1. Working on problems critical to the company’s success helps provide a person with power.
a. True
b. False
2. Managers who share their power with their group members actually experience an increase in their own power.
a. True
b. False
3. An important component of full-fledged empowerment is that the manager decides which method the group members
should use to accomplish their tasks.
a. True
b. False
4. Self-leadership occurs when the group members choose their own leader.
a. True
b. False
5. Empowerment is a broader concept than delegation because delegation is focused on a specific task.
a. True
b. False
6. An analysis of organizational politics reveals that political skill combines social awareness with the ability to
communicate well.
a. True
b. False
7. A pyramid-shaped organization encourages organizational politics because people feel compelled to compete for a
limited number of powerful positions.
a. True
b. False
8. Pursuing or encouraging organizational politics can emphasize self-interest at the expense of others.
a. True
b. False
9. 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.“
a. True
b. False
10. Being tactless toward influential people has become a career booster because many managers invite honest feedback.
a. True
b. False
11. The embrace-or-demolish political technique can include terminating people who disagree with the management on
major issues.
a. True
b. False
12. 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.
a. True
b. False
13. 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.
a. True
b. False
14. When a boss practices favoritism or cronyism, organizational politics tends to decrease.
a. True
b. False
15. When a state of goal congruence exists, workers are more likely to play organizational politics.
a. True
b. False
16. Hiring people with high integrity tends to increase politics in the office because people with integrity tend to be very
ambitious.
a. True
b. False
17. 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.
18. 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
19. _____ power stems from a leader’s authority to respond to the consequences of people’s actions.
a. Information
b. Prestige
c. Expert
d. Reward
20. _____ power is a type of personal power.
a. Legitimate
b. Referent
c. Reward
d. Coercive
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. 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
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. 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