3 OBM PART #10

Which of the following defensive behaviors involves rigorously documenting activity to project an image of competence and thoroughness? A) buffing B) justifying C) scapegoating D) stretching E) overconforming

A) buffing

If an individual ________, then he or she is less likely to engage in illegitimate political behavior. A) has invested a lot in the organization in terms of time and efforts B) possesses a scarce skill or knowledge C) has influential contacts outside the organization D) does not expect any future benefits from the organization E) has an external locus of control

A) has invested a lot in the organization in terms of time and efforts

Placing the blame for a negative outcome on external factors that are not entirely blameworthy is known as ________. A) scapegoating B) buffing C) stalling D) justifying E) overconforming

A) scapegoating

Victor Ortiz was a successful and popular manager at the marketing division of a consumer goods company. Many attributed the company's immense success in the last two years to Victor's highly creative marketing plans, which cost the company very little but increased the visibility of its products. He also effectively tied up with new retail chains so the demand for their products grows as the new retail chains grow. Recently, a subordinate alleged that Victor had sexually harassed her, and stories of similar allegations made against him in the past resurfaced. The situation was laid to rest when Victor made an appearance with the victim by his side claiming that the allegations were baseless as he was romantically involved with her. Though this announcement did not convince people, the allegations against Victor were withdrawn. From the information provided in this scenario, this outcome can be explained by the fact that ________. A) Victor has a high degree of referent power B) Victor has enough power to get away with his misdeeds C) Victor has abided by the standards of equity and justice D) Victor has used a defensive impression management technique E) Victor has used scapegoating to free himself from the charges

B) Victor has enough power to get away with his misdeeds

Reactive and protective behaviors designed to avoid action, blame, or change are termed ________. A) repressive behaviors B) defensive behaviors C) submissive behaviors D) impression management behaviors E) proactive behaviors

B) defensive behaviors

Which of the following is a self-focused impression management technique? A) flattery B) enhancement C) apologies D) excuses E) conformity

B) enhancement

Winston Mayer is a sales manager for a large company producing beverages and ready-to-eat meals. Winston is often seen working late and on weekends although the company stipulates a five-day workweek. Winston justifies his working extra by claiming that "in sales, one cannot afford to waste a minute" and he is often condescending when subordinates take their allotted time off. He frequently speaks to his manager about the deals he finalizes when he is working beyond the normal working hours to prove his point. From the information provided, we can say that Winston is using ________ as an impression management technique here. A) flattery B) exemplification C) favors D) apologies E) conformity

B) exemplification

Which of the following differentiates between high self-monitors and low self-monitors? A) High self-monitors are more likely to use defensive impression management techniques, while low self-monitors are more likely to use self-focused impression management techniques. B) High self-monitors are commonly seen in collectivist cultures, while low self-monitors are commonly seen in individualist cultures. C) High self-monitors tend to mold their appearances and behavior to fit each situation, while low self-monitors tend to present images of themselves that are consistent with their personalities. D) High self-monitors prefer to avoid using power and politics at the workplace, while low self-monitors engage in a lot of politicking. E) High self-monitors have an external locus of control as they attribute successes or failures to luck and fate, while low self-monitors have an internal locus of control and believe that they control the outcomes.

C) High self-monitors tend to mold their appearances and behavior to fit each situation, while low self-monitors tend to present images of themselves that are consistent with their personalities.

Which of the following organizational factors encourages political behavior? A) using objective criteria in the appraisal B) using multiple outcomes to measure performance C) allowing significant time to pass between the time of an action and its appraisal D) avoiding the zero-sum approach for resource allocation E) ensuring role clarity

C) allowing significant time to pass between the time of an action and its appraisal

Which of the following impression management techniques involves an individual admitting responsibility for an undesirable event and simultaneously seeking to get a pardon for the action? A) flattery B) favors C) apologies D) misrepresentation E) exemplification

C) apologies

Which of the following defensive behaviors involves developing explanations that lessen one's responsibility for a negative outcome and apologizing to demonstrate remorse? A) scapegoating B) misrepresenting C) justifying D) overconforming E) stretching

