Deck 14: Conflict and Negotiation

Question 1

The ________ view of conflict focuses on productive resolution of conflicts.

A) interactionist
B) transactional
C) managed
D) rational
E) traditional

Answer 1

C
Explanation: C) The managed conflict perspective does recognize that conflict is probably inevitable in most organizations, and it focuses more on productive conflict resolution. It strives to find constructive methods for resolving conflicts productively so their disruptive influence can be minimized.

Question 2

Conditions that can create conflicts can be classified into three categories. Which of the following is one of these three categories that includes variables such as jurisdictional clarity, member-goal compatibility, and leadership styles?

A) communication
B) structure
C) personal variables
D) group interactions
E) process variables

Answer 2

B
Explanation: B) The term structure in this context includes variables such as size, degree of specialization in the tasks assigned to group members, jurisdictional clarity, member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems, and the degree of dependence between groups.

Question 3

According to the traditional view of conflict, conflict is ________.

A) harmful
B) natural
C) necessary
D) healthy
E) rational

Answer 3

A
Explanation: A) The traditional approach to conflict assumed all conflict was bad and to be avoided. It was viewed negatively and discussed with such terms as violence, destruction, and irrationality to reinforce its negative connotation.

Question 4

The conflict-handling intention of collaborating is ________.

A) assertive and uncooperative
B) assertive and cooperative
C) unassertive and uncooperative
D) unassertive and cooperative
E) affective and reflective

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true regarding conflict?

A) The smaller the group, the greater the likelihood of conflict.
B) The less specialized the activities of the group, the greater the likelihood of conflict.
C) People low in the personality traits of disagreeableness, neuroticism, or self-monitoring are more likely to engage in a conflict.
D) Diversity of goals among groups is a major source of conflict.
E) As the ambiguity about where responsibility for actions lies decreases, the potential for conflict increases.

Question 6

The ________ stage of the conflict process is important because it's where conflict issues tend to be defined.

A) potential opposition
B) cognition and personalization
C) intuitions
D) behavior
E) reaction and transference

Question 7

The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is ________.

A) assertive and uncooperative
B) assertive and cooperative
C) unassertive and uncooperative
D) unassertive and cooperative
E) reflective and assertive

Question 8

Based on the dimensions of cooperativeness and assertiveness, the conflict-handling intentions are classified into five categories. Which of the following is not one of these five conflict-handling intentions?

A) collaborating
B) competing
C) accommodating
D) avoiding
E) resisting

Question 9

When one person seeks to satisfy his or her own interests regardless of the impact on the other parties to the conflict, that person is ________.

A) competing
B) avoiding
C) accommodating
D) compromising
E) collaborating

Question 10

Stage II of the conflict process deals with the conflict being ________.

A) perceived and felt
B) apparent and experienced
C) expressed and perceived
D) cooperative and assertive
E) accommodated and compromised

Question 11

With reference to the interactionist view of conflict, conflict that relates to the content and goals of work is called ________ conflict.

A) job
B) task
C) relationship
D) process
E) communication

Question 12

According to the interactionist's perspective, a group that functions without conflict is ________.

A) dysfunctional
B) static and apathetic
C) responsive to the need for change and innovation
D) the most productive
E) viable, self-critical, and creative

Question 13

________ is defined as a process that begins when one party perceives another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about.

A) Problem solving
B) Assessment
C) Conflict
D) Negotiation
E) Collective bargaining

Question 14

Which of the following statements is true regarding the managed conflict perspective?

A) It argues that all conflicts are bad and should be eliminated.
B) It proposes that some conflict is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively.
C) It classifies conflicts into functional and dysfunctional conflicts.
D) It is based on the view that conflicts reduce the long-term viability of the group.
E) It argues that conflicts improve creativity of the group.

Question 15

The conflict-handling techniques are characterized by two dimensions, cooperativeness and assertiveness. Cooperativeness indicates the degree to which ________.

A) one party attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns
B) one party attempts to suppress the conflict
C) the parties attempt to find a win-win solution
D) one party attempts to satisfy the other party's concerns
E) the parties are willing to involve third-party conflict resolution techniques

Question 16

Which of the following conflict-handling intentions is unassertive and uncooperative?

A) competing
B) collaborating
C) avoiding
D) compromising
E) accommodating

Question 17

Which of the following is the first stage of the conflict process?

A) cognition
B) personalization
C) incompatibility
D) intention
E) habituation

Question 18

According to the interactionist view, ________ conflicts support the goals of the group and improve its performance.

A) formal
B) informal
C) functional
D) dysfunctional
E) reactive

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true regarding task conflicts?

A) Task conflicts relate to how the work gets done.
B) Task conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.
C) Groups performing routine tasks won't benefit from task conflict.
D) Task conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.
E) Task conflicts hinder creativity and innovation.

Question 20

________ is the third stage in the conflict process and it intervenes between people's perceptions and their overt behavior.

A) Potential for opposition
B) Intention
C) Cognition
D) Attribution
E) Behavioral manifestation

Question 21

In the case of distributive bargaining, the ________ point indicates what a person would like to achieve out of a negotiation.

