34. Anika Bananga, a CEO, is a black woman raised in Africa. While introducing Bananga to work associates, it would be
most politically correct to say, “I would like you to meet Anika Bananga, our _____.”
a. beautiful lady CEO
b. CEO
c. CEO and first black person in this position
d. African-American CEO
35. Sending thank-you notes to large numbers of people is regarded as a:
a. basic, but effective, political technique.
b. way to make a quick showing.
c. method of keeping others informed.
d. method of controlling lines of communication.
36. A major political blunder is to:
a. be tactless toward influential people.
b. agree with everything the boss says in a public forum.
c. participate in dress-down days.
d. accept the first offer from top management.
37. After creating a false catastrophe, a particularly devious political player:
a. apologizes and admits his or her falsehood.
b. claims to have resolved the problem.
c. openly laughs at management for believing the story.
d. asks another department to solve the problem.
38. A recommended way of reducing disruptive politics within the work group is to:
a. tightly control information on how rewards will be allocated.
b. prefer to work with the least political group members.
c. threaten to stab in the back those who play politics excessively.
d. avoid favoritism.
39. A recommended strategy for minimizing office politics is to:
a. set a good example at the top.
b. reward people for snitching on office politicians.
c. keep tighter control of information.
d. increase the competition for jobs.
40. Middle manager Barney practices favoritism when he recommends for promotion:
a. a worker chosen at random.
b. a golfing buddy who is a poor performer.
c. a worker suggested by his boss.
d. the best performer in the department.
41. Jason takes great care to cultivate close, positive, working relationships with influential higher-ups at his organization.
This tactic is referred to as:
a. Schmoozing
b. Sucking up
c. Bartering influence
d. Developing power contacts
42. Keith often resorts to excessive flattery to obtain favorable treatment from his boss. Which of the following is the
factor likely motivating Keith toward such behavior?
a. Making a quick showing
b. Machiavellian tendencies
c. Emotional insecurity
d. Controlling vital information
43. _____ refers to the idea that all organizational members are capable of leading themselves at least to some extent.
a. Leadership commitment
b. Internal commitment
c. Self-leadership
d. Organizational capability
44. Empowerment is most likely to create disharmony and dysfunction when workers _____.
a. accrue power and their subordinates are dependent on them
b. lack a clear perception of the boundaries of empowerment
c. possess the ability to influence others through specialized knowledge, skills, or abilities
d. are excessively dependent on their boss
45. Which of the following is true of delegation?
a. It makes effective leadership more difficult than empowerment.
b. It involves less checking on subordinates than empowerment.
c. It is more motivational than empowerment.
d. It is a narrower concept than empowerment.
46. Why is political skill considered to be a constructive force?
a. It facilitates gaining power especially if practiced in the extreme.
b. It encourages employees to adopt a strategy of being blatantly tactless toward influential people.
c. It manifests itself in being socially astute and engaging in behaviors that lead to feelings of confidence and trust.
d. It requires that one pretend to be nice but all the while plan someone’s demise.
47. During delegation, if responsibilities are not clearly defined by the delegator, the result can be:
a. environmental uncertainty.
b. a manager who knows he can no longer trust the subordinate.
c. conflict between the delegator and the one delegated to.
d. an opportunity for growth.
48. _____ authorizes people at the highest levels in an organization to make a decision and expect compliance.
a. Referent power
b. Legitimate power
c. Prestige power
d. Expert power
49. _____ refers to an individual’s sense of having a choice in initiating and regulating actions.
a. Self-interest
b. Self-determination
c. Self-esteem
d. Self-efficacy
50. According to the Law of Reciprocity (as it relates to organizational politics),:
a. hard work pays off in the long run.
b. everybody expects to be paid back.
c. workers who are wronged seek revenge.
d. leaders get even with disloyal group members.
51. According to a consultant cited in the leadership text, after the group is empowered, the leader:
a. functions like a member of the group.
b. should still provide guidance.
c. gets involved mostly to provide discipline.
d. basically stays behind the scenes.
52. A rationale for empowerment is that the most successful organizations:
a. have highly knowledgeable managers in most positions.
b. invest heavily in research and development.
c. have highly knowledgeable autocrats in most positions.
d. effectively use the talents of all players on the team.
53. When a floor manager empowers this team members, his power:
a. multiplies in direct proportion to the number of people receiving a power share.
b. increases.
c. remains approximately the same.
d. decreases.
54. Ramos, a CEO, was recently made both President and CEO of the company. Which of the following is a consequence
of Ramos occupying this dual role?
a. The dependence theory dictates that his power will decrease
b. His personal power is weakened
c. The strategic contingency theory predicts that his moral identity will rise
d. His legitimate power is strengthened
55. In a research and development firm, the _____ has the most legitimate power.
a. lab manager
b. senior research analyst
c. head of research and development
d. summer associate
56. Which of the following examples represents a manager whose actions encourage organizational politics?
a. A manager who has led his firm to profits over the last year
b. A manager who relies on objective standards for judging performance
c. A manager who frowns every time he receives criticism
d. A manager who creates a stable and predictable work environment
57. Which of the following cases demonstrates the gaining of power according to the dependence perspective?
a. Laverne rewards her team members with cash bonuses over Christmas.
b. Ted runs his own advertisement agency.
c. Raj is promoted to senior vice president in his firm.
d. Bill seeks Clara’s inputs and advice to improve his performance.
58. Jeff has been appointed as the new CEO of a banking company. Jeff is considered to be a “hands-off” leader, who
encourages empowerment at all levels. He is also considered an expert in banking. However, the company is recovering
from a prolonged period of losses during the economic downturn. The organization has also become more political. At
this juncture, what are the leadership practices Jeff should focus on and implement?
59. Greta, the operations manager of a chain of retail stores, visits one of the stores for a meet and greet with the
employees of that store. She notices that some employees appear stressed, while others frequently compliment the store
manager. Some employees report that they do not feel like they have a voice in the administrative or operating outcomes
on their job. What should Greta do in order to avoid negative consequences of political behavior? How can she make the
employees feel that they can participate in management?
60. Taylor works as a supervisor in an information technology firm. In his quest for more power, he often resorts to
manipulating others for his own personal advantage. Discuss the tendencies that could have possibly contributed to this
type of organizational politics. What should Taylor do if he wants to repair the relationships he has damaged and earn the
trust and respect of his co-workers and team members?
