Chapter 10 Power and Politics, Organizations
True / False Questions
1. (p. 290) Great leaders realize that in order to make things happen, they must be passionate
about their vision and have the personal power to enact it.
TRUE
2. (p. 290) Every social relationship within an organization involves some exercise of power.
TRUE
3. (p. 290) No person or group can have power in isolation.
TRUE
4. (p. 291) An individual has authority because of his/her personal characteristics.
FALSE
Rationale: An individual has authority because of the position he/she holds.
5. (p. 291) Influence and power are essentially the same thing.
TRUE
6. (p. 292) Reward power is often used to back up the use of coercive power.
FALSE
Rationale: Reward power is often used to back up the use of legitimate power.
7. (p. 292) Reward power will not work if employees do not understand how they can achieve
rewards.
TRUE
8. (p. 292) Experts only have power when their rank in the organization is high.
FALSE
Rationale: Experts have power even when their rank is low.
9. (p. 292) The degree of authority an individual has is directly related to the difficulty of
replacing his/her expertise.
FALSE
Rationale: The degree of expert power an individual has is directly related to the difficulty of replacing his/her expertise.
10. (p. 292) A person's legitimate power is dependent on the structure of the organization.
TRUE
11. (p. 293) Gossip or informal communication within an organization can either increase or
decrease the interpersonal power of an employee.
TRUE
12. (p. 293) Male managers with female subordinates are often rated higher on expert power than
are other gender combinations.
FALSE
Rationale: Male managers with female subordinates were rated lower on expert power than other gender combinations.
13. (p. 293) The manager's gender has a greater effect on employee perceptions of power than
does his/her level in the organizational power structure.
FALSE
Rationale: An individual manager's level in the organizational power structure has a greater effect on employee perceptions of power than
does the manager's gender.
14. (p. 293) Need for power (n Pow) is defined as the desire to influence others.
TRUE
15. (p. 294) The most effective managers direct their desire for power toward the organization as
a whole, not toward their own personal aggrandizement.
TRUE
16. (p. 294) Power is primarily prescribed by the structure of the organization.
TRUE
17. (p. 295) In organizations, resources are allocated upward, along the lines of the hierarchy.
FALSE
Rationale: Resources are allocated downward, along the lines of the hierarchy.
18. (p. 295) The degree to which individuals can affect decision making determines their level of
power.
TRUE
19. (p. 296) A person who exerts power upward has authority, but no personal power.
FALSE
Rationale: A person who exerts power upward has personal power, but no authority.
20. (p. 296) Significant upward power can sometimes be exerted by a relatively low-ranking
secretary.
TRUE
21. (p. 296) Expertise, location and information control are important determinants of the power
potential of employees at higher levels of the hierarchy.
FALSE
Rationale: Expertise, location and information control are important determinants of the power potential of employees at lower levels of the
hierarchy.
22. (p. 296) All vice presidents at the same level in the managerial hierarchy have the same
amount of power.
FALSE
Rationale: Although all vice presidents at the same level in the managerial hierarchy are supposed to have the same amount of power, this
isn't usually the case.
23. (p. 297) Being able to deal with uncertainty provides a subunit with dominant power over
other subunits.
FALSE
Rationale: Being able to deal with uncertainty does not provide a subunit with dominant power over other subunits, only a combination of
high values on all power indicators does.
24. (p. 298) Planning departments acquire power when their forecasts prove accurate.
TRUE
25. (p. 298) The more a subunit copes with uncertainty, the lower its power within the
organization.
FALSE
Rationale: The more a subunit copes with uncertainty, the greater its power within the organization.
26. (p. 298) Some units within any organization have zero centrality.
FALSE
Rationale: No subunit has zero centrality.
27. (p. 298) The more pervasive the work flows of a subunit, the greater is its power within the
organization.
TRUE
28. (p. 298) The higher the immediacy of the work flows of a subunit, the greater is its power
within the organization.
TRUE
29. (p. 298) Changes in the labor market may result in changes in a subunit's power.
TRUE
30. (p. 300) Perceived power is never enough to give one control over others.
FALSE
Rationale: As Milgram's experiments proved, an individual may be able to significantly influence others simply because he/she is perceived
to have power.
31. (p. 300) Political behavior falls outside an organization's normal power system.
TRUE
32. (p. 300) Political power can sidetrack or block the formal power within an organization.
