Deck 12: Power, Politics, and Ethics

Question 1

Effective managers are generally viewed as being high in coercive power.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Power can exist in a relationship even though it is not used or exercised.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Which base of individual power is most consistently associated with employee effectiveness?

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Legitimate power

A)is a function of one's formal organizational role.
B)is less important than the other power bases.
C)is applied equally by all those who possess it.
D)exists when the power holder is well liked by others.
E)is perfectly correlated with coercive power.

Question 5

Expert power corresponds to the difficulty of

A)the job.
B)the subordinates.
C)replacement.
D)the situation.
E)leadership.

Question 6

Two army officers get into an argument, and one cites his rank in an attempt to settle the matter.To which power base is he resorting?

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

Question 7

Jane, a professor, has more important publications than anyone in her university department.She is very high on the ________ power base.

Question 8

I have referent power over you.This means that

A)I know something you don't want made public.
B)I have a skill that you admire.
C)I like you.
D)you like me.
E)you dislike me.

Question 9

A leader's legitimate power is the power base most consistently associated with employee effectiveness.

Question 10

Which of the following statements concerning power is FALSE?

A)Power can flow in any direction in an organization.
B)Power is not always exercised.
C)Because the target of power is dependent upon the power holder, a poor relationship necessarily exists between the two.
D)Power is a broad concept that applies to individuals, groups, and subunits.
E)Two individuals can have power over each other.

Question 11

A military commander who is well liked and admired by his troops is leading them on a highly structured mission.We can be certain that the commander is high on two bases or power.What are they?

A)Legitimate and referent
B)Reward and expert
C)Coercive and expert
D)Information and reward
E)Referent and coercive

Question 12

The more critical and unusual an individual's expertise, the more referent power she has.

Question 13

A well-liked Nobel Prize winner has considerable influence among the members of his scientific research team.This person is high on which two bases of social power?

A)Legitimate and referent
B)Coercive and reward
C)Legitimate and coercive
D)Reward and expert
E)Referent and expert

Question 14

Referent power is especially potent because

A)it stems from identification with the power holder.
B)few people have it.
C)its absence may lead to cognitive dissonance.
D)it is perfectly correlated with coercive power.
E)it is perfectly correlated with expert power.

Question 15

Which base of individual power is most closely associated with one's position or job in the organization?

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

Question 16

Of the various bases of individual power, expertise is most consistently associated with employee effectiveness.

Question 17

Power is a concept that applies to individuals.

Question 18

Power is defined as

A)the capacity to influence others who are in a state of dependence.
B)a process of antagonism that occurs when one person or organizational subunit frustrates the goal attainment of another.
C)the joint occurrence of antagonism and blocked goals.
D)using influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the organization or to obtain sanctioned ends through nonsanctioned means.
E)establishing good connections with key organizational members in order to achieve one's goals.

Question 19

Coercive power

A)is often associated with workgroup ineffectiveness.
B)is perfectly correlated with legitimate power.
C)is available when the power holder can exert influence by providing positive outcomes.
D)can only be applied by higher level organizational members to lower level members.
E)is generally effective at reducing employee resistance.

Question 20

What kind of power is most likely to be ineffective?

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

Question 21

What are the five bases of individual power? Which one do you think is most powerful overall? Provide an example to illustrate your rationale.

Question 22

What kinds of activities lead to power according to Rosabeth Moss Kanter?

Question 23

________ is the capacity to influence others who are in a state of dependence.

Question 24

William's employees cooperate with him because they like him.Thus, he has ________ power over them.

Question 25

Empowerment occurs when people are given ________ to take the initiative and solve organizational problems.

A)excessive power
B)authority, opportunity, and motivation
C)orders
D)employees
E)assertiveness training

Question 26

Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggests that ________ activities lead to the acquisition of power.

A)charitable
B)fiscal
C)extraordinary
D)Machiavellian
E)unethical

Question 27

To gain power in an organization one's activities should be extraordinary, relevant, and ________.

Question 28

Liaisons with key ________ probably represent the best way of obtaining power through cultivating others.

