SSM201 – Chapter 5 – Flashcards
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c
answer
What should subordinates perceive about their boss in order to feel a higher status in the organization and to feel higher morale? A) He is on their side. B) He has considerable downward influence. C) He has considerable "clout." D) He is equal to them
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b
answer
Which is a characteristic of a powerful manager? A) Is rule-minded B) Accomplishes more personally C) Does more with less resources available D) Limits information that others get
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e
answer
What should you do to increase your influence within the organization? A) Be insensitive to others B) Trust no one and betray others before they betray you C) Continuously play the game of politics D) Never delegate assignments to others E) Advance the goals of the organization
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b
answer
You have been told that in order to advance your career you must be overly ambitious and be indifferent to problems others face. Is this good or bad advice? A) This is good advice. B) This is bad advice. C) There is not enough information to decide.
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c
answer
Members of a work team are in a meeting where the director of the department is present. At the end of the meeting, the presenter asks, "What are your reactions to my presentation?" The members of the work team look at the director and wait for his response. Which factors most likely determine a person's power in this organization? A) Personal attributes B) Being intimidating C) Position characteristics
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d
answer
What are the two basic factors that influence a person's power in an organization? A) Personal goals and position characteristics B) Position characteristics and personal aspirations C) Personal attributes and position manipulation D) Personal attributes and position characteristics
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b
answer
Which of the following is not an organizational trend that has caused a shift in the definition of power from "having authority over others" to "being able to get things done"? A) Information technology is contributing to the decentralization of the flow of information to lower levels of the organizational hierarchy. B) The percentage of the workforce working in companies with fewer than 500 employees is increasing. C) Traditional boundaries within and between organizations are becoming blurred, leading to a shift in the nature of authority relationships. D) Organizations are becoming less hierarchical, or flatter, due to downsizing and outsourcing
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d
answer
Which of the following characteristics are important sources of personal power? A) Flexibility B) Criticality C) Relevance D) Knowledge
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a
answer
Which of the following characteristics is not an important source of personal power? A) Flexibility B) Effort C) Personal attraction D) Expertise E) Legitimacy
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a
answer
If you are the only one in the office who understands how to do a PowerPoint presentation, which base of power do you most likely have? A) Expertise power B) Personal attraction power C) Effort power D) Legitimacy power E) Relevance power
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d
answer
If a person desires to move up in the general management hierarchy, what should he/she do? A) Become a specialist B) Develop a niche C) Become a specialist while developing a niche D) Build a broad knowledge base
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d
answer
If your behavior (the kind of behavior one would normally associate with friendship) improves your influence with your employees, you are most likely practicing which type of power? A) Power that reflects cognitive abilities B) Power that suggests personal commitment C) Power that conveys credibility D) Power that involves affective appeal
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a
answer
Which best describes a manager with personal attraction as a power base? A) Possesses personality characteristics that are remarkable to co-workers B) Is friends with specific co-workers C) Is knowledgeable so that people try to be his or her friend D) Acts congruently with the organizational value system
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b
answer
Morgan has become indispensable to her boss. Her boss believes that Morgan is a diligent worker who can be trusted with sensitive projects. What is Morgan's power most likely due to? A) Legitimacy B) Effort C) Expertise D) Personal attraction
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a
answer
Which behaviors might a manager have due to cognitive dissonance reduction? A) A high level of effort resulting in increased responsibility and opportunity B) A low level of effort resulting in increased responsibility and opportunity C) No effort resulting in dissatisfied employees D) A high level of effort resulting in pressure from peers to cut back on the effort
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a
answer
You were recently promoted because of your hard work. In fact, you had a hard time in the "blue-collar" job you had because many co-workers thought you were a "rate-buster." Will your belief in extra effort pay off for you in your new management job? A) Yes. Management sees extra effort as something that should be rewarded. B) Yes. Management is management. They always agree with one another. C) Yes. This is flexibility. D) No. Management doesn't like "rate-busters" either.
