Question 1

In chapter 8 of your textbook,power is said to be ______ if it is exercised according to one's own interests rather than one's sanctioned authority within the bureaucracy.

Accepted Answer

Power is considered illegitimate when it is exercised based on personal interests rather than the authority granted by one's position within an organization or bureaucracy. Legitimate power is derived from one's official position or role, while illegitimate power deviates from these sanctioned boundaries.

Question 2

Which of the following are characteristics of Resource Dependency Theory?

Accepted Answer

Resource Dependency Theory suggests that power within organizations is derived from the control over scarce resources, leading to a situation where those with more resources can attract even more, enhancing their power. This encompasses the ideas that power emerges from the ability to influence decisions over scarce resources (A), and that sub-units with more resources can attract additional resources, increasing their power (C). The theory implicitly supports the notion of power distribution as a zero-sum game (B), where the gain of power by one sub-unit is often at the expense of others.

Question 3

Mintzberg identifies several types of political games actors in organizations play.What term does he use to refer to games in which actors seek to capture others and enrol them as subordinate to their interests?

Accepted Answer

Mintzberg refers to the games in which actors seek to capture others and enroll them as subordinate to their interests as "empire building games." This term reflects the strategy of expanding one's influence or control within an organization by increasing the number of subordinates or the amount of resources controlled.

Question 4

In chapter 8 of your textbook,games characterized by conflict that is intense,confined,and unstable,and that can be found during takeovers,mergers and acquisitions are termed ______.

Accepted Answer

Games characterized by intense, confined, and unstable conflict, often found during takeovers, mergers, and acquisitions, are termed "confrontation."

Question 5

Henry Mintzberg used the term ______ to refer to the systems of politics that come into play whenever the systems of authority,ideology or expertise are contested in various political games.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Henry Mintzberg used the term ______ to...

Question 6

Mintzberg identifies several types of political games actors in organizations play.What term does he use to refer to games which the dominant elites play against the lower status participants,in response to the former group's games?

Accepted Answer

Counter insurgency games are played by dominant elites in response to insurgency games initiated by lower status participants.

Question 7

Which of the following are central to the concept of organizational politics?

Accepted Answer

All the options provided are central to the concept of organizational politics. They involve the management of meaning, opposition to differing ideas, and the use of symbolism and myths to influence organizational dynamics.

Question 8

Which of the following are central concepts in Strategic Contingencies Theory's perception of power?

Accepted Answer

Strategic Contingencies Theory of power within organizations suggests that power is not distributed equally across different sub-units within an organization. Instead, it posits that the power of a sub-unit is determined by its ability to cope with uncertainties, its degree of centrality in the organizational workflow, and the non-substitutability of its function. Therefore, the statement in option D encapsulates the essence of this theory by combining the concepts of interdependence, non-substitutability, and the ability to manage uncertainty as determinants of power within an organization.

Question 9

Mintzberg identifies several types of political games members of organizations play.What term does he use to refer to games in which usually lower status participants seek to externally expose illegitimacy to affect internal policy or strategy changes?

Accepted Answer

Whistle blowing games involve lower status participants exposing illegitimacy or unethical practices within an organization to external entities or the public, often aiming to prompt internal policy or strategy changes.

Question 10

What is the theory that claims power emerges out of the sub-units ability to influence decision-making relating to the allocation of scarce resources in an organization,and as a result,these sub-units attract even more resources?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the theory that claims power...

Question 11

According to chapter 8 of your textbook,many early organization theorists' conceptions of hierarchy viewed ______ as legitimate,and ______ as illegitimate.

Accepted Answer

Many early organization theorists viewed authority as legitimate because it is based on established positions and roles within an organization, whereas power was seen as illegitimate because it can be exercised through coercion or manipulation outside of those established roles.

Question 12

Unlike earlier researchers,Post World War II researchers increasingly argued that ______ is a source of power rather than a constraint on its exercise.

Accepted Answer

Post World War II researchers began to view uncertainty as a source of power because it allows individuals or organizations to exploit unknowns and adapt strategies to gain advantages, rather than being constrained by rigid structures or predictable outcomes.

Question 13

During the second war in Iraq,there were media clips of Iraqi civilians pulling down statues of Saddam Hussein.Such images are highly symbolic of the fact that the power of Saddam's regime is no longer perceived as ______.

Accepted Answer

The pulling down of statues symbolizes the end of Saddam Hussein's regime's perceived legitimacy, indicating a public rejection of his authority.

Question 14

Mintzberg identifies several types of political games played by actors in organizations.What term does he use to refer to games in which lower status participants play against the dominant elites?

Accepted Answer

Insurgency games are those in which lower status participants challenge the dominant elites, often as a way to change the status quo or to gain more influence within the organization.

Question 15

What is one of the main criticisms of 'Strategic Contingencies Theory' identified in your textbook?

Accepted Answer

The main criticism of 'Strategic Contingencies Theory' is that it offers limited insights into understanding power and assumes organizations are simple, tightly regulated bureaucracies, which is often not the case.

Question 16

Your textbook identifies a range of bases of power,legitimacy being one.Which one of the following is NOT central to the concept of power as legitimation?

Accepted Answer

Legitimate power is based on the perception of the right to influence others, not on forcing acceptance of a permanent hierarchical position.

Question 17

In chapter 8 of your textbook,it is argued that simply possessing a scarce resource is not enough to exercise power,and that we must also understand the importance of ______ as a basis of power.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is context because it emphasizes the importance of understanding the situational, environmental, or circumstantial factors that can influence how power is exercised or perceived based on the possession of scarce resources.

Question 18

Drawing upon Mintzberg,chapter 6 of your textbook identifies four broad categories of games played in the political arena.These are confrontation,politicized organizations,complex political arenas,and ______.

Accepted Answer

The four broad categories of games in the political arena according to Mintzberg include confrontation, politicized organizations, complex political arenas, and shaky alliances.

Question 19

Whom does your textbook identify as providing a major landmark in the study of power,by attaching it to the concept of uncertainty,in a study of a French Tobacco factory?

Accepted Answer

Michel Crozier is recognized for his landmark study of power in a French Tobacco factory, where he linked the concept of power to uncertainty, offering significant insights into organizational behavior and power dynamics.

Question 20

What is the name of the theory that attempts to measure and build a model of power that shows how it is related to the control of uncertainty?

Accepted Answer

Strategic contingencies theory focuses on the sources of power within organizations, particularly how the control of uncertainties or critical contingencies can confer power to certain groups or individuals.

Quiz 8: Managing Power, politics and Decision-Making in Organizations