility.

Question 34

Freya is trying to convince Angela,her superior,with reason,logic,and facts about why her approach to implementing the new sales plan should be used.Freya is using which of the following influence tactics?

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

Question 35

According to researchers,rational persuasion was found to be a highly acceptable managerial influence tactic.

Question 36

According to research,coercive power had a generally positive effect on job performance and job satisfaction.

Question 37

Yazmeen wants to take things slow and use "soft" tactics with her team which mostly has newcomers.Which of the following influence tactics should she avoid?

A) Consultation
B) Strong rational persuasion
C) Inspirational appeals
D) Coalition tactics
E) Ingratiation

Question 38

Managers prefer people who are supportive,i.e.,"yes men and women," and constructive.

Question 39

Handshake,smile,and manner of dressing can all form an impression and determine whether an individual gets the job offer.

Question 40

According to research,_____ is (are)the least commonly used means of social influence in the workplace.

A) exchange
B) ingratiation
C) consultation
D) legitimating tactics
E) personal appeals

Question 41

Rebecca is a trainer with Microsoft and has complete knowledge of the company and its processes.She often trains junior and senior employees of the firm on different topics.She is said to have _____ power over her trainees.

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

Question 42

It was widely known that Kaylie obtained compliance from her employees primarily because of her formal position and authority.Kaylie can be described as having _____ power.

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

Question 43

According to research,which of the following power bases have a slightly negative effect on work outcomes such as performance,satisfaction,and turnover?

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

Question 44

Celebrities like Michael Jackson and Kurt Cobain have a huge fan following.Due to his,they can be said to have _____ power over the masses.

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

Question 45

_____ refers to the ability to get things done with human,informational,and material resources.

A) Consistency
B) Social power
C) Social proof
D) Empowerment
E) Open-book management

Question 46

Which the following influence tactics is referred to as a "soft" tactic?

A) Consultation
B) Coalition tactics
C) Legitimating tactics
D) Pressure
E) Exchange

Question 47

Threats of punishment and actual punishment give an individual _____ power.

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

Question 48

William is a team leader for the sales department at Target Corp.He calls a team meeting every morning and asks each of his employees for an individual target number they are willing to commit to for the day.According to Cialdini,William is using the principle of:

A) reciprocity.
B) authority.
C) social proof.
D) consistency.
E) liking.

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true of organizational politics?

A) It can be eliminated.
B) It is a form of influence characterized by an emphasis on self-interest.
C) It does not serve the interests of the organization.
D) Senior employees tend to be more political than junior ones.
E) The political aspects of coalitions and networks are the most obvious.

Question 50

_____ was found to be a highly acceptable managerial influence tactic because employees perceived it to be associated with the three bases of power they viewed positively: legitimate,expert,and referent.

A) Rational persuasion
B) Coalition
C) Ingratiation
D) Legitimating
E) Exchange

Question 51

According to researchers,the three possible outcomes of an influence attempt are:

A) respect,fear,and denial.
B) friendship,trust,and interest.
C) commitment,compliance,and resistance.
D) promotion,transfer,and demotion.
E) satisfaction,turnover,and dissatisfaction.

Question 52

At Micro Systems,a firm of 40 employees,only 5 percent of them are eligible for a 5-star rating in their performance evaluation.This entitles them to additional privileges and use of the company club free of cost for a quarter.The company is using the principle of _____ to influence their employees.

A) reciprocity
B) consistency
C) social proof
D) scarcity
E) authority

Question 53

In which of the following instances is open-book management likely to succeed?

A) A team of employees between whom there are high levels of suspicion and insecurity about supervisors.
B) Assembly line employees who each have specialized functions in making watches.
C) A team of employees who are newly inducted into a company,and handed a list of strict "Do's and Don'ts."
D) Employees of a team who prefer a low degree of responsibility.
E) A team of employees who have had years of experience working together and are looking to improvise.

Question 54

Edgar is a police officer.He extorts protection money from storeowners on behalf of the local Mafia.He is using:

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

Question 55

Adel is very religious and believes strongly in the principles of Karma.He believes "what goes around comes around" and always asks his team to work in accordance with this principle.According to Cialdini,Adel believes in the principle of:

A) liking.
B) authority.
C) reciprocity.
D) consistency.
E) social proof.

Question 56

The Federal Trade Commission filed suit against Gateway Learning Corp.The FTC alleged that Gateway committed unfair and deceptive trade practices.It has been selling customer information without informing customers of this fact.This is an example of the FTC using _____ power.

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

Question 57

A belief that people should be paid back for their positive and negative acts is part of the _____ principle identified by Cialdini.

A) reciprocity
B) social power
C) expert power
D) empowerment
E) coalition

Question 58

As operations head,Nannette is implementing pay-for-performance and positive reinforcement programs at ValueTech Center.Nannette is attempting to exploit which power?

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

Question 59

Which the following is NOT a power base suggested by French and Raven?

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

Question 60

As a manager,if Sharon wants to steer clear of using "hard" influence tactics,which of the following should she avoid?

A) Inspirational appeals
B) Coalition tactics
C) Personal appeals
D) Ingratiation
E) Rational persuasion

Question 61

Which of the following forms of social influence involves intentional enhancement of self-interest?

