Deck 17: Managing Conflict, Politics, and Negotiation

Question 1

Hannah and Jade work together in the Marketing Department.They are disputing over which graphic designer to contract for upcoming projects.This is an example of _____ conflict.

A)interorganizational
B)top-down
C)interdepartmental
D)intragroup
E)intergroup

Answer 1

D
Explanation: Intragroup conflict arises within a group, team, or department.

Question 2

Compromise is possible when each party involved in the conflict is willing to make concessions until a reasonable resolution of the conflict is reached.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Compromise is possible when each party is concerned about not only its own goal accomplishment but also the goal accomplishment of the other party and is willing to engage in a give-and-take exchange and to make concessions until a reasonable resolution of the conflict is reached.

Question 3

Lack of conflict in an organization signals that managers strive for agreement rather than effective decision making.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Lack of conflict in an organization often signals that managers emphasize conformity at the expense of new ideas, resist change, and strive for agreement rather than effective decision making.

Question 4

When managers exercise power unobtrusively, other members of an organization are usually aware that the managers are using their power to influence them.

Question 5

Conflict in organizations usually arises from a single source.

Question 6

Focusing on people and not the problem can easily lead both parties into a distributive negotiation mode.

Question 7

Collaboration involves engaging in a give-and-take exchange and making concessions until a reasonable resolution of the conflict is reached.

Question 8

Which of the following is true about the impact of conflict on organizational performance?

A)Lack of conflict increases organizational performance.
B)Organizational performance is at its peak when an organization has dysfunctionally high levels of conflict.
C)Organizational performance is at its peak when there is an optimum level of conflict.
D)Organizational conflict must be avoided in order to achieve peak organizational performance.
E)Organizational performance suffers when there is an optimum level of conflict.

Question 9

Collaboration is when parties in conflict find a solution without making concessions, but in a way that leaves them both better off.

Question 10

Organizational politics are the activities that managers engage in to increase their power and use power effectively to achieve their goals.

Question 11

Managers should strive to eliminate all kinds of conflicts within the organization.

Question 12

When an organization has a dysfunctionally high level of conflict, managers are likely to emphasize doing what will lead to a competitive advantage for their organization.

Question 13

Arbitrators cannot force the parties involved in a conflict to make concessions, nor can they force an agreement to resolve a conflict.

Question 14

_____ is discord arising from the incompatibility of goals of different individuals and their attempts to thwart each other's pursuit of objectives.

A)Workplace bullying
B)Social loafing
C)Organizational conflict
D)Participative behavior
E)Workplace harassment

Question 15

Michelle, the manager of human resources at KLP Consulting, and Carlos, the vice president of operations of the same organization, are in disagreement about their company's diversity policy.This is an example of _____ conflict.

A)intragroup
B)intradepartmental
C)interpersonal
D)interorganizational
E)horizontal

Question 16

Superordinate goals are goals that all parties involved in a conflict agree to support.

Question 17

Even though they have a negative connotation for many people, organizational politics are often a positive force.

Question 18

Distributive negotiation occurs when the parties in conflict believe that they have a "fixed pie" of resources that they need to divide.

Question 19

Changing the structure of an organization can resolve conflicts.

Question 20

Maria and John are business partners, but they have frequent arguments at work due to the differences in their values and interests.This is an example of

A)distributive justice.
B)equity conflict.
C)organizational conflict.
D)workplace bullying.
E)directive behavior.

Question 21

______ occurs when the parties in conflict attempt to resolve the conflict without making concessions but, instead, attempt to resolve their differences in ways that leave all parties better off.

A)Compromise
B)Avoidance
C)Competition
D)Collaboration
E)Accommodation

Question 22

Managers at Delaware Appliances feel that an advertisement of one of their major competitors is false and tarnishes the reputation of Delaware Appliances.This can lead to a(n) _____ conflict.

A)intragroup
B)intrapersonal
C)intergroup
D)interorganizational
E)horizontal

Question 23

______ conflict takes place across different companies.

A)Interorganizational
B)Interpersonal
C)Top-down
D)Intragroup
E)Intergroup

Question 24

______ is when differences are resolved by compromise or collaboration between the parties in disagreement.

A)Functional conflict resolution
B)Top-down change
C)Status inconsistency
D)Retributive justice
E)Distributive negotiation

Question 25

Which of the following is a functional way of resolving conflicts?

