MNGT 4500 Chapter 5

Power is a necessary component of leadership. a. true b. false

a. true

Power is the ability to influence others effectively. a. true b. false

a. true

Research indicates that concentrated power can be detrimental to organizational performance. a. true b. false

a. true

Semco provides employees with freedom and empowerment and sets high performance expectations. a. true b. false

a. true

Teams acquire power in organizations by addressing strategic contingencies. a. true b. false

a. true

Teams increase their power as they are able to remove obstacles for others in the organization. a. true b. false

a. true

The Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesians are all collectivistic cultures where employees are comfortable sharing power with their leader. a. true b. false

a. true

The French and Germans expect their bosses to provide answers to their questions. a. true b. false

a. true

The change in government personnel after elections is an example of access as a source of executive power. a. true b. false

a. true

The employees at Zingerman's Community of Business (ZCoB) are an example of commitment. a. true b. false

a. true

The more equal the power distance in a Western culture organization, the higher the performance of the organization. a. true b. false

a. true

The most common and serious consequence of power corruption is poor decision making. a. true b. false

a. true

The most likely reactions to using reward and coercion as source of power are compliance and resistance. a. true b. false

a. true

To influence supervisors, rational persuasion is the most appropriate influence tactic. a. true b. false

a. true

Young leaders in early stages of their career should focus on building their power through demonstrating their expertise and competence. a. true b. false

a. true

_________ is the ability of one person to influence others. a. Influence b. Power c. Authority d. Control

b. Power

Why are evil managers who abuse their power often successful? a. They have loyal followers. b. They manage their supervisor well. c. Overall, they perform better than other managers. d. They surround themselves with highly competent followers.

b. They manage their supervisor well.

Because XYZ corporation has reduced its employees' dependence on managers for feedback and rewards, it is likely to see an increase in corruption of employees. a. true b. false

b. false

Because corrupt leaders intimidate followers who refuse to speak out and contribute to decision making, the leaders are often forced to use group decision making. a. true b. false

b. false

Because most of us are skilled at a few influence tactics, each person should stick with the tactics she/he is most comfortable with. a. true b. false

b. false

By staying away from difficult challenges, teams can gain power. a. true b. false

b. false

Commitment, control, and resistance are the three typical reactions to power and influence. a. true b. false

b. false

Considerable research about empowerment shows its positive impact on organizations. a. true b. false

b. false

Followers react to all sources of power the same way. a. true b. false

b. false

In order to increase commitment, one of the most effective methods of persuasion is coalition building. a. true b. false

b. false

Leaders in the middle of their career must focus on how to give up power to others. a. true b. false

b. false

Leaders, regardless of their followers or the organization, are always able to wreak havoc and abuse others. a. true b. false

b. false

Managers who abuse power perform well because they surround themselves with highly competent followers. a. true b. false

b. false

One of the benefits of power is that it increases the distance between leaders and followers. a. true b. false

b. false

Organizations that implement empowerment often have to lower their performance standards. a. true b. false

b. false

Personal sources of power are likely to disappear when a manager loses his/her position in the organization. a. true b. false

b. false

Power and authority are synonymous. a. true b. false

b. false

The concept of strategic contingencies suggests that teams must address the needs of strategic stakeholders outside the organization. a. true b. false

b. false

The flattery that many followers use to express their views to their leaders is a helpful tool to building good relations between them. a. true b. false

b. false

Top executives have and primarily use the same sources of power as individuals and teams. a. true b. false

b. false

Causes of power corruption fall into two categories. These are: a. group related and traits b. individual leader and organizational factors c. cultural elements and political factors d. legal and ethical factors

b. individual leader and organizational factors

Team Alpha has developed considerable expertise and has a lot of departments that depend on it to get their job done. Team Alpha' source of power is: a. centrality b. lack of substitutability c. coping with uncertainty d. legitimate rewards

b. lack of substitutability

Abusive and corrupt leaders intimidate their followers into silence and then consider the silence and lack of responsiveness as a sign of their followers' incompetence, therefore asking them even less for input. This is an example of: a. self-actualization b. self-fulfilling prophecy c. the corruption cycle d. narcissistic destruction

b. self-fulfilling prophecy

The underlying theme of empowerment is: a. delegating all power to employees b. sharing power with those who need it to perform their job c. setting goals that everyone can achieve easily d. centralizing decision making in the team

b. sharing power with those who need it to perform their job

The key organizational factor in abuse of power is: a. a decentralized structure b. the organizational culture c. the leadership succession plan d. the training and development plan

b. the organizational culture

Which one of the following is not an organizational factor that contributes to power corruption? a. Formal and closed communication. b. Focus on short-term goals. c. Performance-based hiring. d. Centralized decision making.

c. Performance-based hiring.

