Question 1

Bachrach and Baratz present a model of the two faces of power that suggests ______.

Accepted Answer

Bachrach and Baratz's model of the two faces of power argues that power is not distributed equally among stakeholders, but is instead concentrated among political elites. They suggest that power is exercised not only through overt decision-making processes, but also through the ability to prevent certain issues or alternative policies from being raised altogether. This concept of power is known as the "second face" of power, where power is exercised by those who have the ability to shape the agenda and prevent certain issues from being addressed. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 2

______ allows organizations to capitalize on unpaid labor like blogging and discussion boards.

Accepted Answer

Economic valorization refers to the process of generating economic value from non-monetary activities. In this case, organizations can use unpaid labor such as blogging and discussion boards to generate value for their business. This can be seen in the rise of social media marketing, where companies encourage users to create content and engage with their brand, essentially working for the company without being paid for it.

Question 3

On a 100-degree summer day, Christine is working as a counselor and coach at a soccer camp for middle-schoolers. By the end of the day, she's tired, hot, and irritable. However, she must continue to be cheerful and energetic in order to motivate her campers. Christine must engage in ______.

Accepted Answer

Christine is engaging in emotional labor, which refers to the effort involved in managing one's emotions in order to meet the expectations of a job or profession. In this case, Christine must mask her negative feelings and exhibit positive emotions in order to motivate her campers. Normative control refers to the use of informal social norms to control behavior, corporate colonization refers to the expansion of corporate power over society, and hidden transcripts of resistance refers to the ways in which oppressed individuals or groups subtly resist their oppressors. None of these concepts are directly applicable to Christine's situation.

Question 4

The latest tech gadget has just come out. Advertising and other media surrounding its release has convinced Jeremy that he needs to buy the item, even if he has to borrow money to do it. Which model of power best describes this situation?

Accepted Answer

The three-dimensional model by Lukes describes how power can operate in a hidden or less visible way through shaping individuals' preferences and beliefs. In this scenario, advertising and media have influenced Jeremy's belief that he needs to have the latest tech gadget, even if he has to borrow money. This is an example of power operating in a less visible way through the manipulation of beliefs and preferences.

Question 5

Through various strategies, Company X creates an environment in which employees develop a strong sense of organizational identity. The company has been making a profit and generally doing well. However, growth has been slow lately, so in order to improve quarterly earnings reports and keep shareholders happy, the company lays off 10% of its workforce. From a critical perspective, this situation is problematic because the company actively promotes a sense of identification while ______.

Accepted Answer

The situation is problematic because the company promotes a strong organizational identity but then undermines this by laying off employees, which can distort the role of work in employees' lives by showing that their sense of belonging and identity is not reciprocated by job security.

Question 6

Some argue that increasing taxation on the nation's wealthiest would harm job creation and therefore harm the nation. This argument is an example of which aspect of ideology?

Accepted Answer

This argument reflects the idea that the interests of the wealthy are equated with the interests of job creation and the nation as a whole, which is an example of particular group interests being represented as universal. This is a common aspect of conservative ideology, which emphasizes individualism and the free market.

Question 7

In his ethnographic study of a machine tool factory, Michael Burawoy describes a game that workers play that functions ideologically to produce a system of hegemony. This game was called ______.

Accepted Answer

Burawoy's ethnographic study in "Manufacturing Consent: Changes in the Labor Process Under Monopoly Capitalism" describes the "making out" game, where workers engage in practices that not only meet but exceed production quotas, thereby reinforcing the capitalist system and its ideologies. This game serves to create a sense of participation and consent among workers, even as it perpetuates their exploitation.

Question 8

Narratives of equality and justice inform the perceptions of most U.S. citizens, leading them to severely underestimate the actual inequality of wealth distribution in the United States. This situation is an example of which aspect of ideology?

Accepted Answer

Ideology obscures contradictions in society, as it leads individuals to believe in narratives of equality and justice that do not accurately reflect the reality of wealth distribution in the United States.

Question 9

The debate between those who argued that power was equally distributed throughout society and those who argued that power was concentrated in the hands of the privileged became known as the ______.

Accepted Answer

The debate between those who argued for an equal distribution of power throughout society and those who argued that power was concentrated in the hands of the privileged became known as the "community power debate." This debate emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as American political scientists sought to understand the complex power dynamics within American society. The community power debate focused on the ways in which power was distributed among different groups within communities and how this affected decision-making processes. The term "community" referred broadly to any group or organization, and the debate highlighted the ways in which power struggles and inequalities played out within these contexts. The other answer choices - elitist debate and pluralist debate - are related, but distinct debates that focus on different aspects of power and political organization. The political power debate is too broad and could refer to any number of debates that have occurred throughout history.