A)competition
B)avoidance
C)accommodation
D)compromise
E)confrontation

Question 26

Kevin, the production manager at Hexavex Systems, prefers long production runs of thousands of units in order to drive the cost per unit down.However, Andrea, the marketing manager, prefers shorter production runs of a few hundred units in order to deliver the product more quickly to a key customer.Which of the following is the source of conflict between the two managers?

A)different goals
B)overlapping authority
C)scarce resources
D)different reward systems
E)status inconsistencies

Question 27

At the monthly meetings, the CEO consistently praises the marketing department, and has scare praise for the research and the accounting departments, resulting in a conflict brought on by

A)scarce resources.
B)status inconsistencies.
C)task interdependencies.
D)overlapping authority.
E)different time horizons.

Question 28

Two managers in the marketing department of SGR Inc.disagree on whether their organization should spend the bulk of its advertising budget on print advertising or Internet marketing.This is an example of _____ conflict.

A)intergroup
B)interdepartmental
C)intragroup
D)interorganizational
E)top-down

Question 29

Francisco and Scott head the production and marketing departments, respectively, at KYP Solutions Inc.Francisco wants to extend the rollout date of a new product by two months in order to cash in on an impending decrease in the prices of raw materials.Scott, on the other hand, fears losing out to competition and wants Francisco to start production immediately.In an attempt to resolve their conflict, Francisco and Scott decide to produce a smaller number of units initially and scale up production once the prices of raw materials have decreased.Francisco and Scott resolved the conflict through

A)accommodation.
B)distributive negotiation.
C)avoidance.
D)competition.
E)compromise.

Question 30

Avoidance is ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy because

A)it does not address the real source of disagreement.
B)it escalates levels of conflict as each party tries to outmaneuver the other.
C)the weaker party who gives in might look for ways to get back at the stronger party in the future.
D)the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle than cooperating.
E)it allows only one party to achieve its goals.

Question 31

Under which of the following circumstances does accommodation take place between parties involved in a conflict?

A)when the parties to a conflict try to ignore the problem and do nothing to resolve the disagreement
B)when one party has more power than the other party
C)when each party is willing to engage in a give-and-take exchange
D)when the parties to a conflict are willing to cooperate with each other
E)when the parties try to satisfy their goals without making any concessions

Question 32

Jim, the dean of student services, and Paula, the dean of academic affairs, disagree about how to handle the misconduct of a student.Their disagreement with each other signifies _____ conflict.

A)interpersonal
B)bottom-up
C)interorganizational
D)horizontal
E)top-down

Question 33

The marketing department needs the production department to manufacture the goods it attempts to sell, while the production department needs the marketing department to find customers for the goods it produces.Which of the following is a source of conflict between the marketing and the production departments?

A)scarce resources
B)status inconsistency
C)different evaluation system
D)overlapping authority
E)task interdependence

Question 34

David and Jose have been business partners for eight years.While David wants to acquire one of their major competitors, Jose is keen on expanding operations to other states.After a few rounds of discussions, they decide on buying out two smaller firms in different states.David is happy with this decision because the acquisitions significantly enhance the prospect of acquiring major firms in the future, and Jose's interest in expanding operations to other states is also met.Which of the following conflict resolution strategies does this situation represent?

A)compromise
B)distributive negotiation
C)accommodation
D)avoidance
E)competition

Question 35

Both the marketing division and the corporate communications department of Value Homes, a real estate company, claim responsibility for developing corporate marketing strategies.Which of the following could be a potential source of conflict between the two divisions?

A)scarce resources
B)overlapping authority
C)different reward systems
D)status inconsistency
E)different time horizons

Question 36

Which of the following is an ineffective conflict-handling approach?

A)compromise
B)collaboration
C)accommodation
D)mediation
E)integrative bargaining

Question 37

______ conflict that takes place between different departments of the same organization.

A)Intradepartmental
B)Bottom-up
C)Interorganizational
D)Intragroup
E)Intergroup

Question 38

Due to ______ , two or more managers conflict over the responsibility for the same activities or tasks.