A) Empowerment
B) Reward power
C) Personal appeal
D) Referent power
E) Organizational politics

Question 62

In 1982,seven deaths occurred in the Chicago area; the only link between the deaths was that each of the persons had consumed Tylenol.It was found that the Tylenol packets had been laced with cyanide.Johnson & Johnson,the manufacturer of the drug,took immediate steps to distribute warnings to hospitals,distributors,and also did a nationwide recall of Tylenol products.It also halted Tylenol production and advertising.This is an apt example of:

A) network-level politics.
B) individual-level politics.
C) personal appeal.
D) impression management.
E) influence sharing.

Question 63

Cooperative pursuit of general self-interests is a characteristic of political action at the _____ level.

A) network
B) coalition
C) individual
D) covenant
E) economic

Question 64

Which of the following statements is true of network-level politics?

A) They consist of a group of close-knit individuals.
B) They are mostly people-oriented.
C) They have a short-term agenda.
D) There is a cooperative pursuit of group interests in specific issues.
E) They have clear boundaries and are permanent.

Question 65

A moderate amount of _____ impression management is a necessity for _____ today.

A) upward; top management
B) diagonal; customers
C) upward; the average employee
D) downward; consultants
E) upward; all employees

Question 66

A favorable upward impression management tactic can be:

A) interest-focused,nature-focused,or issue-focused.
B) coalition-focused,people-focused,or network-focused.
C) plan-focused,objective-focused,or politics-focused.
D) Issue-focused,individual-focused,or network-focused.
E) job-focused,supervisor-focused,or self-focused.

Question 67

Impression management at the organizational level,which often involves "managing the message," is called:

A) participative management.
B) open-book management.
C) public relations.
D) reciprocity.
E) personal appeal.

Question 68

Bob is a quality analyst for a content management firm.He passes a project done by one of the new hires as he is in a hurry to leave for a formal function at his home.Later,when there is a client complaint,he puts all the blame on the new hire.This is an example of _____ politics.

A) retroactive
B) moral
C) coalition
D) network
E) reactive

Question 69

All of the following help employees convey a good impression EXCEPT:

A) overcommitting.
B) having a positive mind-set.
C) prioritizing and delivering.
D) taking initiatives.
E) supportive leadership.

Question 70

Political maneuvering is triggered by uncertainty due to:

A) unclear objectives.
B) high ingratiation.
C) personal appeal.
D) lack of change.
E) reward power.

Question 71

Which of the following statements is true of impression management in the workplace?

A) Manipulating information about one's job performance leads to unfavorable downward impression management.
B) Most employees today do not need any kind of impression management.
C) Too little impression management leads to employees being branded a "schmoozer" or "phony."
D) Praising and doing favors for one's supervisor leads to unfavorable downward impression management.
E) Favorable upward impression management tactics can be self-focused.

Question 72

_____ refers to getting others to see us in a certain manner.

A) Ingratiation
B) Impression management
C) Reciprocity
D) Personal appeal
E) Organizational politics

Question 73

Which the following is a situation in which a bad impression is avoided?

A) Jamie works extra hours to ensure that the weekly report is completely error-free.
B) Dominic points out all the ways a new initiative can fall apart,when asked to work on it.
C) Marge always agrees to take up more work than she can finish from her supervisors.
D) Tanja prefers not to respond or stays in the background until people forget they asked her a question.
E) Mickey holds out until the very end to let his supervisor know that he will not be able to work on a project.

Question 74

Identify the correct statement about the different levels of political action in organizations.

A) Networks pivot on specific issues.
B) Politically,networks are issue-oriented.
C) Politically,coalitions are people-oriented.
D) Networks have longer-term agendas than do coalitions.
E) Coalitions are loose associations of individuals seeking social support for their general self-interests.

Question 75

Which the following is NOT a common source of uncertainty within organizations?

A) Any type of change
B) Lack of individual or group competition
C) Unclear objectives
D) Vague performance measures
E) Ill-defined decision processes

Question 76

Cooperative pursuit of group interests in specific issues is a characteristic of political action at the _____ level.

A) network
B) coalition
C) individual
D) system
E) covenant

Question 77

A political coalition:

A) consists of a group of individuals pursuing a single issue.
B) always coincides with formal membership.
C) has a very clear structure and is permanent.
D) involves cooperative pursuit of general self-interests.
E) is a weak force in the organization.

Question 78

According to research,which of the following political tactics occurs most in organizations?

A) Reciprocity
B) Associating with peers who have little or no influence in the organization
C) Using information as a knowledge tool
D) Influence sharing
E) Attacking or blaming others

Question 79

Which of the following is the wrong usage of a crisis-handling strategy of an organization,thus damaging its public relations?

A) Deciding on how information is to be gathered.
B) Downplaying the problem to avoid damages.
C) Being understanding and empathetic.
D) Careful formulation of response.
E) Identifying the media channels to deliver the message.

Question 80

When organizations indulge in scapegoating,the political tactic being used is:

A) coalition.
B) networking.
C) reactive.
D) proactive.
E) corrective.