Question 29

An example of empowerment at work is approaching the service desk and hearing:

A)"Sorry! I don't have the authority to solve that problem."
B)"Let me refund your money in full."
C)"That's not my job."
D)"I'll tell my boss about this."
E)"I just need to get my supervisor's signature."

Question 30

Which of the following represents the best way of obtaining power through cultivating others?

A)Relationships with outsiders
B)Relationships with subordinates
C)Relationships with peers
D)Relationships with superiors
E)Relationships with customers

Question 31

According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, developing informal relationships with the right people is a useful means of acquiring power.Who are the "right" people she is referring to?

Question 32

Employee effectiveness is highest when the boss is high on the ________ power base.

Question 33

The sergeant defers to the captain because he is the captain.Thus, the captain has ________ power over the sergeant.

Question 34

Behaviours that are used to convert power into actual influence are called

A)authority.
B)influence tactics.
C)empowerment.
D)power bases.
E)Machiavellian tactics.

Question 35

Richard Thackeray has just been hired as a management trainee in the marketing department at Kapster Enterprises.He is hoping to quickly move up the corporate hierarchy and eventually become the Vice President of Marketing.However, Richard realizes that there are several powerful managers above him in the hierarchy who undoubtedly have aspirations about becoming a vice president as well.What advice might you give to Richard about how to obtain power?

Question 36

The relationship between performance and empowerment suggests which of the following relationships?

A)Low power-effective performance
B)High power-effective performance
C)Sufficient power-effective performance
D)Legitimate power-expert performance
E)None of the above

Question 37

Of all the bases of managerial power, ________ is most consistently associated with employee effectiveness.

Question 38

Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggests that certain types of activities lead to power.Which of the following activities is NOT likely to lead to power acquisition?

A)Extraordinary activities
B)Visible activities
C)Charitable activities
D)Relevant activities
E)Exceptional performance in non-routine activities

Question 39

________ power corresponds to the difficulty of replacement.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT an influence tactic?

A)Assertiveness
B)Ingratiation
C)Coalition formation
D)Rationality
E)Machiavellianism

Question 41

Rationality is most likely to be directed towards

A)subordinates.
B)peers.
C)superiors.
D)men.
E)women.

Question 42

What influence tactics are effective in job search situations?

A)Assertiveness and self-promotion
B)Ingratiation and self-promotion
C)Rationality and assertiveness
D)Exchange and rationality
E)Upward appeal and self-promotion

Question 43

What influence tactic do people report using very frequently?

A)Upward appeal
B)Exchange
C)Ingratiation
D)Rationality
E)Assertiveness

Question 44

When it comes to the use of influence tactics, someone with coercive power might gravitate towards

A)assertiveness.
B)ingratiation.
C)rationality.
D)exchange.
E)upward appeal.

Question 45

People who are empowered have a strong sense of

A)who they are.
B)what they want.
C)what they must do.
D)self-efficacy.
E)self-esteem.

Question 46

Ingratiation and self-promotion are effective in job search.

Question 47

Empowerment fosters job satisfaction but not performance.

Question 48

When it comes to the use of influence tactics, someone with expert power might gravitate towards

A)assertiveness or self-promotion.
B)ingratiation or self-promotion.
C)rationality or self-promotion.
D)exchange or rationality.
E)upward appeal or ingratiation.

Question 49

When it comes to the use of influence tactics, someone with referent power might gravitate towards

A)assertiveness.
B)ingratiation.
C)rationality.
D)exchange.
E)upward appeal.

Question 50

What is the relation between the bases of power and influence tactics?

A)Coercive power uses assertiveness.
B)Referent power uses rationality.
C)Expert power uses exchange.
D)Coercive power uses ingratiation.
E)Referent power uses upward appeal.

Question 51

Someone with expert power might try rationality or self-promotion.

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of an influence tactic?

A)Buffing
B)Buck passing
C)Ingratiation
D)Stalling
E)Overconforming

Question 53

What influence tactic involves ordering, nagging, setting deadlines, and verbally confronting others?

