Deck 7: Power Politics and Leadership

Question 1

Rating a high performer as mediocre in order to prevent his or her transfer out of ones department is an example of playing territorial games.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The embrace-or-demolish political technique can include terminating people who disagree with the management on major issues.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Pursuing or encouraging organizational politics can emphasize self-interest at the expense of others.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Self-leadership occurs when the group members choose their own leader.

Question 5

When a boss practices favoritism or cronyism, organizational politics tends to decrease.

Question 6

A pyramid-shaped organization encourages organizational politics because people feel compelled to compete for a limited number of powerful positions.

Question 7

Two common outcomes of the perception of organizational politics in a company are (1) less commitment to the organization and (2) a stronger intention to quit the company.

Question 8

One type of personal power would be power stemming from the:

A) relevant expertise a person brings to the job.
B) ownership stake a person has in the firm.
C) rewards a manager can administer.
D) closeness to a key executive.

Question 9

An important component of full-fledged empowerment is that the manager decides which method the group members should use to accomplish their tasks.

Question 10

_____ power is a type of personal power.

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

Question 11

Hiring people with high integrity tends to increase politics in the office because people with integrity tend to be very ambitious.

Question 12

Managers who share their power with their group members actually experience an increase in their own power.

Question 13

When a state of goal congruence exists, workers are more likely to play organizational politics.

Question 14

_____ power stems from a leader's authority to respond to the consequences of people's actions.

A) Information
B) Prestige
C) Expert
D) Reward

Question 15

A manager is being politically correct when he refers to a 70-year-old employee as "our most experienced worker," rather than "our oldest worker."

Question 16

Being tactless toward influential people has become a career booster because many managers invite honest feedback.

Question 17

An analysis of organizational politics reveals that political skill combines social awareness with the ability to communicate well.

Question 18

Empowerment is a broader concept than delegation because delegation is focused on a specific task.

Question 19

Working on problems critical to the company's success helps provide a person with power.

Question 20

Which of the following actions or events would bring a person legitimate power?

A) Obtaining an MBA
B) Being appointed a corporate officer
C) Being well-liked by an honest executive
D) Developing charisma

Question 21

Sending thank-you notes to large numbers of people is regarded as a:

A) basic, but effective, political technique.
B) way to make a quick showing.
C) method of keeping others informed.
D) method of controlling lines of communication.

Question 22

A study of empowerment in a firm with operations in the United States, Mexico, Poland, and India found that empowerment was negatively associated with job satisfaction among the workers in:

A) India.
B) Mexico.
C) Poland.
D) the United States.

Question 23

Which of the following is recommended as an effective empowering practice?

A) Providing ample information to workers
B) Allowing group members to establish their own limits to empowerment
C) Choosing work methods for group members
D) Separating work activities from organizational goals

Question 24

A major political blunder is to:

A) be tactless toward influential people.
B) agree with everything the boss says in a public forum.
C) participate in dress-down days.
D) accept the first offer from top management.

Question 25

Wanda, a team leader, is managing the critical role of selling company assets to raise cash and has, therefore, gained prominence. Which of the following is the explanation for the source of power Wanda is exercising?

A) Strategic contingency theory
B) Prestige power
C) Power stemming from being close to power
D) Power stemming from ownership

Question 26

After creating a false catastrophe, a particularly devious political player:

A) apologizes and admits his or her falsehood.
B) claims to have resolved the problem.
C) openly laughs at management for believing the story.
D) asks another department to solve the problem.

Question 27

Middle manager Barney practices favoritism when he recommends for promotion:

A) a worker chosen at random.
B) a golfing buddy who is a poor performer.
C) a worker suggested by his boss.
D) the best performer in the department.

Question 28

Margaret has Machiavellian tendencies, so she is likely to:

A) reach out to less fortunate people.
B) rebel against macho men in the workplace.
C) manipulate other people for her personal gain.
D) avoid political tactics.