TRUE
33. (p. 302) Impression management can be used by organizations to regain stakeholder
confidence after a controversial event.
TRUE
34. (p. 302) Self-presentation strategies focus on agreeing with important others in order to
positively influence them.
FALSE
Rationale: Focusing on agreeing with important others is an other-enhancement tactic.
35. (p. 303) A subordinate can use impression management to influence the performance rating
they are given by a supervisor.
TRUE
36. (p. 304) One can acquire power through association with a sponsor.
TRUE
37. (p. 304) Forming coalitions with groups outside the organization can enhance the power of a
subunit.
TRUE
38. (p. 305) Whistleblowers come only from the lower levels in an organization.
FALSE
Rationale: Whistleblowers can come from any level in an organization.
39. (p. 305) Federal regulations have been able to keep most organizations from retaliating
against whistleblowers.
FALSE
Rationale: Most organizations will retaliate against a whistleblower, even though it is a federal offense.
40. (p. 305) Because of the likelihood of retaliation, it is in the best interests of a whistleblower
to keep his or her identity a secret.
TRUE
41. (p. 306) Managers confront ethical dilemmas in their jobs because they frequently use power
and politics to accomplish their goals.
TRUE
42. (p. 306) Distributive justice means "the greatest good for the greatest number of people."
FALSE
Rationale: This is a utilitarian outcome.
Multiple Choice Questions
43. (p. 291) Authority is used ____________________.
A. Vertically
B. Horizontally
C. Diagonally
D. In all directions
44. (p. 291) The limits of legitimate power are determined by an organization's
____________________.
A. Culture
B. Customs
C. Value systems
D. All of the choices are correct
45. (p. 292) A person derives power from the ability to reward ____________________.
A. Productivity
B. Compliance
C. The best employees
D. Peers
46. (p. 292) ____________________ power is the capability to punish followers for
noncompliance.
A. Legitimate
B. Reward
C. Coercive
D. Referent
47. (p. 292) Blocking a promotion is a form of ____________________ power.
A. Legitimate
B. Reward
C. Coercive
D. Referent
48. (p. 292) Managers tend to use ____________________ power in situations where large
numbers of employees are being supervised.
A. Expert
B. Reward
C. Coercive
D. Referent
49. (p. 292) A person with special expertise that is highly valued has ____________________
power.
A. Legitimate
B. Expert
C. Coercive
D. Referent
50. (p. 292) The charisma of a person is the basis of ____________________ power.
A. Legitimate
B. Reward
C. Coercive
D. Referent
51. (p. 292) Legitimate, reward and coercive power are prescribed by ____________________.
A. The organization
B. The position
C. Specific interaction patterns
D. All of the choices are correct
52. (p. 292) Pete Townley, a computer programmer, has recently gained a great deal of power in
the Ace Company. Pete's programs have helped automate the ordering and inventory system
for the company, which made the directors in these areas look good. Pete has
____________________ power.
A. Reward
B. Legitimate
C. Expert
D. Reference
53. (p. 295) Power occurs when a person has an open channel to all of the following except:
A. Money
B. Workers
C. Technology
D. Friends
54. (p. 295) To ensure compliance with goals, top-level managers allocate resources on the basis
of ____________________.
A. Seniority and need
B. Performance and compliance
C. Power and compliance
D. Power and need
55. (p. 295) ____________________ is the best basis for making effective decisions.
A. Hierarchy
B. Authority
C. Information
D. Power
56. (p. 295) Powerful managers generally do all of the following except:
A. Allocate required resources
B. Manage exceptionally large groups
C. Make crucial decisions
D. Have access to important information
57. (p. 295) All of the following are symptoms of a first-line supervisor's powerlessness except:
A. Setting themselves up as experts
B. Supervising too closely
C. Failing to train subordinates
D. Being inclined to do the job him- or herself
58. (p. 296) If a manager proposes a major reorganization for the "good of the company," but in
reality is looking to add to his own power base, he is most likely to use the
____________________ technique.
A. Deception
B. Power building
C. Manipulative persuasion
D. Selective argument
59. (p. 296) If Mary, knowing that her boss didn't review most of the memos he signed, included
a requisition for a new computer for herself in the stack of papers for his signature, she would
be practicing a form of influence called ____________________.
A. Manipulation
B. Manipulative persuasion
C. Selective risk
D. Distortion
60. (p. 297) Jim Peters has decided to roll out two new products at once because he has been
unable to determine exactly what the competition will be releasing around the same time. This
is an example of the ____________________ method of dealing with uncertainty.