C) justifying

Which of the following can be used to understand how power and politics in an organization can help you achieve your career goals? A) counseling B) power base relationships C) political mapping D) power struggles E) equity positioning

C) political mapping

Timothy Jenkins had been working for six years at Hartford Mills, a company that takes a strong stand against unionization. Though Timothy's designation was that of a production supervisor, as the company grew, he also took on additional duties like keeping a check on employee safety, ensuring that legal measures are followed, and implementing programs for labor welfare that the company planned. Many believed that Timothy was doing a great job for the company, and so it came as a surprise when Timothy was rumored to face severe disciplinary action, as he was encouraging the workers to join a union. However, he was let off with a mere warning. Which of the following, if true, would explain this paradox? A) The management had recently instituted a formal employee welfare committee. B) Timothy stressed the fact that he was a meticulous worker who always adhered to company policies. C) The management had recently moved from an open shop mechanism to a closed shop mechanism. D) Timothy claimed that he was only looking to ensure greater employee welfare, which was one of the duties the company had assigned to him. E) Timothy argued that allowing unionization had increased the levels of employee satisfaction in one of their rival companies.

D) Timothy claimed that he was only looking to ensure greater employee welfare, which was one of the duties the company had assigned to him.

Which of the following impression management techniques uses ingratiation? A) flattery B) exemplification C) enhancement D) conformity E) apologies

D) conformity

In the last month, Stacey, an intelligent and astute employee, has finished only half the work she was scheduled to complete. In addition, she has been taking frequent leaves, citing her ill health as the reason, but her manager suspects she has been playing truant. When the manager confronted her about her pending work, Stacey gave excuses: the work was time-consuming, she was unwell, and it was not a high-priority project in the first place. In this scenario, Stacey is using a(n) ________ impression management technique. A) self-focused B) assertive C) aggressive D) defensive E) ingratiation-based

D) defensive

Which of the following is an assertive impression management technique? A) conformity B) apologies C) self-promotion D) flattery E) buffing

D) flattery

To avoid politicking during performance evaluations, an organization should ________. A) create role ambiguity B) use democratic decision making C) use a single outcome measure D) use objective criteria E) allow a significant lapse

D) use objective criteria

Recently, Curtis Gibson had an interview for the position of a senior manager at a transit service. At the interview, the interviewer made a passing remark about how policies can make or break the best economy in the world. Immediately, Curtis launched into a discussion of how true the interviewer was, substantiating his claim with stories from real economies around the world. Similarly, when the interviewer suggested that Curtis work the earlier shift because, if selected, he would have to commute a significant bit to reach work, Curtis vehemently agreed, saying, "You couldn't be more right." Which of the following impression management techniques is Curtis using? A) favors B) exemplification C) enhancement D) self-promotion E) conformity

E) conformity

Daphne is one of the three project managers at Virgo Inc., an art and design studio. Raymond and Gabriel, the other two project managers, are unhappy working with Daphne as she always selects projects that suit her area of expertise and avoids projects which require more ambiguous work, have tight deadlines, and represent a low probability of success. Raymond and Gabriel feel that they deserve greater credit than Daphne for being open and accepting different work demands and situations, as opposed to Daphne, who always takes a conservative and risk-averse approach. Daphne is using the defensive behavior of ________ here. A) scapegoating B) ingratiating C) stalling D) retaliating E) playing safe

E) playing safe

Which of the following is a defensive behavior that is used to avoid change? A) stalling B) scapegoating C) misrepresenting D) stretching E) preventing

E) preventing

Under the zero-sum approach, rewards are distributed such that ________. A) rewards are equal and do not increase or decrease with changes in profit margins B) rewards increase for all employees at an identical rate C) any drop in profits reduces the pay of employees by an identical amount D) amount allocated for rewards is variable E) rewards increase for a group at the expense of loss for another group

