Conflict, Power & Politics

Front 1

Decentralizing authority to a subordinate does not necessarily reduce a manager's authority.

Back 1

True

Front 2

When task interdependence is high, conflict is likely to occur.

Back 2

True

Front 3

Which of the following statements about authority is true?

Back 3

Decentralizing authority to a subordinate does not necessarily reduce a manager's authority

Front 4

Rick is the only person in the finance department who knows how to fix the computer when it breaks down. The source of Rick's power is ________.

Back 4

nonsubstitutability

Front 5

According to Pondy, all organizational conflict arises because vertical and horizontal differentiation lead to the establishment of different organizational subunits with different goals and often different perceptions of how best to realize those goals.

Back 5

True

Front 6

Organizational conflict is always dysfunctional, because it is an unanticipated or unintended consequence of formal structure and procedures.

Back 6

False

Front 7

A staff function is directly involved in the production of the organization's products.

Back 7

False

Front 8

At which of the following stages of Pondy's organizational conflict model there exists no outright conflict?

Back 8

latent conflict

Front 9

A manager obtains an assignment that brings him into contact with many managers and many functions so that he can obtain information that can be used to make him and his function nonsubstitutable. Which of the following political tactics is being used by this manager?

Back 9

increasing centrality

Front 10

Manager A supports Manager B on an issue of interest to B in return for B supporting A an issue of interest to A. These managers are ________.

Back 10

creating a coalition

Front 11

Attitudinal structuring is a process ________.

Back 11

designed to encourage the perception that conflicting parties are on the same side

Front 12

According to Thompson's model of technology, which of the following types of task interdependence among subunits is most likely to lead to a conflict?

Back 12

reciprocal task interdependence

Front 13

"Gatekeepers" have power stemming from ________.

Back 13

control over information

Front 14

To grow, change, and survive, an organization must manage both cooperation and competition among stakeholders.

Back 14

True

Front 15

Attitudinal structuring is a process of restructuring an organization so as to remove the cause of conflict among subunits.

Back 15

False

Front 16

When authority is centralized, it is difficult for coalitions to form.

Back 16

True

Front 17

The power possessed by a set of managers who form a "partnership" and use their combined power secretively to influence the decision-making process in ways that favor their interests is called ________ power.

Back 17

unobtrusive

Front 18

Flattening the hierarchy, so that authority relationships are clearly defined, and decentralizing authority can remove a major source of organizational conflict.

Back 18

True

Front 19

At the felt conflict stage in Pondy's model, subunits in conflict quickly develop an emotional response toward one another.

Back 19

True

Front 20

Decreasing the level of integration is one major way in which organizations can manage the problem of differences in subunit goals.

Back 20

False