Quiz

Test you understanding of key chapter concepts by working through this quiz. You can check your answer by clicking on the arrow to the right or on what you think the correct answer is.  The correct answer will then be revealed to you for that question.

1. Strategies can go awry because of:

  1. Unforeseen externalities
  2. Organizational politics
  3. Both a and b
  4. Neither a nor b 

Answer:

c. Both a and b

2. Which thinker is associated with the political perspective?

  1. Machiavelli
  2. Porter
  3. Sun Tzu
  4. Ansoff

Answer:

a. Machiavelli

3. Organizational politics is the use of _______ to advance self-interest.

  1. Knowledge
  2. Position
  3. Networks
  4. All of the above

Answer:

d. All of the above

4. Interests can be defined in terms of:

  1. The relations between actors
  2. Discursive rationalities
  3. Structural positions
  4. All of the above   

 Answer:

d. All of the above  

5. A strategic interest emerges when:

  1. There is something at issue, which divides opinions
  2. There is something at issue, on which people take sides
  3. Both a and b
  4. Neither a nor b         

Answer:

c. Both a and b

6. In organizations, _____ have strategic interests.

  1. All actors
  2. Only a few actors
  3. Some actors
  4. Only CEOs

Answer:

a. All actors

7. Mintzberg identified which of the following as political games played in organizations:

  1. Sponsorship games
  2. Legacy games
  3. Machiavellian games
  4. Sporting games

Answer:

a. Sponsorship games

8. Fligstein found that the background of CEOs in the USA changed in the second half of the 20th century from ______ to _______.

  1. Finance to Operations
  2. Operations to Finance
  3. Finance to Marketing
  4. Marketing to Finance   

Answer:

d. Marketing to Finance 

Power games played between organizational sub-groups are often referred to as:

  1. In-fighting
  2. Micro-politics
  3. Face saving
  4. Point scoring 

Answer:

b. Micro-politics

10. Political skill entails:

  1. Using knowledge astutely in a manner that best serves the strategic interest one is seeking to advance
  2. Using knowledge to corner and belittle the opponent
  3. Always claiming to be right
  4. Never losing a battle

Answer:

a. Using knowledge astutely in a manner that best serves the strategic interest one is seeking to advance