Deck 11: Managing Conflict

Question 1

The avoidance approach to conflict is ____ on assertiveness and ____ on cooperation.

A) low; low
B) high; low
C) low; high
D) high; high

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to Wagner and Hollenbeck (1998), which of the following is a benefit of conflict?

A) Conflict lessens social tensions.
B) Conflict supplies feedback.
C) Conflict helps to stimulate innovation.
D) all of these

Answer 2

D

Question 3

We will most likely adopt a(n) ______ style if we have a low concern for self and high concern for others.

A) dominating
B) avoiding
C) compromising
D) obliging

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Conflicts based on ______ tend to be highly emotional and difficult to resolve.

A) information deficiencies
B) personal differences
C) role incompatibility
D) environmental stress

Question 5

High levels of conflict on city councils were associated with ______.

A) stress
B) diminished performance
C) failure
D) all of these

Question 6

Social service organizations with workers with heavy caseloads have unusually high turnover rates. This is an example of which of the following sources of conflict?

A) personal differences
B) information deficiencies
C) role incompatibility
D) environmental stress

Question 7

Taking action to satisfy the other party's needs and concerns is known as ______.

A) assertiveness
B) cooperativeness
C) supportiveness
D) aggressiveness

Question 8

The more we ______ other people, the more ______ we will be of their motives in conflicts.

A) trust; certain
B) disappoint; uncertain
C) trust; uncertain
D) disappoint; certain

Question 9

Which of the following theories of conflict holds that people evaluate their interpersonal relationships in terms of their value?

A) attribution theory
B) systems theory
C) social exchange theory
D) evaluation theory

Question 10

The collaboration approach to conflict is ______ on assertiveness and ______ on cooperation.

A) low; low
B) high; low
C) low; high
D) high; high

Question 11

The most common source of internal conflict in an organization is insufficient or unsatisfactory ______.

A) consequences
B) rewards
C) communication
D) leadership

Question 12

When employees are ______, morale tends to be low, and the amount of conflict increases.

A) complacent
B) anxious
C) punished
D) overwhelmed

Question 13

Becky tends to focus on what she has given up rather than on what has been gained. What is most likely her approach to conflict?

A) compromise
B) avoidance
C) accommodation
D) collaboration

Question 14

Which of the following is a way in which individuals might approach conflict?

A) competition
B) collaboration
C) avoidance
D) all of these

Question 15

All of the following are principles of healthy conflict EXCEPT for ____.

A) creating meaningful conversation
B) making it material
C) focusing on the future
D) pursuing a noble purpose

Question 16

Employees in a local government garbage collection unit believed that promotions were given only to those who belonged to the after-hours bowling team. This is an example of which of the following sources of conflict?

A) personal differences
B) information deficiencies
C) role incompatibility
D) environmental stress

Question 17

Assessing conflict may be accomplished by all of the following EXCEPT for ______.

A) identifying individual contributions
B) assessing the working of the overall system
C) determining recurring patterns inside the system
D) addressing the situation immediately

Question 18

Emotional reaction such as anger, hostility, frustration, pain, or anxiety is most likely to occur during which stage of conflict?

A) frustration
B) conceptualization
C) behavior
D) outcome

Question 19

Jonathan is interested in his own position and views the world as a zero-sum game with winners and losers. What is most likely his approach to conflict?

A) competition
B) avoidance
C) accommodation
D) collaboration

Question 20

____ has been found to be an initial predictor of poor performance.

A) Satisfaction
B) Complacency
C) Contentment
D) Anxiety

Question 21

Which of the following are considered the main types of conflicts encountered by public managers?

A) intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, and intragroup
B) intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, and team conflict
C) intrapersonal, interpersonal, team conflict, and generational conflict
D) interpersonal, intergroup, team conflict, and generational conflict

Question 22

Describe how you deal with conflict? What does that say about your personality? Are you more likely to accommodate or avoid confrontations?

Question 23

Discuss the various sources of conflict. Which are easiest to resolve, and which are the most difficult?

Question 24

Compare and contrast the theories of conflict. What are some advantages and disadvantages of each? Discuss, providing relevant examples where appropriate.

Question 25

Until the 1940s, the role of the manager was to eliminate conflict in the workplace, usually by punishing the perceived initiators.

Question 26

Avoiding disputes or refraining from direct confrontation with conflict issues in a formal or public sphere has been found to be a prevailing mode of conflict management by members of majority groups.

Question 27

The competition approach to conflict is low on assertiveness and low on cooperation.

Question 28

Many managers feel too secure to stir up conflict among their subordinates.

Question 29

Systems theory urges that conflict be viewed as one aspect of a larger system of interactions.

Question 30

If there is moderate concern for self and moderate concern for the others in the conflict, then you should engage in a(n) ______ style.

A) obliging
B) dominating
C) compromising
D) avoiding

Question 31

Conflict can be extremely beneficial to the workplace.

Question 32

Generational differences are a potential source of conflict in the work place.

Question 33

Which of the following was identified as the least serious ethical violation?

A) deception and lying
B) inflict direct or indirect harm
C) selective disclosure
D) misrepresentation

Question 34

Which of the following best identifies the approaches that a manager can use in engaging in constructive conflict?

A) Reflect, get feedback, gradually correct the problem.
B) Reflect, get feedback, immediately correct the problem.
C) Get feedback, immediately correct the problem, and punish those who started the conflict.
D) Get feedback, gradually correct the problem, and if it returns, ignore it.

Question 35

"Principled" negotiation among parties contrasts with "positional" negotiation by ______.

A) separating people from the problem
B) asking the why and why not questions
C) brainstorming solutions
D) all of these

Question 36

"Conflict intelligence" is defined as the ability to read conflict situations and respond to ways that can resolve the conflict.

Question 37

People tend to give reasons such as unstable causes, judgments, and environmental conditions rather than recognize that their own behavior is contributing to the conflicts.

Question 38

Issues that are worth conflict connect people with a sense of purpose beyond self-interest.

Question 39

According to the attribution theory of conflict, satisfied individuals are more likely to attribute the causes of their problems to flaws in other parties or in their situations.

Question 40

Culture is fairly stagnant and does not evolve over time.

Question 41

The public administrator often is placed in the role of deciding among conflicting priorities and is drawn into the center of the conflict. Why is this so? What can an administrator do in these situations?

Question 42

Describe the stages of conflict. What occurs at each stage? How can conflict be managed effectively during each of the stages? Discuss, providing relevant examples where appropriate.