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c
answer
A fast-food company does not promote anyone to manager unless he or she started at the beginning, flipping burgers. This is an example of a company promoting which type of power? A) Relevance power B) Visibility power C) Legitimacy power D) Effort power E) Attraction power
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d
answer
In proposing a new course of action, upper management remarks to you, "That's the way Jane, our founder, would have done it!" After that statement, the decision is made to accept and implement your idea. Which power source did you use? A) Experience B) Desirable characteristics C) Higher than expected commitment of time D) Behavior consistent with the values of the organization E) Flexibility
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a
answer
What is the notion of legitimacy within an organization related to? A) Corporate cultural values B) Policies, procedures, and rules C) The position within the hierarchy D) The credibility of the education level of a person
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a
answer
Which of the following is not a determinant associated with position power? A) Expertise B) Relevance C) Visibility D) Flexibility E) Centrality
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d
answer
What do position characteristics that foster power include? A) Effort B) Credibility C) Legitimacy D) Centrality E) Charisma
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b
answer
If you would like to expand your power base horizontally, what could you do? A) Have lunch with co-workers in your department every day B) Have lunch with workers from other departments C) Focus on increasing your power through the formal organizational powers D) Do an excellent job on all your assignments
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d
answer
If you took on functions essential for the performance of other activities, how have you expanded your power? A) Centrality B) Flexibility C) Visibility D) Relevance
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e
answer
You just convinced your boss that you need to increase cooperation across departments for the Web project that you were assigned to lead to be successful. How have you increased your power? A) Visibility of your position B) Relevance of your position C) Legitimacy of your position D) Personal attraction of your position E) Centrality of your position
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b
answer
How is power accrued via horizontal and vertical network relationships? A) By manipulating people in the network B) By one's location and function in the network C) By the flexibility of one's personality in the network D) By exercising judgment in decision making
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a
answer
If you want to increase your power by having information routed through your position and by increasing the technical sophistication of your work, what have you increased? A) Centrality of your position B) Latitude and flexibility of your job C) The visibility of your job D) The decision-making opportunities of your job
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b
answer
If you are looking to improve your flexibility, what should you do? A) Look for a position that has existed for a long time. All the problems associated with the position have been worked through. B) Look to be a participant at the formation of a group. C) Look to be a participant in a group later in its life cycle; in that way you can avoid all the conflict. D) Look to work in a company that values reliable performance
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b
answer
During the interview process, the interviewer told you that the position you have applied for has been in this organization for over 50 years. You having been looking for a job that affords you discretion. Which statement describes your reaction to the news from the interviewer? A) Good news, all the problems have been worked out. B) Not so good news C) Interesting, but what does it have to do with the amount of discretion you might have?
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b
answer
The task force has been meeting for several weeks on distributing bonuses for employees but has become hopelessly stalemated. You were added to the committee to influence the group's decision. What will this do to your influence? A) This will help your influence, and you should have some significant influence over the group's deliberations. B) This will make it difficult to have influence. C) It will only increase your influence if others are added to the committee at the same time as you. D) It will only increase your influence if others are removed from the committee when you are added
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c
answer
What will a performance appraisal system that rewards initiative and innovation do? A) Decrease one's flexibility and therefore his/her power base B) May be too erratic to allow one to develop a strong power base C) Increase one's discretion and thus the potential for more power D) Promote more people to higher positions
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a
answer
What does it suggest about an organization if people are rewarded for being reliable and predictable? A) This suggests the organization will penalize people who use discretion. B) This suggests the organization will reward those who use discretion. C) This suggests a person who has high personal attraction will be successful in a job in this organization. D) This suggests a person with a high need for power would be happy in a job in this organization.
