Exam 13: Conflict, Power, and Politics

Empployees at Brazil-based company Seneco are permitted to control their work hours, location, and even pay plans. Employees also participate in all organization decisions, including what businesses Semco should pursue. Employees at Seneco are _____.

During your job interview for a position in purchasing with Ideal Corporation, the interviewer poses the following question for you to answer: If the two departments of marketing and manufacturing have been experiencing considerable conflict, what explanation could you offer for the likely conflict areas?

The advantage of intergroup consultation is that individuals become submerged in the values, attitudes, problems, and goals of the other department.

"He who has the gold makes the rules" refers to control of financial resources as a strategic contingency that influences horizontal power among departments.

Today e-commerce departments have growing power in many organizations. Explain why, based on the strategic contingencies and power sources that apply to horizontal sources of power.

Goal incompatibility can be a kind of "built-in" conflict between departments--especially marketing and manufacturing--that are faithfully attempting to accomplish their own missions.

____ is the potential ability of one person/department to influence other persons/departments to carry out orders or do something they would not otherwise have done.

We know which of the following about horizontal power?

The following statement is a correct usage of the terms "power" and "authority:" Some secretaries are likely to have a great deal of power in the organization even though they have little authority.

____ involves activities to acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to influence others and obtain the preferred outcome when there is uncertainty or disagreement about choices.

Members of the marketing department have become aware that manufacturing is inflating their expense forms when they turn in claims. If marketing decides to report manufacturing to the vice president, they will need to proceed with care. What recommendations would you give to marketing, based on your reading of the chapter on power and politics?

What are similarities and differences between power and politics in organizations?

Which of the following was not a reaction of managers toward political behavior uncovered in surveys?

Being centrally located in the organization and having access to information and people that are critical to the company's success is referred to as:

Do you agree with the manager who made the following statements: "As a proponent of cooperative relationships within the organization, I believe that there is no place for the application of power and politics. They are dirty processes that set conflict in motion." Explain your position.

The win-win strategy of negotiation:

Strategic contingencies are succession plans that are made within the corporation.

Attributes identified in our text as generating intergroup conflict include all of the following except:

People at the bottom levels of an organization can never obtain more power than those in higher levels of the organization.

All of the following, except ____ are the domains of political activity.