E) rewards increase for a group at the expense of loss for another group

Timothy Jenkins had been working for six years at Hartford Mills, a company that takes a strong stand against unionization. Though Timothy's designation was that of a production supervisor, as the company grew, he also took on additional duties like keeping a check on employee safety, ensuring that legal measures are followed, and implementing programs for labor welfare that the company planned. Many believed that Timothy was doing a great job for the company, and so it came as a surprise when Timothy was rumored to face severe disciplinary action, as he was encouraging the workers to join a union. However, he was let off with a mere warning. Timothy argued that he was only doing his job—a job in which he had responsibility for improving the welfare of employees. Which of the following, if true, would help Hartford Mills avoid such situations in the future? A) ensuring the provision of a retaliatory policy for employees who go against the company B) holding town hall meetings to explain to employees why Timothy was suspected C) enlisting the support of popular employees like Timothy to discharge the employee welfare duties D) engaging in collective bargaining as it is the only way to motivate employees to work efficiently E) specifying the permissible and prohibited aspects of an employee's formal role in the organization

E) specifying the permissible and prohibited aspects of an employee's formal role in the organization

Will Cears works at Mesner Corp. as a middle-level manager. Will recognizes that his firm is plagued by organizational politics. Since he is not good at playing games, he frequently engages in defensive behaviors in order to protect himself and his interests. Will is frustrated because he believes that he has little control over his environment and his environment is uncomfortable to him. He has had some success at establishing a sense of control for himself by appearing to be cooperative and supportive to his colleagues. However, he continues to hold his reservations against politicking and does not engage in it. This is an example of ________ in order to avoid action, blame, or change. A) buffing B) buck passing C) scapegoating D) misrepresenting E) stalling

E) stalling

Buck passing is seen when an employee ________. A) avoids an unwanted task by falsely pleading ignorance or inability B) prolongs a task to give the appearance of being occupied C) documents his or her activity rigorously to project an image of competence and thoroughness D) develops explanations that lessen his or her responsibility for a negative outcome E) transfers responsibility for the execution of a task or decision to someone else

E) transfers responsibility for the execution of a task or decision to someone else

Which of the following is an organizational factor that increases illegitimate political behavior? A) internal locus of control B) low expectations of success C) high trust D) low organizational investment E) zero-sum reward practice

E) zero-sum reward practice

According to the general dependence postulate, the greater B's dependence on A, the more power B has over A.

False

Expert power is based on identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits.

False

People from collectivistic countries tend to see power in personalized terms and as a legitimate means of advancing their personal ends, while those in individualistic countries see power in social terms and as a legitimate means of helping others.

False

Power tactics that emphasize formal power are personal and inspirational appeals, rational persuasion, and consultation.

False

Self-promotion works well as an impression management technique for interviews as well as performance evaluations.

False

Sexual harassment is more likely to occur when there are small power differentials.

False

The low self-monitor is more sensitive to social cues, exhibits higher levels of social conformity, and is more likely to be skilled in political behavior than the high self-monitor.

False

The political behavior required of employees is specified in the job requirements.

False

Using a single outcome measure is recommended when designing a performance evaluation system.

False

When the production manager at CalTrack was asked to provide reasons for the delay in the last batch of stock to be produced for the month, he clearly stated that this was the result of one of his front-level managers taking two days off and that the fault was not his. The manager is using buffing as a defensive behavior here.

False

Whistle-blowing is not considered to be a political behavior.

False

Dale Fisher is the manager of one branch of a retail chain. He often speaks with his customer service attendants about the value they bring to the company and encourages them to continue doing so. He knows that this approach of enhancing the worth of these executives and shaping their aspirations to do well is a more effective approach than using warnings and ultimatums. Dale is using the power tactic of an inspirational appeal here.

True

In countries that are more politically unstable, employees seem to demonstrate greater tolerance of intense political processes in the workplace

True

Limited resources is one of the major reasons for the development of organizational politics.

True

People with high political skills are able to exert their influence without others detecting it.

True

The Machiavellian personality is characterized by the will to manipulate and the desire for power.

True

The coercive power base depends on fear of the negative results from failing to comply.

True

Under the zero-sum approach, any gain one person or group achieves has to come at the expense of another person or group.

True

Unlike power, leadership requires some degree of goal compatibility.

True

Unwanted physical touching is an overt form of sexual harassment.

True