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b
answer
What is the best way to gain visibility? A) Write an excellent report to be read by the executive committee B) Give a good presentation of the report to an executive committee C) Become central in a communication network so that one may tap into a rich flow of information and satisfy the information needs of others D) Take an important task-oriented position
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a
answer
What is included in ways to gain visibility? A) Face-to-face communication B) Sending a note to a co-worker threatening her because of her recent accomplishment C) Participating in monotonous and routine tasks for popular causes D) Improving your technical expertise
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a
answer
You have a desire to move up in the company. You have been offered two positions. One position is more people oriented and the other position is more task oriented. Which position should you take? A) You should take the people-oriented position. B) You should take the task-oriented position. C) It doesn't matter. Either position will work equally well assuming you do a good job.
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c
answer
In a company that sells golf clubs, a job in which department has more relevance power? A) Accounting B) Research and development C) Sales D) Human resource management
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b
answer
You are graduating this summer and are seeking an influential position. Your major is finance. Which job should you choose to maximize your relevant power? A) Working for an electronics firm making $32,000 B) Working for a stockbroker firm making $25,000 C) Working for a small software firm making $20,000 D) Working for a large oil company making $35,000
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b
answer
What does relevance as a power base refer to? A) How many other people recognize an individual B) Being associated with activities that are directly related to the organization's central objectives C) The amount of discretion one might have D) The relevant position the individual has within the organization's communication network
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d
answer
If you want to increase the relevance of your job to the organization, what should you do? A) Make at least part of your job unique B) Reduce the percentage of routine activities in your job C) Expand the number of contacts you have with senior people D) Become a trainer or mentor for new employees
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a
answer
Your boss is discussing power and influence and states, "Power is a necessary precondition for influence." Should you agree or disagree? A) You should agree. B) You should disagree. C) There is not enough information to decide
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b
answer
If you use an influence strategy that makes others want to do what you say, which influence strategy are you using? A) Retribution approach B) Reciprocity approach C) Reason approach D) Relevance approach
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c
answer
If you use the influence strategy that helps others to see why they should do what you say, which influence strategy are you using? A) Retribution approach B) Reciprocity approach C) Reason approach D) Positional approach
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a
answer
You have received a letter from North American Family Publishers sweepstakes with pictures of Dick McMahon and Ed Clark that states, "You are our newest $10 million winner!* However, you must act in 24 hours by buying numerous magazine subscriptions to secure your prize." You read further to find the fine print that says, "*Only if you have the winning number." What influence strategy is being utilized? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason D) Expert
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b
answer
You are buying a house. The seller recently lowered the asking price, but the price is still higher than your initial offer. The broker states, "The seller lowered his price, and I think you should raise your offer." What type of influence strategy is being utilized? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason D) Coercion
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b
answer
Management is looking for someone to work the holidays. You believe that management would think better of you if you worked the holidays. If you work the holidays, which influence strategy was utilized? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason D) Expert
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b
answer
Which influence strategy respects the rights of others, honors the concept of fairness, and attempts to strengthen the ongoing relationships between parties? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason D) Positional E) Centrality
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c
answer
A friend came to you and stated, "I am flunking my management class. I need to pass or I won't graduate. Will you please help me?" Your friend is using which influence strategy? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason D) Legitimacy E) Centrality
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c
answer
The strength of one's personal powers would impact which influence strategy the most? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason
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d
answer
One should use reciprocity when (1) there is sufficient time to reach satisfactory agreements, (2) no other alternatives exist, and (3) quality and innovation are not important. Which statements are correct? A) All three statements are correct. B) Statements 2 and 3 are correct. C) Only statement 2 is correct. D) Only statement 1 is correct. E) Statements 1 and 3 are correct
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b
answer
One should use reason when (1) adequate time for extensive discussion exists, (2) parties share mutual respect and credibility, and (3) needs are specific and short term. Which statements are correct? A) All three statements are correct. B) Statements 1 and 2 are correct. C) Only statement 2 is correct. D) Only statement 1 is correct. E) Statements 1 and 3 are correct
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b
answer
Disadvantage(s) to using reciprocity are (1) considerable time required to build trust, (2) engenders resentment, and (3) encourages people to feel the terms of assignments are open for negotiation. Which statements are correct? A) All three statements are correct. B) Only statement 3 is correct. C) Statements 2 and 3 are correct. D) Statements 1 and 3 are correct. E) Only statement 1 is correct.