A) resistance
B) clarification
C) target
D) closure
E) focus

Question 22

The conflict-handling techniques are characterized by two dimensions, cooperativeness and assertiveness. Assertiveness indicates the degree to which ________.

A) one party attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns
B) one party attempts to suppress the conflict
C) the parties attempt to find a win-win solution
D) one party attempts to satisfy the other party's concerns
E) the parties are willing to involve third-party conflict resolution techniques

Question 23

Which of the following conflict-handling intentions involves accepting a solution that provides incomplete satisfaction of both parties' concerns?

A) collaborating
B) compromising
C) avoiding
D) competing
E) accommodating

Question 24

All things being equal, ________ bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because the former builds long-term relationships.

A) accommodative
B) transformational
C) integrative
D) collaborative
E) distributive

Question 25

In which stage of the conflict process does conflict become visible?

A) outcomes
B) intentions
C) incompatibility
D) behavior
E) personalization

Question 26

A party who seeks to appease an opponent may be willing to place the opponent's interests above his or her own, sacrificing to maintain the relationship. We refer to this intention as ________.

A) collaborating
B) avoiding
C) compromising
D) competing
E) accommodating

Question 27

During a negotiation, making an initial offer leads to the ________ bias.

A) self-serving
B) framing
C) attributional
D) anchoring
E) cognitive

Question 28

________ is an antidote for groupthink.

A) Politics
B) Distributive bargaining
C) Conflict
D) Integrative bargaining
E) Negotiation

Question 29

Which of the following conflict-handling intentions involves attempting to find a win-win solution?

A) avoiding
B) collaborating
C) accommodating
D) compromising
E) competing

Question 30

The terms negotiation and ________ are used interchangeably.

A) mediation
B) bargaining
C) collaboration
D) accommodating
E) arbitration

Question 31

In case of distributive bargaining, the ________ point marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable-the point below which the party would break off negotiations rather than accept a less favorable settlement.

A) resistance
B) tolerance
C) target
D) focal
E) clarification

Question 32

Which of the following terms best describes the process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources?

A) mediation
B) conflict management
C) negotiation
D) unionization
E) arbitration

Question 33

Angelina feels that her cubicle neighbor talks loudly on the phone, but in other ways she is a great neighbor. Angelina gets annoyed every time her neighbor's phone rings, but she has decided it's simply not worth the trouble to talk to her neighbor. Angelina's conflict-handling intention is called ________.

A) competing
B) avoiding
C) accommodating
D) compromising
E) collaborating

Question 34

Irma does not agree with the standard operating procedures adapted for the new project. However, she discusses the items with the team and comes to know that she was in the minority. She has, therefore, decided to accept the new procedures to maintain smooth operations within the team. This type of intention is called ________.

A) sacrificing
B) accommodating
C) collaborating
D) compromising
E) competing

Question 35

What is the overall goal of conflict management?

A) achieving the desired conflict level
B) resolving conflict
C) stimulating conflict
D) identifying conflict
E) assessing the source of conflict

Question 36

________ bargaining is negotiation that seeks to divide a "fixed pie."

A) Distributive
B) Integrative
C) Reflective
D) Affective
E) Conjunctive

Question 37

Emma is the labor union negotiator. Today, she is meeting with management to discuss the new five-year contract, including wages and benefits. This example of labor-management negotiations over wages exemplifies ________.

A) integrative bargaining
B) arbitration
C) distributive bargaining
D) mediation
E) conciliation

Question 38

The two general approaches to bargaining are known as ________ bargaining.

A) emotional and rational
B) affective and reflective
C) distributive and integrative
D) formal and informal
E) reflexive and restrictive

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true regarding distributive bargaining?

A) It operates under zero-sum conditions.
B) It focuses on long-term relationships.
C) It involves high information sharing.
D) It attempts to create a win-win solution.
E) In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, distributive bargaining is preferable to integrative bargaining.

Question 40

Which of the following statements is true regarding integrative bargaining?

A) Integrative bargaining leaves one party a loser.
B) Integrative bargaining makes the first offer, and makes it an aggressive one.
C) Integrative bargaining focuses on long-term relationships.
D) Integrative bargaining operates under zero-sum conditions.
E) Integrative bargaining involves low information sharing.

Question 41

Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike, and management knows that such a strike would be very costly. Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible.
You have decided to try to find a win-win situation to help labor and management resolve their differences. You are attempting to engage in ________.

A) integrative bargaining
B) conciliation
C) mediation
D) distributive bargaining
E) arbitration

Question 42

Which of the following is not a step in the negotiation process?

A) definition of ground rules
B) clarification and justification
C) bargaining and problem solving
D) process evaluation
E) preparation and planning

Question 43

Jennifer has come to realize that conflict has both functional, as well as dysfunctional, outcomes. She has observed examples of both in her organization.
Jennifer's boss asks for her recommendations on strategies to promote functional conflicts within the company. Which of the following is Jennifer most likely to recommend?

