Question 1

Which of the following statements is true regarding impression management (IM) techniques?

Accepted Answer

D) Ingratiation works well in interviews. Applicants who compliment the interviewer, agree with his or her opinions, and emphasize areas of fit do better than those who don't.

Question 2

Which of the following is a self-focused impression management technique?

Accepted Answer

B) Enhancement and self-promotion are self-focused impression management techniques.

Question 3

Which of the following impression management (IM) techniques is used by a sales manager who says to her boss, "We failed to get the ad in the paper on time, but no one responds to those ads anyway"?

Accepted Answer

C) Excuses are explanations of a predicament-creating event aimed at minimizing the apparent severity of the predicament. It is a defensive IM technique.

Question 4

Reactive and protective behaviors designed to avoid action, blame, or change are termed ________.

Accepted Answer

B) When employees see politics as a threat, they often respond with defensive behaviors, which are reactive and protective behaviors to avoid action, blame, or change.

Question 5

Which of the following factors encourages politicking?

Accepted Answer

C) Cultures characterized by low trust, role ambiguity, unclear performance evaluation systems, zero-sum reward allocation practices, democratic decision making, high pressures for performance, and self-serving senior managers will create breeding grounds for politicking.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true regarding effectiveness of power tactics in different countries?

Accepted Answer

C) In Israel, perception of organizational politics relates to decreased job satisfaction. In countries that are more politically unstable, such as Israel, employees seem to demonstrate greater tolerance of intense political processes in the workplace.

Question 7

Which of the following skills best represents the ability of people to influence others to enhance their own objectives?

Accepted Answer

C) Political skills of people indicate their ability to influence others to enhance their own objectives.

Question 8

Which of the following organizational factors encourages political behavior?

Accepted Answer

C) The more organizations use subjective criteria in the appraisal, emphasize a single outcome measure, or allow significant time to pass between the time of an action and its appraisal, the greater the likelihood that an employee can get away with politicking.

Question 9

Which of the following defensive behaviors is demonstrated by individuals who develop explanations and documentation to lessen their responsibility for negative outcomes?

Accepted Answer

A) Buffing is a nice way to refer to "covering your rear." It describes the practice of rigorously documenting activity to project an image of competence and thoroughness.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of the impression management (IM) technique of "exemplification"?

Accepted Answer

E) Exemplification is doing more than you need to in an effort to show how dedicated and hard-working you are. It is an assertive IM technique.

Question 11

Delray is about to sit down with his boss for his performance review. Which IM technique should Delray avoid using in the performance evaluation?

Accepted Answer

B) Self-promotion appears to backfire during performance evaluations. Those who self-promote actually seem to receive lower performance evaluations.

Question 12

Placing the blame for a negative outcome on external factors that are not entirely blameworthy is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Scapegoating is placing the blame for a negative outcome on external factors that are not entirely blameworthy.

Question 13

Political behaviors usually ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Political behavior is defined as activities that are not required as part of a person's formal role in the organization but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization.

Question 14

If an individual ________, then he is less likely to engage in illegitimate political behavior.

Accepted Answer

A) An individual's investment in the organization, perceived alternatives, and expectations of success influence the degree to which he or she will pursue illegitimate means of political action. The more a person expects increased future benefits from the organization, the more that person has to lose if forced out and the less likely he or she is to use illegitimate means.

Question 15

To avoid politicking during performance evaluations, an organization should ________.

Accepted Answer

D) The more organizations use subjective criteria in the appraisal, emphasize a single outcome measure, or allow significant time to pass between the time of an action and its appraisal, the greater the likelihood that an employee can get away with politicking.

Question 16

Employees exhibiting which of the following traits are more likely to engage in political behavior?

Accepted Answer

D) The Machiavellian personality-characterized by the will to manipulate and the desire for power-is comfortable using politics as a means to further his or her self-interest.

Question 17

Evidence indicates people in different countries tend to prefer different power tactics. Chinese managers prefer ________.

Accepted Answer

D) United States managers prefer rational appeal, whereas Chinese managers preferred coalition tactics.

Question 18

A manager tells his boss, "You're absolutely right on your reorganization plan for the western regional office. I couldn't agree with you more." In this example the manager is using the impression management (IM) technique of ________.

Accepted Answer

C) Conformity is agreeing with someone else's opinion to gain his or her approval. It is a form of ingratiation.

Question 19

________ occurs when people within organizations use whatever influence they can to taint the facts to support their goals and interests.

Accepted Answer

B) Most decisions in an organization have to be made in a climate of ambiguity where facts are rarely fully objective and thus are open to interpretation. Under such circumstances, people within organizations will use whatever influence they can to taint the facts to support their goals and interests. That creates the activities called politicking.

Question 20

Which of the following is an assertive impression management technique?

Accepted Answer

D) Flattery and exemplification are assertive impression management techniques.

Quiz 13: Power and Politics