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b
answer
If you increased your influence with your boss by drawing her attention to problems that concern you, what have you done? A) Utilized the concept of "benefiting the boss" B) Utilized the concept of "issue selling" C) Utilized the concept of "relevance" D) Utilized the concept of "visibility"
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a
answer
A co-worker tells you that an effective strategy for capturing managers' attention is to make it clear the issue can be resolved. Is this good advice? A) Yes B) No C) Who knows? Not enough information is provided
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c
answer
If you are trying to influence the agenda of your boss, which influence strategy is most appropriate? A) Retribution B) Reciprocity C) Reason D) Positional power
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a
answer
What is included in strategies that neutralize retribution? A) Confronting the person who is trying to intimidate you B) Refusing to bargain with the person C) Confronting the logic of the person's request
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c
answer
Strategy(ies) that neutralize reciprocity strategies include (1) confront the exploiting individual directly, (2) examine the intent of any favor-giving activity, and (3) confront the individual who is using manipulative bargaining tactics. Which statements are correct? A) All three statements are correct. B) Only statement 3 is correct. C) Statements 2 and 3 are correct. D) Statements 1 and 3 are correct. E) Only statement 1 is correct.
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c
answer
Your boss asks, "I've talked to others in your group and they have agreed to work this weekend. Can I count on you?" To offset this influence, what should you say? A) "Normally, I could, but I have a meeting with our client this weekend to assess the problems we have with shipping. If you give me more warning next time, maybe I can help out. Maybe you should hire a temp this time." B) "Why can't you do it?" C) "I understand the problem. However, I also have a meeting scheduled with our major client to discuss some problems they had with our last shipment. Do you suppose we could employ a temp or should I cancel my meeting?" D) "I can't do it. Get someone else."
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f
answer
Using power for personal reasons means that a manager will definitely achieve his or her career aspirations. True False
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f
answer
The quickest way to increase your power in an organization is to enhance the image of your manager. True False
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b
answer
Which is a characteristic of a powerful manager? A) Is rule-minded B) Accomplishes more personally C) Does more with less resources available D) Limits information that others get
question
c
answer
Which of the following characteristics are important sources of personal power? A) Flexibility B) Criticality C) Relevance D) Knowledge
question
a
answer
If you are the only one in the office who understands how to do a PowerPoint presentation, which base of power do you most likely have? A) Expertise power B) Personal attraction power C) Effort power D) Legitimacy power E) Relevance power
question
a
answer
Which of the following is not a determinant associated with position power? A) Expertise B) Relevance C) Visibility D) Flexibility E) Centrality
question
e
answer
You just convinced your boss that you need to increase cooperation across departments for the Web project that you were assigned to lead to be successful. How have you increased your power? A) Visibility of your position B) Relevance of your position C) Legitimacy of your position D) Personal attraction of your position E) Centrality of your position
question
b
answer
What is the best way to gain visibility? A) Write an excellent report to be read by the executive committee B) Give a good presentation of the report to an executive committee C) Become central in a communication network so that one may tap into a rich flow of information and satisfy the information needs of others D) Take an important task-oriented position
question
a
answer
What is included in ways to gain visibility? A) Face-to-face communication B) Sending a note to a co-worker threatening her because of her recent accomplishment C) Participating in monotonous and routine tasks for popular causes D) Improving your technical expertise
question
a
answer
Your boss is discussing power and influence and states, "Power is a necessary precondition for influence." Should you agree or disagree? A) You should agree. B) You should disagree. C) There is not enough information to decide.
question
c
answer
In a company that sells golf clubs, a job in which department has more relevance power? A) Accounting B) Research and development C) Sales D) Human resource management