Deck 17: Managing Conflict, Politics, and Negotiation

Question 1

When parties in conflict resolve their differences without making concessions but in a way that leaves them both better off, it is known as collaboration.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

When conflict is settled by compromise or by collaboration between the parties in conflict, it is termed functional conflict resolution.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Intragroup conflict is conflict that takes place between groups or departments.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Handling conflicts through accommodation, avoidance, or competition is ineffective from an organizational point of view because the parties do not cooperate with each other.

Question 5

The level of conflict present in an organization has important implications for organizational performance.

Question 6

Conflict is an inevitable part of organizational activity because the goals of different stakeholders are often incompatible.

Question 7

When resources are scarce, management is easy and conflict is unlikely.

Question 8

Conflict is likely to occur when two or more managers, departments, or functions claim authority for the same activities or tasks.

Question 9

Conflict in organizations usually arises from a single source.

Question 10

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

Question 11

The structure of an organization should not be changed to resolve conflicts.

Question 12

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

Question 13

When conflicts are handled by accommodation, the parties to a conflict try to ignore the problem and do nothing to resolve the disagreement.

Question 14

When an organization has a dysfunctionally high level of conflict, managers emphasize conformity at the expense of new ideas.

Question 15

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

Question 16

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

Question 17

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

Question 18

By increasing people's awareness of the source of conflict, managers can help resolve conflict functionally.

Question 19

Intergroup conflict takes place between members of the same department of an organization.

Question 20

The potential for conflict does not exist whenever individuals, groups, teams, or departments are interdependent.

Question 21

Effective managers engage in politics to gain support for and implement needed changes.

Question 22

The activities that managers engage in to increase their power and use power effectively to achieve their goals are known as organizational politics.

Question 23

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

Question 24

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

Question 25

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

Question 26

While demands are why a person wants something, interests are what the person wants.

Question 27

In integrative bargaining, the parties in conflict perceive that they can increase the resource pie by finding a creative solution to the conflict.

Question 28

By making everyone a winner, a manager risks being perceived as a person who pursues his own interests.

Question 29

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

Question 30

Managers can effectively resolve conflicts by decreasing levels of integration in an organization.

Question 31

Focusing on people and not the problem is consistent with integrative bargaining.

Question 32

Bringing in an outside expert to support a proposal or decision reduces the credibility of a manager's initiatives.

Question 33

By relying on objective information, politically skilled managers unobtrusively exercise their power to influence others.

Question 34

Focusing on what is fair is consistent with the principle of distributive negotiation.

Question 35

Controlling the agenda is an obtrusive strategy for exercising power.

Question 36

Norms and values in an organizational culture might inadvertently promote dysfunctionally high levels of conflict that are difficult to resolve.

Question 37

Organizational politics always has a negative effect on organizational effectiveness.

Question 38

Managers who use political strategies to increase and maintain their power are better able to influence others to work toward the achievement of group and organizational goals.

Question 39

By controlling the agenda, managers influence which alternatives are considered or even whether a decision is made.

Question 40

Managers often engage in organizational politics to resolve conflicts in their favor.

Question 41

David and Jose have been business partners for 8 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 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 42

Michelle, the manager of human resources at KLP Consulting and Carrie, 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 43

Which of the following sources of conflict is likely to create conflict when some departments in an organization are highly regarded than the rest?

A) Scarce resources
B) Status inconsistencies
C) Task interdependencies
D) Overlapping authority
E) Different time horizons

Question 44

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 which of the following types of conflict?

A) Intragroup conflict
B) Intrapersonal conflict
C) Intergroup conflict
D) Interorganizational conflict
E) Horizontal conflict

Question 45

Which of the following is true of 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 46

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 47

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 48

Jim, the dean of student services and Paula, the dean of academic affairs, are in disagreement 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 49

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 50

Dan and Scott head the production and marketing departments respectively at KYP Solutions Inc. Dan wants to extend the roll out 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 Dan to start production immediately. In an attempt to resolve their conflict, Dan and Scott decide to produce a smaller number of units initially and scale up production once the prices of raw materials have reduced. This method of conflict resolution is known as _____.

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

Question 51

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 52

Discord arising from the incompatibility of goals of different individuals and their attempts to thwart each other's pursual of objectives is known as:

A) workplace bullying.
B) social loafing.
C) organizational conflict.
D) participative behavior.
E) workplace harassment.

Question 53

Mary 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 54

Conflict that takes place between different departments of the same organization is known as:

A) intradepartmental conflict.
B) bottom-up conflict.
C) interorganizational conflict.
D) intragroup conflict.
E) intergroup conflict.

Question 55

Conflict that takes place between members of the same department is known as:

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

Question 56

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, it is known as _____.

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

Question 57

When two or more managers claim responsibility for the same activities or tasks, the source of conflict is _____.

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

Question 58

Conflict that takes place across different companies is known as:

A) interorganizational conflict.
B) interpersonal conflict.
C) top-down conflict.
D) intragroup conflict.
E) intergroup conflict.

Question 59

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 60

When differences are resolved by compromise or collaboration between the parties in disagreement, it is known as _____.

A) functional conflict resolution
B) top-down change
C) status inconsistency
D) retributive justice
E) distributive negotiation

Question 61

In integrative bargaining, conflicts are handled through collaboration and/or _____.

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

Question 62

Which of the following is true of 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 63

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 64

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

A) Compromise
B) Collaboration
C) Accommodation
D) Mediation
E) Integrative bargaining

Question 65

Which of the following is true of 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 66

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 67

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 68

Why is avoidance ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy?

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 69

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 70

Why is accommodation ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy?

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 71

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 72

Third-party negotiators who can impose what they believe is a fair solution to a dispute that both parties are obligated to abide by are referred to as _____.

A) opinion leaders
B) arbitrators
C) mediators
D) hagglers
E) compromisers

Question 73

An impartial individual with expertise in handling conflicts and who helps parties in conflict reach an acceptable solution is called a(n):

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

Question 74

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 75

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 76

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

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

Question 77

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 78

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

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

Question 79

Why is competition ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy?

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 80

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