A)task interdependence
B)different reward systems
C)scarce resources
D)overlapping authority
E)status inconsistency

Question 39

The production manager at JPC Inc.faces difficulty in meeting the quarterly production target, as 10 of the production staff report in sick.Based on this scenario, which of the following sources of conflict is likely to cause conflict?

A)different time horizons
B)overlapping authority
C)task interdependency
D)different reward system
E)scarce resources

Question 40

Accommodation is ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy because

A)the parties to the conflict do not make any concessions.
B)it escalates levels of conflict as each party tries to outmaneuver the other.
C)the weaker party who gives in might look for ways to get back at the stronger party in the future.
D)the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle than cooperating.
E)it does not allow either party to achieve its goals.

Question 41

Creating new options for joint gain occurs by focusing on a(n) _____ scenario.

A)win-win
B)win-lose
C)confrontational
D)lose-lose
E)avoidance

Question 42

Competition is ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy because

A)the parties to the conflict make concessions.
B)the parties to a conflict try to ignore the problem and do nothing to resolve the disagreement.
C)the weaker party who gives in might look for ways to get back at the stronger party in the future.
D)the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle than cooperating.
E)it does not allow either party to achieve its goals.

Question 43

Which of the following is true about the integrative bargaining strategy that emphasizes focusing on what is fair?

A)It is consistent with distributive negotiation.
B)It leads the parties in conflict to take a competitive, adversarial stance.
C)It is consistent with the principle of distributive justice and focuses on the unprejudiced distribution of outcomes.
D)It helps parties in conflict to focus more on their demands rather than their interests.
E)It helps parties in conflict to perceive that they have a "fixed pie" of resources that they need to divide.

Question 44

Which of the following strategies should be used to resolve conflicts that arise when individuals do not understand the work demands that others face?

A)increasing awareness of the sources of conflict
B)practicing job rotation
C)increasing diversity awareness
D)using permanent transfers
E)dismissing employees

Question 45

When a third-party negotiator acts as a(n) _____, his or her role in the negotiation process is to facilitate an effective negotiation between the two parties; these negotiators do not force either party to make concessions.

A)opinion leader
B)arbitrator
C)mediator
D)haggler
E)compromiser

Question 46

Which of the following strategies should be used to resolve conflicts that arise out of communication problems and interpersonal misunderstandings?

A)increasing awareness of the sources of conflict
B)practicing job rotation
C)providing temporary assignments
D)using permanent transfers
E)dismissing employees

Question 47

A(n) _______ is an impartial individual with expertise in handling conflicts and who helps parties in conflict reach an acceptable solution.

A)task-oriented leader
B)opinion leader
C)mentor
D)third-party negotiator
E)transformational manager

Question 48

Which of the following strategies should be used to resolve conflicts that arise out of communication problems when interacting with people, groups, and organizations in other countries?

A)providing temporary assignments
B)practicing job rotation
C)increasing diversity awareness and skills
D)using permanent transfers
E)dismissing employees

Question 49

In which of the following types of negotiations do parties in conflict strive to get the majority share of the available resources without considering their interpersonal relationship?

A)integrative bargaining
B)accommodation
C)avoidance
D)distributive negotiation
E)integrative negotiation

Question 50

Which of the following is true about the integrative bargaining strategy that emphasizes creating new options for joint gains?

A)It helps parties in conflict to perceive that they have a "fixed pie" of resources that they need to divide.
B)It leads the parties in conflict to focus on getting the majority share of the available resources.
C)It helps parties to come up with new alternatives that will expand the resource pie.
D)It helps parties in conflict to meet their demands instead of their interests.
E)It helps parties in conflict to adopt the principle of distributive negotiation.

Question 51

Which of the following is a strategy used to encourage integrative bargaining?

A)changing an organization's structure
B)engaging in distributive negotiation
C)emphasizing superordinate goals
D)using permanent transfers
E)increasing diversity awareness

Question 52

Which of the following is true about organizational politics?