A. Coping by prevention
B. Coping by innovation
C. Coping by information
D. Coping by absorption
61. (p. 297) Hiring two individuals when only one is needed because turnover is expected is an
example of coping by ____________________.
A. Absorption
B. Innovation
C. Information
D. Prevention
62. (p. 297-298) All of the following are types of coping with uncertainty activities except:
A. Coping by prevention
B. Coping by innovation
C. Coping by information
D. Coping by absorption
63. (p. 298) Based on centrality, which of the following hospital departments would have the
greatest power?
A. Psychiatry
B. Central supply
C. The emergency room
D. Billing
64. (p. 300) All of the following are examples of political behavior except:
A. Behavior that is outside the legitimate, recognized power system
B. Establishing a formal interaction pattern between two or more departments
C. Behavior that is intentional and designed to acquire and maintain power
D. Behavior that is designed to benefit an individual or subunit, often at the expense of the
organization in general
65. (p. 301) Which of the following statements about bullying is false?
A. Bullies are a fact of life
B. Henry Ford and Walt Disney were bullies in the workplace
C. There is no "typical victim" that bullies target
D. Compressed deadlines and downsizing have contributed to an increase in bullying
66. (p. 302) All of the following are examples of political tactics used to influence another
department's decisions except:
A. Rule enforcement
B. Persuasion
C. Changing organizational interaction patterns
D. Education
67. (p. 302) A study of political behavior in California found that all of the following were
commonly used political tactics in organizations except:
A. Forming power coalitions
B. Creating obligations/reciprocity
C. Switching jobs frequently
D. Praising others, ingratiation
68. (p. 302) All of the following have been identified as the personal characteristics of effective
politicians except:
A. Highly intelligent
B. Articulate
C. Popular
D. Socially adept
69. (p. 302) A study in the 1990s found that all of the following defensive political behaviors
were exhibited by managers except:
A. Passing the buck
B. Work alienation
C. Playing dumb
D. Stalling
70. (p. 303) Which of the following is considered a self-presentation strategy?
A. Flattery
B. Doing favors
C. Agreeing with others' opinions
D. Making eye contact
71. (p. 303) The ____________________ game is played to resist authority.
A. Coalition-building
B. Sponsorship
C. Insurgency
D. Line versus staff
72. (p. 303) Jim Hart is told by his manager to discipline an employee for coming in late. Jim
tells the employee, "Look, Harry, the boss says you need to start getting to work on time. So
next time, try not to get caught, OK?" Jim is practicing Mintzberg's political game of
____________________.
A. Sponsorship
B. Insurgency
C. Counter-insurgency
D. Line versus staff
73. (p. 303) ____________________ is played to resist authority at all levels within an
organization.
A. Coalition-building
B. Sponsorship
C. Insurgency
D. Line versus staff
74. (p. 304) One tactic of the ____________________ game is to occasionally follow up
requests given to subordinates with a detailed checking system.
A. Coalition-building
B. Counterinsurgency
C. Insurgency
D. Line versus staff
75. (p. 304) In the ____________________ game, a person attaches herself to someone with
power.
A. Coalition-building
B. Sponsorship
C. Insurgency
D. Line versus staff
76. (p. 304) The ____________________ game pits line authority to make operating decisions
against staff advisors' expertise.
A. Coalition-building
B. Sponsorship
C. Insurgency
D. Line versus staff
77. (p. 306) When evaluating the ethical validity of an organizational decision where there is a
lack of information or serious conflict among or within criteria, the heaviest weighted
criterion should be ____________________.
A. Utilitarian outcome
B. Distributive justice
C. Individual rights
D. Overwhelming factors
Fill in the Blank Questions
78. (p. 290) ____________________ is the ability to get others to do what one wants them to
do.
Power
79. (p. 292) The five bases of interpersonal power can be divided into two major categories:
organizational and ____________________.
personal
80. (p. 296) ____________________ refers to the form of influence in which both the objective
and the attempt are concealed.
Manipulation
81. (p. 298) ____________________ is the extent to which other subunits can perform the job or
task of a subunit.
Substitutability
82. (p. 304) ____________________ means informing someone about an organizational practice
or behavior that violates the law or conflicts with a personal value or belief.
Whistle blowing
Short Answer Questions
83. (p. 290) A person's success or failure at using or reacting to power is largely determined by
three things. The first is understanding power. What are the other two?