Employee compliance, flattery, and unwillingness to speak out contribute to a corrupt leader's reliance on ___________. a. empowerment b. financial measures c. coercive methods d. communication

c. coercive methods

Examples of the use of empowerment in many organizations show that: a. empowerment is frustrating to many employees b. leaders are afraid to give up power c. empowerment can lead to increased motivation d. followers are key to empowerment

c. empowerment can lead to increased motivation

In the early part of his career Alan Greenspan relied on which source of power? a. legitimate b. reward c. expert d. reward

c. expert

A team leader focuses on assuring that his team members have the latest expertise not available elsewhere in the organization. He is using which organizational source of power to assure that his team has power? a. centrality b. organicity c. lack of substitutability d. coalition building

c. lack of substitutability

Mexicans expect their leaders to: a. empower them b. be creative c. provide answers d. give them independence

c. provide answers

Nigel is an Australian manager who is heading a division of his company in Mexico. He has tried, without much success, to get his employees to participate and make suggestions regarding how to organize the work activities. The Mexican employees' reluctance to participate may be due to: a. the Mexican employees' lack of experience. b. the high-context Mexican culture. c. the high power distance in Mexico. d. Nigel's incompetence.

c. the high power distance in Mexico.

Ricardo Semler, CEO of Semco is an example of: a. how a corrupt leader can negatively impact an organization b. the importance of followers c. the importance of training in successful empowerment d. how teams can share power with their managers

c. the importance of training in successful empowerment

___________ sources of power are particularly important to teams. a. Personal b. Individual c. Legitimate d. Organizational

d. Organizational

Which one of the following is a sign of a destructive narcissistic manager? a. They work alone b. They don't get promoted c. They take care of their followers d. They divide the world between friends and enemies

d. They divide the world between friends and enemies

Empowerment can create _________, where the less a leader controls employees, the more likely they are to accept responsibility and control. a. lower employee standards b. a system of interdependence c. a cycle of corruption d. a self-fulfilling prophecy

d. a self-fulfilling prophecy

A new executive who brings in his own team and puts people he trusts in key positions is using which source of executive power? a. distribution of resources b. control of decision criteria c. centrality d. access

d. access

Which of the following is not a potential solution to top management corruption? a. Centralized decision making b. Reducing uncertainty c. Empowerment d. Greater accountability

a. Centralized decision making

Which of the following is not one of the ways to help increase the power of teams so that they can be effective? a. Keep the team away from difficult challenges b. Make the team central to the mission. c. Give the team meaningful tasks. d. Provide the team with access to decision makers.

a. Keep the team away from difficult challenges

____________ power is based on the formal position a person holds, while ___________ is based on friendship and respect. a. Legitimate; referent b. Authority; politics c. Persuasive; negotiation d. Managerial; personal

a. Legitimate; referent

Top leaders of the Company XYZ have told their managers and employees that they want to implement empowerment. They have decentralized the structures and changed the reward structure. After a few months, they see no change in the leaders' or employees' behaviors. Which organizational empowerment factor did they miss? a. They did not train leaders and employees. b. They did not create a positive atmosphere. c. They did not walk the talk. d. They set low standards.

a. They did not train leaders and employees.

A team that helps others in the organization by providing a service that is key to goal accomplishment will gain power. This is an example of: a. centrality b. organicity c. coping with uncertainty d. boundary spanning

a. centrality

The CEO of a company believes that diversity is a very important and strategic issue. She creates a team to make diversity related recommendations and has the team report directly to her on a regular basis. The CEO is using which organizational source of power to assure that the team has power? a. centrality b. organicity c. coping with uncertainty d. boundary spanning

a. centrality

Kamal has sent directives for his employees to complete a certain task. The employees eagerly undertake the task and complete it. The employees' reaction is an example of: a. commitment b. compliance c. control d. motivation

a. commitment

Zingerman's Community of Business ZCoB provides an example of: a. commitment b. compliance c. control d. motivation

a. commitment

Keesha's employees rarely, if ever, disagree with her because they worry about her negative reactions and tantrums. This is an example of which of the factors in the corruption cycle? a. compliance b. isolation c. lack of accountability d. flattery

a. compliance

Which one of the following is not one of the influence tactics? a. control b. pressure c. exchange d. inspiration

a. control

The individual power source of "rewards" is equivalent to which source of top executive power? a. distribution of resources b. control of decision criteria c. centrality d. access to all levels

a. distribution of resources

The first step for an organization to start the empowerment process is to: a. identify the potential blocks to empowerment b. train leaders c. train followers d. set up the right reward structure

a. identify the potential blocks to empowerment

The terms power and influence are different in that: a. influence refers to changing the course of an action while... b. influence implies effectiveness c. power is vested in a position d. influence is vested in a position

a. influence refers to changing the course of an action while...

