In the following passage, some words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives. Organisations are institutions in which members compete for status and power. They compete for the resources of the organisation, for example, resources to expand their own departments, for career advancement and for power to _____ the activities of others. Choose the most appropriate verb to complete the blank: for power to _____ the activities of others.

Introduction / Context:
This is the final blank in a passage about competition within organisations. After mentioning status, power, resources, and career advancement, the sentence ends by describing what people want to do with power. You need to select the verb that best completes the commonly used phrase power to something the activities of others. This question tests your understanding of idiomatic usage in organisational and political language.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence: They compete for the resources of the organisation, for example, resources to expand their own departments, for career advancement and for power to _____ the activities of others.
• Options: affect, control, curb, pursue.
• The verb must fit both grammatically and conceptually after power to.
• The surrounding theme is about influence and authority inside organisations.

Concept / Approach:
The expression power to control is widely used in discussions of authority and influence. The idea is that people inside organisations often do not simply seek status in name only, but want the ability to direct, manage, or command what others do. While other verbs like affect or curb can appear after power to, the phrase power to control the activities of others is the most precise and standard description of organisational power.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that power in this context refers to authority or capacity to direct behaviour.Step 2: Recall common expressions: power to control, power to influence, power to decide.Step 3: Evaluate each option with the noun phrase the activities of others.Step 4: The phrase control the activities of others is a direct and natural expression of authority.Step 5: Check for grammatical correctness: power to control the activities of others reads smoothly.Step 6: Choose control as the correct verb.

Verification / Alternative check:
By inserting control, the sentence becomes: They compete for the resources of the organisation, for example, resources to expand their own departments, for career advancement and for power to control the activities of others. This captures the realistic aim of many organisational actors: not just to gain higher titles but to have real decision making capability and command over colleagues and subordinates.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Affect: Power to affect the activities of others is possible, but it is weaker and less direct than control. Affect suggests influence without full authority, whereas the passage stresses competition for strong power.
Curb: To curb the activities of others suggests limiting or restraining them, which is only one narrow aspect of power. The passage seems to refer to the broad ability to direct and manage actions, not only to restrict them.
Pursue: Power to pursue the activities of others has an odd and unclear meaning and is not a standard phrase. Pursue normally means to chase or follow a goal, not to manage other people’s activities.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners choose affect because they think it sounds sophisticated, even though it makes the phrase less precise. Others might over focus on the negative connotation of power and select curb, imagining that power is only about stopping others. In organisational studies, power more often refers to broad decision authority, which is best captured by the verb control. Always consider the most frequent collocation and the overall picture the passage paints about behaviour inside institutions.

Final Answer:
The correct verb for the blank is control, giving the phrase power to control the activities of others.