Knowing how and when to use power and being able to anticipate its probable effects.
84. (p. 291) List the five interpersonal bases of power.
Legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent.
85. (p. 291) List the three characteristics of authority.
(a) Authority is vested in a person's position. (b) It is accepted by subordinates. (c) It is used
vertically.
86. (p. 295) Sharing too much information can weaken one's power. Why?
It reduces one's share of a valuable commodity.
87. (p. 296) What is a strategic contingency?
Any event or activity that is of crucial importance to completing a project or accomplishing a
goal.
88. (p. 297) What is workflow immediacy?
The speed and severity with which the workflow of a subunit affects the final outputs of the
organization.
89. (p. 300) Although it caused them great emotional strain and psychological conflict,
Milgram's subjects continued to follow his commands to administrator electric shocks to
"learners." Why did they do so?
Because they perceived that he had the power and legitimacy to make the demands.
Essay Questions
90. (p. 290) Great leaders have the power to make things happen by doing four things. What are
they?
(A) Communicating their visions to others.
(B) Overcoming resistance to change
(C) Mobilizing resources in the required direction
(D) Managing their own ambitions so they don't lose perspective in the process of leading
91. (p. 291) What is the difference between power and authority?
Power is the ability to get others to do what you want them to do by using force and/or
coercion. Authority is based on a person's position in the organizational hierarchy, rather than
on the implication of force. Persons respond to authority because they know such directives
must be followed
92. (p. 294) Explain what you, as a new employee, can do to develop expert power.
I can become as proficient as possible in key aspects of my job. In other words, learning
everything there is to know about what I'm supposed to do each day, understanding my
customer's needs, knowing the organization's services/products inside and out and
understanding how to solve customer's problems. The goal is to become the "go-to" person
when others have questions or problems.
93. (p. 293) Identify some of the negative ways in which power seekers are often portrayed.
Power seekers are often portrayed as neurotics who are covering up feelings of inferiority,
anxiety or hatred. They may also be seen as persons who are substituting power for a lack of
affection, being alone or being friendless. Others are described as attempting to compensate
for some childhood deprivation.
94. (p. 301) What is bullying at the workplace? Give an example of such behavior.
Bullying is a pattern of destructive and demeaning behavior toward coworkers and
subordinates. Examples would be berating an employee in front of his or her coworkers or
making comments about someone's looks or personal characteristics, especially in front of
others.
95. (p. 301) Describe the type of person or persons that a bully typically targets.
Bullies may target someone who is considered a threat, subordinates who possess less power
and persons who have low self-esteem or who are not assertive. They may also target those
who are not members of the "in-group" of the department.
96. (p. 301) What can organizations do to prevent or lessen bullying in the workplace?
The leaders or organizations and departments need to set a good example by not bullying
subordinates and coworkers. Policies and guidelines regarding bullying need to be developed
and enforced. Violators must be disciplined. Management training programs should contain a
module that defines bullying and clearly states that such behavior will not be tolerated. New
employee orientations should address the issue of bullying and explain how to report
violations.
97. (p. 304) There are four rules to follow when playing the sponsorship game. List them.
(1) The person playing the game must be able to show commitment and loyalty to the
sponsor. (2) The player must follow each sponsor-initiated request or order. (3) The player
must stay in the background and give the sponsor credit for everything. (4) The player must
be thankful and show gratitude to the sponsor.
98. (p. N/A) Should all college students be required to take a course on ethics? Explain why or
why not.
Student answers will vary. There is no right or wrong answer.
Matching Questions
99. (p. 303) Match the action to the correct impression management tactic.
1. Self-presentation
Smiling
2. Other-enhancement
Making eye contact
3. Self-presentation
Agreeing with others' opinions
4. Self-presentation
Using flattery
5. Self-presentation
Positive tone of voice
6. Other-enhancement
Doing favors for others
7. Self-presentation
High level of energy
8. Other-enhancement
Showing interest in others
9. Other-enhancement
Appropriate dress
10. Other-enhancement
Being an active listener
1
1
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
100. (p. 303) Match the game to the correct action or description.
1. Whistle-blowing game
Resisting authority
2. Insurgency game
Countering the resistance to authority
3. Coalition-building game
Building power bases
4. Counterinsurgency game
Defeating rivals
5. Line versus staff game
Affecting organizational change
2
4
3
5
1