All managers have access to which source of individual power? a. legitimate b. authority c. coercive d. expert

a. legitimate

The empirical research on empowerment has found: a. mixed results for the impact of empowerment b. that empowerment is an effective and powerful tool c. empowerment works well across many cultures d. empowerment works best in collectivistic cultures

a. mixed results for the impact of empowerment

The higher ________________ and the lower the _______________, the more likely it is that leaders will hold a high degree of power that they can use. a. power distance; tolerance for uncertainty b. collectivism; power distance c. egalitarianism; task focus d. individualism; masculinity

a. power distance; tolerance for uncertainty

46. What was the attitude of the framers of the U.S. Constitution regarding power? a. power should not be concentrated b. leaders should have enough power to do their job c. democracy is important d. power is essential to leadership

a. power should not be concentrated

The concept of ________________ suggests that teams gain power based on their ability to remove obstacles for others. a. strategic contingencies b. shared power c. empowerment d. coalition building

a. strategic contingencies

Although there is not strong research support, many organizations believe that empowerment leads to higher employee motivation. a. true b. false

a. true

As Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan relied primarily on his expertise to influence others. a. true b. false

a. true

Both individual and organizational factors contribute to corruption that is caused by too much power. a. true b. false

a. true

Changing HR practices and training are essential to the success of empowerment in organizations. a. true b. false

a. true

Consultation and coalition building are two influence tactics that use all sources of power. a. true b. false

a. true

Empowerment involves pushing decision making and implementation to the lowest possible level. a. true b. false

a. true

Fear of reprisal or weakness are factors that cause employees to comply with corrupt leaders. a. true b. false

a. true

Follower compliance contributes to power corruption by increasing the leaders' inflated view of themselves. a. true b. false

a. true

Followers who do not depend on their leader are less likely to contribute to the corruption cycle. a. true b. false

a. true

It is most appropriate to use exchange as an influence tactic with subordinates and colleagues. a. true b. false

a. true

Leaders who want to implement empowerment should set high performance standards and expect followers to meet those standards. a. true b. false

a. true

Legitimate power is based on the position in the organization while expert power relies on the individual. a. true b. false

a. true

Managers who abuse power often have an inflated view of themselves. a. true b. false

a. true

Most organizations provide their top executives with a lot of power without much accountability. a. true b. false

a. true

One of the reasons empowerment can be effective is that it can enhance employees' belief in their abilities and provide them with a sense of control and accomplishment. a. true b. false

a. true

One of the sources of power for executives is the ability to control the criteria by which decisions are made. a. true b. false

a. true

Organizations have many checks and balances in place to limit the power of their top level leaders. a. true b. false

a. true

The most effective way to prevent power corruption is to address the organizational culture and structure. a. true b. false

a. true

The most important organizational factor in empowerment is decentralizing the structure. a. true b. false

a. true

The most important organizational factor that contributes to power abuse is the culture. a. true b. false

a. true

Dennis Kozlowski of Typco and Richard Scrushy of HealthSouth are examples of CEOs who: a. became whistle blowers b. abused their power c. took action to correct ethical violations d. made serious strategic mistakes

b. abused their power

In Japan and Indonesia people value: a. independence and freedom b. clear hierarchy and authority c. creativity and innovation d. hard work and independence

b. clear hierarchy and authority

The personal appeal influence tactic is most appropriate to use with _____________. a. supervisors b. colleagues c. subordinates d. everyone

b. colleagues

Paulette has set goals for all of her team members. She informs them of the goals; although several members think the goals are not reasonable, they go along with them. The team members' reaction is an example of: a. commitment b. compliance c. control d. lack of motivation

b. compliance

Which one of the following is one of the typical reactions to power? a. control b. compliance c. counter control d. influence

b. compliance

Research about the effect of power distribution suggests that: a. centralized power allows organizations to perform well. b. concentrated power can be detrimental to performance. c. leaders often give up power willingly. d. power sharing works well in most cultures.

b. concentrated power can be detrimental to performance.

In early stages of their career, which base of power should young leaders develop? a. legitimate through power building b. credibility through expertise c. reward through access to resources d. coercion by demonstrating toughness

b. credibility through expertise

A large majority of today's organizations rely on democratic practices to accomplish their goals. a. true b. false

b. false

Power and influence are primarily the domain of formal leaders within organizations. a. true b. false

b. false

Referent power is based on a person's ability to get access to information. a. true b. false

b. false

Research suggests that ethics training has little to no impact on the occurrence of ethical violations. a. true b. false

b. false

Richard Scrushy of HealthSouth instituted effective ways to battle corruption. a. true b. false

b. false

Semco and its CEO Ricardo Semler provide an example of how empowerment can work with little training but good intentions. a. true b. false

b. false

Separating followers and leaders can help reduce power corruption. a. true b. false

b. false

The closer leaders are to day-to-day activities, the more likely they are to abuse their power. a. true b. false