A)Only managers can engage in organizational politics.
B)Organizational politics cannot be used to resolve conflicts.
C)Organizational politics are a purely negative force.
D)Effective managers engage in politics to gain support for and implement needed changes.
E)Engaging in organizational politics builds resistance to new ideas.

Question 53

_______ are the tactics that managers use to increase their power and to use their power to gain the support of others within an organization.

A)Negotiations
B)Political strategies
C)Status inconsistencies
D)Integrative bargains
E)Legitimate powers

Question 54

Focusing on what is fair is consistent with the principle of _____, which emphasizes the fair distribution of outcomes based on the meaningful contributions that people make to organizations.

A)distributive negotiation
B)distributive justice
C)interactional justice
D)valence
E)expectancy

Question 55

Two parties in conflict focusing on each other's shortcomings rather than solving the source of the conflict is an example of focusing on

A)superordinate goals.
B)developmental goals.
C)interests instead of demands.
D)people instead of the problem.
E)what is fair.

Question 56

Which of the following is true about emphasizing superordinate goals?

A)It helps parties in conflict to keep in mind that they are working together for a larger purpose despite their disagreements.
B)It is inconsistent with integrative bargaining and can easily lead both parties into a distributive negotiation mode.
C)It helps parties in conflict to focus on getting the majority share of the available resources.
D)It helps parties in conflict to meet their demands instead of their interests.
E)It helps parties in conflict to take a competitive, adversarial stance.

Question 57

In integrative bargaining, conflicts are handled through collaboration and

A)accommodation.
B)compromise.
C)avoidance.
D)competition.
E)distributive negotiation.

Question 58

If the source of a conflict is overlapping authority, a manager should

A)sign up employees for diversity training.
B)clarify the chain of command.
C)change the organizational culture.
D)use permanent transfers.
E)change cultural norms.

Question 59

______ are third-party negotiators who can impose what they believe is a fair solution to a dispute that both parties are obligated to abide by.

A)Opinion leaders
B)Arbitrators
C)Mediators
D)Hagglers
E)Compromisers

Question 60

Managers engage in _________ to increase their power and to use power effectively in order to achieve their goals.

A)organizational politics
B)superordinate goals
C)legitimate powers
D)integrative bargains
E)mind games

Question 61

The political strategy _______ helps managers increase and maintain their power.

A)controlling uncertainty
B)increasing diversity
C)focusing on demands
D)focusing on people, not problems
E)emphasizing distributive negotiation

Question 62

It appears that the norms and values in Tristan's organization are causing abnormally high levels of conflict that are difficult to resolve.What can Tristan do solve this issue?

A)increase diversity awareness and skills of organization members
B)dismiss employees from the organization
C)increase awareness of the sources of conflict
D)provide temporary assignments
E)change the organization's structure or culture

Question 63

Lou and John work in the same department.They have different opinions about how to budget organization resources, so they often experience _____ conflict.

A)group
B)intragroup
C)interpersonal
D)intergroup
E)interorganizational

Question 64

Which of the following is true about the political strategy that emphasizes relying on objective information?

A)It causes others to believe that what the manager is proposing is the appropriate or rational thing to do.
B)It helps managers develop mutually beneficial relationships with people both inside and outside the organization.
C)It generates knowledge resources such as marketing, information technology, or engineering expertise.
D)It helps managers influence the alternatives that are considered, and each considered alternative is acceptable to them.
E)It makes sure that everyone who supports the proposal benefits personally from providing that support.

Question 65

Maya is a manager at a manufacturing company.She is responsible for activities that are directly connected to the organizational goals and sources of competitive advantage.Which of the following political strategies will help her increase and maintain her power?

A)bringing in an outside expert
B)being in a central position
C)building alliances
D)controlling uncertainty
E)generating resources

Question 66

Which of the following is true about the political strategy that focuses on making everyone a winner?

A)It causes managers to rely on objective information that supports his/her objectives.
B)It helps managers influence the alternatives that are considered.
C)It generates knowledge resources such as marketing, information technology, or engineering expertise.
D)It reduces the credibility of a manager's actions and ideas.
E)It makes sure that everyone who supports a proposal benefits personally from providing that support.