A)Assertiveness
B)Ingratiation
C)Rationality
D)Self-promotion.
E)Upward appeal

Question 54

What influence tactic involves touting one's accomplishments, image enhancement, and name-dropping?

A)Assertiveness
B)Ingratiation
C)Rationality
D)Self-promotion.
E)Upward appeal

Question 55

Mara has just been introduced to a new employee in her organization.She is not sure what to think of this person as she seems to spend a lot of her time touting her accomplishments and name-dropping.What is this person doing?

A)Assertiveness
B)Ingratiation
C)Rationality
D)Self-promotion.
E)Upward appeal

Question 56

Someone with coercive power might gravitate towards ingratiation.

Question 57

What influence tactic is universally employed?

A)Assertiveness
B)Exchange
C)Ingratiation
D)Self-promotion
E)Upward appeal

Question 58

What group(s)is/are most likely to be the recipients of the assertiveness influence tactic?

A)Subordinates
B)Peers
C)Superiors
D)Subordinates and peers
E)Subordinates, peers, and superiors

Question 59

Assertiveness and self-promotion are effective in job search.

Question 60

Self-promotion is universally employed.

Question 61

More men than women have a high need for power.

Question 62

According to David McClelland, the most effective managers

A)have a high need for personal power.
B)have a high need for affiliation.
C)are institutional managers.
D)are concerned with being well-liked.
E)use coercive power extensively.

Question 63

Describe four influence tactics and explain how each may be related to one of the individual power bases.

Question 64

According to McClelland, the most effective managers have a high need for power and want others to like them.

Question 65

Describe four influence tactics and explain which ones are most and least effective.

Question 66

Someone with expert power might try rationality or self-promotion.

Question 67

People who are empowered have a strong sense of ________.

Question 68

________ are used to convert power into actual influence over others.

Question 69

Empowerment means giving people the authority, opportunity, and ________ to take initiative to solve organizational problems.

Question 70

According to David McClelland, institutional managers

A)are very concerned with how much others like them.
B)have a high need for power.
C)use their power to further their self-interests and work against organizational goals.
D)adopt a directive and coercive leadership style.
E)are more likely to succeed in public sector organizations.

Question 71

Gordon Wong, VP of Human Resources at Zeta Manufacturing, has just reviewed last month's disappointing productivity figures from the assembly plant where an empowerment program was launched six months ago.Not only was performance down, but employee expenses and related costs had doubled over the same period last year.Gordon could not understand why the empowerment program had not achieved better productivity results-especially since the assembly workers now had virtually complete control over their jobs.As he reviewed the report, he pondered, "Perhaps our empowerment initiatives did not go far enough? Maybe we need to give them even more power?" Using your knowledge of empowerment, what advice might you give to Gordon?

Question 72

________ involves touting one's accomplishments, image enhancement, and name-dropping.

Question 73

Self-promotion and ingratiation are effective in ________ situations.

Question 74

A manager with a high need for personal power

A)will be the most effective manager.
B)will avoid using organizational politics.
C)will avoid using that power to influence others.
D)will use their power for personal gain.
E)will not be concerned with status symbols.

Question 75

________ means giving people the authority, opportunity, and motivation to take initiative and solve organizational problems.

Question 76

________ managers use their power for self-interest, whereas ________ managers are more concerned with being liked than with exercising power.

A)Personal power; affiliative
B)Institutional; affiliative
C)Affiliative; personal power
D)Personal power; institutional
E)Affiliative; institutional

Question 77

Self-promotion and ingratiation have strong positive effects on job performance ratings.

Question 78

According to David McClelland, the most effective managers do NOT

A)use their power to achieve organizational goals.
B)have a high need for power.
C)show a high degree of concern about how much others like them.
D)adopt a participative or coaching style of leadership.
E)clarify organizational priorities for subordinates.

Question 79

Self-promotion and ingratiation have mixed effects on job performance ratings.

Question 80

Used properly, ________ puts power where it is needed to make the organization effective.