b. false

When leaders rely on their expertise to influence followers, they are likely to simply comply rather than be committed to the leader's decision. a. true b. false

b. false

Individuals with _________ power can influence others because they are liked and respected. a. legitimate b. referent c. informational d. reward

b. referent

The power of celebrities to influence others is based on which source of individual power? a. legitimate b. referent c. informational d. reward

b. referent

In order for leaders to get commitment from their followers, they should rely on which of the following two sources of power: a. legitimate and referent b. referent and expert c. expert and reward d. reward and authority

b. referent and expert

Power corruption is primarily due to: a. corrupt leaders b. too much power without accountability c. national culture d. the board of directors

b. too much power without accountability

___________ is power vested in a formal position. a. Control b. Persuasion c. Authority d. Influence

c. Authority

Nicolo gets his employees to go along with him by threatening to fire or demote them. Nicolo is using which of the sources of individual power? a. Legitimate b. Authority c. Coercive d. Expert

c. Coercive

___________ is one of the influence tactics that rely on all sources of personal power. a. Pressure b. Personal appeal c. Consultation d. Rational persuasion

c. Consultation

Which of the following is not one of the reasons empowerment tends to be effective? a. It tends to increase employees' sense of self-efficacy. b. It allows employees to internalize goals and builds commitment. c. It provides the leader with delegation training. d. It brings power where it is needed.

c. It provides the leader with delegation training.

Whether an organization is a traditional or informal structure, CEOs are strategically located for access to information and resources. This is an example of which of the executive sources of power? a. distribution of resources b. control of decision criteria c. centrality d. access

c. centrality

Which of the following is not one of the organizational factors in empowerment? a. appropriate selection and training of leaders b. removing bureaucratic barriers c. expressing confidence in employees d. fair policies

c. expressing confidence in employees

Top executives have access to how many additional sources of power? a. two b. three c. four d. five

c. four

Lin-may is eager to implement empowerment in her organization. She has encouraged her employees, expressed confidence in them, and given them responsibility. She has created a positive emotional atmosphere. What else must she do to make empowerment effective? a. lower the performance standards. b. create clear hierarchy for reporting c. reward employees openly and personally d. use only teams for decision making

c. reward employees openly and personally

Which organizational factor contributes to empowerment? a. appropriate selection and training for leaders b. appropriate selection and training for employees c. setting high performance standards d. removing bureaucratic barriers

c. setting high performance standards

What challenges do managers in mid careers face regarding power? a. building credibility b. sharing power c. using power ethically d. giving fair rewards

c. using power ethically

The leader's power increases when employees _________. a. are motivated b. comply with her decisions c. do not resist a decision d. are committed to her decisions

d. are committed to her decisions

Researchers have identified ______ source of power related to individuals. a. two b. three c. four d. five

d. five

Because of their power, employee compliance, and isolation, leaders in the corruption cycle often: a. develop bad habits b. have the inability to make decisions c. worry about their constituents' reactions d. get an inflated view of themselves

d. get an inflated view of themselves

In __________ cultures, power bases are stable, and upward mobility is limited. a. individualistic b. socialized c. vertical power d. high power distance

d. high power distance

All but one of the following is a reason why followers comply with their leaders even when they are wrong. a. desire to ingratiate themselves b. weakness and incompetence c. fear of reprisal d. lack of caring

d. lack of caring

Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, uses __________ and ___________ as primary sources of power. a. reward; punishment b. coercive; reward c. informational; legitimate d. legitimate; expert

d. legitimate; expert

Regarding the use of power, managers in late career stages must: a. empower others b. build their network c. train their replacement d. let go of power

d. let go of power

Which of the following is not one of the organizational sources of power? a. centrality b. dependency c. substitutability d. organicity

d. organicity

Teams can gain power by reducing uncertainty for others in their organization. Which of the following is not one of the uncertainty reduction methods? a. gathering information b. prediction of upcoming changes c. prevent changes from affecting the organization d. preventing change from happening

d. preventing change from happening

If you are trying to influence your supervisor's decision regarding a project, which would be the most appropriate influence tactic to use? a. pressure b. personal appeal c. consultation d. rational persuasion

d. rational persuasion

Using _________ as a source of power will most likely lead to __________. a. coercive; compliance b. reward; commitment c. expert; compliance d. referent; commitment

d. referent; commitment, but a. coercive; compliance is also correct

Lee has made several written and oral requests for his employees to undertake a new project. Although he has not received any feedback from his group, the task does not appear to be even started. This is an example of: a. counter control b. insubordination c. follower power d. resistance

d. resistance

The isolation and flattery that contribute to the corruption cycle often cause leaders to: a. seek outside input b. rely more on board of director members c. learn to make good decisions alone d. think regular rules do not apply to them

d. think regular rules do not apply to them