Question 67

When _____ takes place, one party to the conflict simply gives in to the demands of the other party.

A)avoidance
B)collaboration
C)integrative bargaining
D)accommodation
E)competition

Question 68

Which of the following is an advantage of managers exercising power unobtrusively?

A)It keeps other members of an organization unaware that managers are using their power to influence them.
B)It results in sharing of power between managers and employees.
C)It helps employees understand that the decisions of managers will not benefit them.
D)It helps parties in conflict to stay focused on the problem and avoid the temptation to discredit one another.
E)It helps parties in conflict to view conflict cooperatively, as a win-win situation in which both parties can gain.

Question 69

________ is a political strategy for managers to exercise power unobtrusively.

A)Controlling uncertainty
B)Being irreplaceable
C)Generating resources
D)Building alliances
E)Relying on objective information

Question 70

Which of the following is true about organizational politics?

A)Organizational politics cannot be used for personal benefits.
B)Organizational politics are used only by managers who lack merit and capabilities.
C)Organizational politics are a purely negative force.
D)Effective managers do not engage in politics to gain support for and implement needed changes.
E)Everyone engages in politics to a degree-managers, coworkers, and subordinates, as well as people outside an organization.

Question 71

_________ is a threat for individuals, groups, and whole organizations and can interfere with effective performance and goal attainment.

A)Legitimate power
B)Uncertainty
C)Power distance
D)Alliances
E)Integrative bargaining

Question 72

Which of the following is true about the political strategy that emphasizes building alliances?

A)Partners to alliances often withdraw support because they know that managers might not support them in the future.
B)Building alliances requires distributive negotiation.
C)Building alliances can help create beneficial relationships inside an organization but not outside.
D)Alliances can help managers achieve their goals and implement needed changes in organizations.
E)Managers need not focus on ethical and legal issues when building alliances.

Question 73

_____ is when some individuals in an organization are more highly regarded than other groups in the organization.

A)Incompatible evaluation
B)Task interdependence
C)Status inconsistency
D)Intergroup conflict
E)Overlapping authority

Question 74

Kathleen, the director of Hebron International School, conducts meetings in a way that she strongly influences the alternatives considered for making important decisions.Which of the following political strategies does Kathleen use?

A)forming alliances
B)bringing in an outside expert
C)controlling the agenda
D)relying on objective information
E)generating resources

Question 75

Which of the following is true about managers using the political strategy of being in a central position?

A)The success of the organization as a whole is seen as riding on these managers.
B)Other members of the organization have control over crucial decisions.
C)They are mediocre performers and have a limited knowledge base.
D)They lose their power and influence over other employees.
E)They do not make significant contributions toward the organization.

Question 76

In _____, the parties in conflict believe that they have a "fixed pie" of resources that they need to divide.

A)distributive negotiation
B)integrative bargaining
C)collaboration
D)compromise
E)accommodation

Question 77

Jaden, the head of the human resources department, reduces the list of candidates to be considered for a position in his department to include only those applicants who are acceptable to him.Which of the following political strategies is Jaden using in this situation?

A)controlling the agenda
B)being irreplaceable
C)overlapping authority
D)emphasizing status inconsistency
E)relying on objective information

Question 78

Wilton is a regional manager.To meet higher goals, he implemented some changes; however, Wilton encountered resistance from the sales representatives and other managers who did not agree with the changes.To increase his power in order to overcome resistance and opposition, and thereby achieving his goals, Wilton should

A)deal with the problem through avoidance.
B)resolve the issue through accommodation.
C)ignore organizational politics.
D)engage in organizational politics.
E)approach the problem through competition.

Question 79

_______ helps managers gain support for their initiatives and goals.

A)Accommodation
B)Competition
C)Organizational conflict
D)Organizational politics
E)Distributive negotiation

Question 80

Ty is a marketing manager at JP Inc.He develops mutually beneficial relationships with other managers in order to accomplish the goals of the organization.Which type of political strategies is Ty using to increase his power and gain support?

A)controlling uncertainty
B)being irreplaceable
C)being in a central position
D)building alliances
E)generating resources