Question 10

Critical organizational communication researchers have studied which of the following communication phenomena to try to understand how power and resistance work at an everyday level?

Accepted Answer

Critical organizational communication researchers focus on studying everyday communication phenomena such as metaphors and humor to understand how power and resistance operate in organizational settings. Race and gender may also be studied, but these are not the primary focus of critical organizational communication research. Similarly, standards and laws may be relevant but are not the primary concern of critical organizational communication scholars. Research and theory are important components of this field but are not specific communication phenomena that are studied.

Question 11

Early management theoriests like Taylor and Mayo rarely mentioned power as an object of study because ______.

Accepted Answer

Early management theorists like Taylor and Mayo believed in the importance of order, efficiency, and productivity in the workplace. They viewed power as a means to achieve these goals and considered the exercise of power as a last resort to be used only when necessary. They did not see power as a central object of study in management theory.

Question 12

When someone (B) is prevented from bringing up for public consideration issues that may work against the preferences of someone else (A), this is called ______.

Accepted Answer

The concept described in the question is known as the mobilization of bias, which refers to the way in which established interests in society can prevent certain issues from being raised or considered publicly. This can occur through a variety of means, such as controlling the media, influencing public opinion, or using political power to suppress dissenting voices. The other choices listed (strategic persuasion, organizational identification, and coercive power) do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 13

June believes that a woman's place is in the home. By doing thus upholding an ideology by both the dominant and subordinate groups however the _____ benefits which is why they work to maintain and reproduce a given ideology.

Accepted Answer

The dominant group benefits from upholding and reproducing a given ideology, such as the belief that a woman's place is in the home. This reinforces their power and maintains the existing social hierarchy.

Question 14

The seasonal workers who run the holiday shop have been told to always smile at customers (especially the children), to be extremely pleasant, and to 'ooze the holiday spirit.' This is a form of ______.

Accepted Answer

The instruction for the seasonal workers to always smile and exude holiday spirit is an example of corporate management of emotions. The company is regulating and instructing its employees on how to display positive emotions in order to create a certain atmosphere and experience for customers.

Question 15

Malcolm's boss told him that he needed to complete the report by 9:00 A.m. Malcolm decided not to go to dinner and a movie with friends and instead spent that time working on the report. This example demonstrates the ______.

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates the one-dimensional model of power, which focuses on decision-making processes and the ability of one party to influence another's behavior directly, in this case, Malcolm's decision to prioritize work over personal activities due to his boss's directive.

Question 16

Tyler, Jordan, and Madison work for a small research firm. Their boss recently enacted a new cell phone policy to cut down on gaming at work. The employees now sit at their desks with a split screens they can easily click on to cover up the fact that they are now playing games on their computer. The employees are engaging in a form of resistance called ______.

Accepted Answer

Loafing refers to the act of avoiding work or exerting less effort, which is what the employees are doing by playing games instead of working.

Question 17

According to the two-dimensional model of power proposed by Bachrach and Baratz, which of the following statements best describes the exercise of power?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the two-dimensional model of power...

Question 18

Lori works in a busy advertising firm that places a high value on "going the extra mile." Like her coworkers, Lori chooses to take work home with her and do whatever is needed to get the job done. Which model of power best describes this situation?

Accepted Answer

The three-dimensional model of power, proposed by Steven Lukes, best describes this situation. It emphasizes the subtle ways in which power can shape individuals' perceptions and desires, leading them to voluntarily act in ways that align with the interests of those in power, without overt coercion. In this case, the firm's culture and values subtly influence Lori and her coworkers to internalize the expectation of "going the extra mile," making them willingly take work home.

Question 19

In his study of a high tech engineering firm, Gideon Kunda found that which of the following groups were subject to normative control?

Accepted Answer

Gideon Kunda's study, as detailed in his book "Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High-Tech Corporation," primarily focuses on the normative control exerted over professional employees within high-tech firms. Normative control involves aligning employees' values and norms with those of the organization, often through socialization processes, to ensure commitment and compliance without the need for direct supervision. This concept was particularly applied to professional employees, who are central to the innovation and productivity of high-tech firms.

Question 20

Disney employees are required to manage their feelings in order to help create an experience of "the happiest place on earth." However, below Disney World's Magic Kingdom is a system of tunnels for use by employees. In this "off-stage" area, you might run across a ride attendant grumbling about the heat or Snow White taking a smoke break. In other words, this area often functions as a place for ______.

Accepted Answer

The "off-stage" area beneath Disney World's Magic Kingdom, where employees can express their true feelings and behaviors away from the public eye, functions as a place for hidden transcripts of resistance. This concept refers to the private critiques, complaints, or acts of resistance that occur away from the view of those in power, in this case, the management of Disney and the park's visitors.

Quiz 7: Power and Resistance at Work