Question 29

Which one of the following should be considered the least effective contributor to empowerment?

A) Starting with small changes and then building on the early success
B) Providing a positive emotional atmosphere
C) Encouraging employees to set their own limits to empowerment
D) Making rewards visible

Question 30

Gus has been empowered by his manager to develop a new workflow design for the office. After completing the task successfully, Gus believes that he has the ability to perform another important task. The characteristic of empowerment just described is:

A) self-determination.
B) internal commitment.
C) meaning.
D) self-efficacy.

Question 31

Which of the following factors is least likely to contribute to political behavior in the workplace?

A) Environmental uncertainty and turbulence
B) Emotional insecurity of workers
C) A pyramid-shaped organization structure
D) Rejecting unwarranted compliments from subordinates

Question 32

A leader acquires prestige power through:

A) association with successful people.
B) making the right contacts.
C) developing an outside reputation.
D) skillful use of organizational politics.

Question 33

Roxanne, a manager, applies the dependence perspective toward power when she:

A) emphasizes empowering staff members.
B) proves to higher management that she is dependable.
C) acts dependent and weak in meetings.
D) makes her staff members dependent on her to pursue their ideas.

Question 34

According to the dependence perspective, Alex has power over Ziggy when:

A) Alex and Ziggy work collaboratively.
B) Alex is dependent on Ziggy.
C) Ziggy is dependent on Alex.
D) Alex and Ziggy work independently of each other.

Question 35

A consequence of the dependence perspective is that when leaders start losing their ability to control resources, they:

A) shift to another source of power.
B) become dependent on the organization.
C) compensate by receiving additional position power.
D) lose power.

Question 36

A recommended way of reducing disruptive politics within the work group is to:

A) tightly control information on how rewards will be allocated.
B) prefer to work with the least political group members.
C) threaten to stab in the back those who play politics excessively.
D) avoid favoritism.

Question 37

The higher a unit reports in a firm's hierarchy, the:

A) less dependent it is on organizational resources.
B) more likely it will be the first to go during downsizing.
C) more power it acquires.
D) less likely it is to accrue opportunity power.

Question 38

Anika Bananga, a CEO, is a black woman raised in Africa. While introducing Bananga to work associates, it would be most politically correct to say, "I would like you to meet Anika Bananga, our _____."

A) beautiful lady CEO
B) CEO
C) CEO and first black person in this position
D) African-American CEO

Question 39

A recommended strategy for minimizing office politics is to:

A) set a good example at the top.
B) reward people for snitching on office politicians.
C) keep tighter control of information.
D) increase the competition for jobs.

Question 40

Two components of empowerment revealed by research are:

A) competence and self-determination.
B) command and control.
C) consideration and initiating structure.
D) risk taking and error correction.

Question 41

Empowerment is most likely to create disharmony and dysfunction when workers _____.

A) accrue power and their subordinates are dependent on them
B) lack a clear perception of the boundaries of empowerment
C) possess the ability to influence others through specialized knowledge, skills, or abilities
D) are excessively dependent on their boss

Question 42

Ramos, a CEO, was recently made both President and CEO of the company. Which of the following is a consequence of Ramos occupying this dual role?

A) The dependence theory dictates that his power will decrease
B) His personal power is weakened
C) The strategic contingency theory predicts that his moral identity will rise
D) His legitimate power is strengthened

Question 43

Jason takes great care to cultivate close, positive, working relationships with influential higher-ups at his organization. This tactic is referred to as:

A) Schmoozing
B) Sucking up
C) Bartering influence
D) Developing power contacts

Question 44

A rationale for empowerment is that the most successful organizations:

A) have highly knowledgeable managers in most positions.
B) invest heavily in research and development.
C) have highly knowledgeable autocrats in most positions.
D) effectively use the talents of all players on the team.

Question 45

_____ refers to the idea that all organizational members are capable of leading themselves at least to some extent. ​

A) Leadership commitment
B) Internal commitment
C) Self-leadership
D) Organizational capability

Question 46

Why is political skill considered to be a constructive force?

A) It facilitates gaining power especially if practiced in the extreme.
B) It encourages employees to adopt a strategy of being blatantly tactless toward influential people.
C) It manifests itself in being socially astute and engaging in behaviors that lead to feelings of confidence and trust.
D) It requires that one pretend to be nice but all the while plan someone's demise.

Question 47

Which of the following cases demonstrates the gaining of power according to the dependence perspective?

A) Laverne rewards her team members with cash bonuses over Christmas.
B) Ted runs his own advertisement agency.
C) Raj is promoted to senior vice president in his firm.
D) Bill seeks Clara's inputs and advice to improve his performance.

Question 48

​Jeff has been appointed as the new CEO of a banking company. Jeff is considered to be a "hands-off" leader, who encourages empowerment at all levels. He is also considered an expert in banking. However, the company is recovering from a prolonged period of losses during the economic downturn. The organization has also become more political. At this juncture, what are the leadership practices Jeff should focus on and implement?

Question 49

Which of the following examples represents a manager whose actions encourage organizational politics?

A) A manager who has led his firm to profits over the last year
B) A manager who relies on objective standards for judging performance
C) A manager who frowns every time he receives criticism
D) A manager who creates a stable and predictable work environment

Question 50

Taylor works as a supervisor in an information technology firm. In his quest for more power, he often resorts to manipulating others for his own personal advantage. Discuss the tendencies that could have possibly contributed to this type of organizational politics. What should Taylor do if he wants to repair the relationships he has damaged and earn the trust and respect of his co-workers and team members?

Question 51

According to a consultant cited in the leadership text, after the group is empowered, the leader:

A) functions like a member of the group.
B) should still provide guidance.
C) gets involved mostly to provide discipline.
D) basically stays behind the scenes.

Question 52

During delegation, if responsibilities are not clearly defined by the delegator, the result can be:

A) environmental uncertainty.
B) a manager who knows he can no longer trust the subordinate.
C) conflict between the delegator and the one delegated to.
D) an opportunity for growth.

Question 53

Which of the following is true of delegation?

A) It makes effective leadership more difficult than empowerment.
B) It involves less checking on subordinates than empowerment.
C) It is more motivational than empowerment.
D) It is a narrower concept than empowerment.

Question 54

Greta, the operations manager of a chain of retail stores, visits one of the stores for a meet and greet with the employees of that store. She notices that some employees appear stressed, while others frequently compliment the store manager. Some employees report that they do not feel like they have a voice in the administrative or operating outcomes on their job. What should Greta do in order to avoid negative consequences of political behavior? How can she make the employees feel that they can participate in management?

Question 55

In a research and development firm, the _____ has the most legitimate power.

A) lab manager
B) senior research analyst
C) head of research and development
D) summer associate

Question 56

_____ refers to an individual's sense of having a choice in initiating and regulating actions.

A) Self-interest
B) Self-determination
C) Self-esteem
D) Self-efficacy

Question 57

_____ authorizes people at the highest levels in an organization to make a decision and expect compliance.

A) ​Referent power
B) ​Legitimate power
C) ​Prestige power
D) ​Expert power

Question 58

Keith often resorts to excessive flattery to obtain favorable treatment from his boss. Which of the following is the factor likely motivating Keith toward such behavior?

A) Making a quick showing
B) Machiavellian tendencies
C) Emotional insecurity
D) Controlling vital information

Question 59

According to the Law of Reciprocity (as it relates to organizational politics),:

A) hard work pays off in the long run.
B) everybody expects to be paid back.
C) workers who are wronged seek revenge.
D) leaders get even with disloyal group members.

Question 60

When a floor manager empowers this team members, his power:

A) multiplies in direct proportion to the number of people receiving a power share.
B) increases.
C) remains approximately the same.
D) decreases.