A) punishing individuals who support beliefs that management has rejected
B) empowering employees to question their bosses
C) implementing a policy of promoting personnel who are conflict avoiders
D) instructing managers to discourage devil's advocacy in the decision-making process
E) encouraging managers to reward employees who keep their opinions to themselves

Question 44

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effect of emotion and gender on negotiation?

A) Positive moods and emotions negatively affect integrative agreements.
B) Men and women negotiate differently.
C) Women have been found to negotiate better outcomes than men.
D) During negotiation, displaying anger leads to better outcomes for those who are in a less powerful position.
E) Research shows that women are penalized when they initiate negotiations.

Question 45

It seems that your work group is in conflict much of the time. One colleague has suggested that you, as the supervisor, are responsible for eliminating the conflict so that your work group can function harmoniously. Another colleague has suggested that conflict is good for stimulating creativity and productivity within the work environment. You are unsure about whether you should try to eliminate the conflict within your group or learn to deal with it positively.
If you support the idea that conflict should be eliminated, you are supporting which of the following views of conflict?

A) the traditional view
B) the human relations view
C) the interactionist view
D) the moderated acceptance view
E) the optimistic view

Question 46

It seems that your work group is in conflict much of the time. One colleague has suggested that you, as the supervisor, are responsible for eliminating the conflict so that your work group can function harmoniously. Another colleague has suggested that conflict is good for stimulating creativity and productivity within the work environment. You are unsure about whether you should try to eliminate the conflict within your group or learn to deal with it positively.
When your work group disagrees, the disagreements usually concern how the group's work should be accomplished. The type of conflict experienced by your group is ________.

A) task conflict
B) relationship conflict
C) process conflict
D) traditional conflict
E) reactive conflict

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true regarding negotiation that takes place in a collectivist culture?

A) Collectivists are less likely to seek to preserve relationships and promote the good of the group as a whole than individualists.
B) Collectivists are more likely to confront differences of opinion directly and openly as compared to individualists.
C) Competing tactics are the most preferred methods of conflict management in China.
D) As compared to individualists, collectivists are less likely to see offers from their counterparts as unfair and to reject them.
E) The methods of conflict management preferred by United States managers are avoiding and compromising.

Question 48

Jennifer has come to realize that conflict has both functional, as well as dysfunctional, outcomes. She has observed examples of both in her organization.
Last month, Jennifer's department experienced constructive conflict during a meeting. Which of the following is not an outcome of this functional conflict?

A) the quality of decisions is improved
B) creativity and innovation are stimulated
C) tensions are released
D) groupthink is increased
E) interest and curiosity are encouraged

Question 49

Carisa is negotiating for the labor union. Today, she is presenting the evidence and papers that demonstrate the average wages in the area, the cost of health care for the average worker, and a pie graph demonstrating how these costs affect the new salary request. Which phase of the negotiation process is Carisa currently in?

A) preparation and planning
B) definition of ground rules
C) clarification and justification
D) bargaining and problem solving
E) closure and implementation

Question 50

A Chinese manager is more likely to use which of the following techniques for conflict management?

A) direct confrontation
B) authoritative command
C) avoiding
D) pressurizing
E) competing tactics

Question 51

Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike, and management knows that such a strike would be very costly. Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible.
Which of the following is a characteristic of distributive bargaining?

A) win-win solution
B) long-term focus
C) good interpersonal relationships
D) opposed interests
E) high information sharing

Question 52

Which of the following is not an individual factor that influences the effectiveness of a negotiator?

A) personality
B) mood
C) gender
D) age
E) culture

Question 53

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is most likely to be included in the "preparation and planning" step?

A) justifying your original demands
B) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement
C) determining where the negotiation will take place
D) designing procedures for implementing the agreement that has been worked out
E) exchange of the initial proposals or demands

Question 54

Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike, and management knows that such a strike would be very costly. Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible.
Both sides agree that they are competing over a fixed amount of resources. Each side feels that what one side wins, the other loses. Based on this information we can say that the two sides are engaged in ________.

A) conciliation
B) distributive bargaining
C) mediation
D) integrative bargaining
E) arbitration

Question 55

During which phase of the negotiation process do the parties exchange their initial proposals or demands?

A) opening and initiating
B) definition of ground rules
C) clarification and justification
D) bargaining and problem-solving
E) integration of preferences

Question 56

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is most likely to be included in the "closure and implementation" step?

A) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement
B) justifying your original demands
C) formalizing the agreement that has been worked out
D) determining time constraints, if any, applicable to negotiation
E) exchange of the initial proposals or demands

Question 57

Your ________ determines the lowest value acceptable to you for a negotiated agreement.

A) BATNA
B) margin of error
C) bid price
D) asking price
E) hidden value

Question 58

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is most likely to be included in the "definition of ground rules" step?

A) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement
B) determining time constraints, if any, applicable to negotiation
C) justifying your original demands
D) formalizing the agreement that has been worked out
E) determining the history leading up to the negotiation

Question 59

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effects of personality traits on negotiation?

A) Negotiation outcomes are not related to personality traits.
B) Extraverts tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
C) People who are highly interested in having positive relationships with other people are great negotiators.
D) Individuals who score high on agreeableness dimension tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
E) Disagreeable introverts are the best distributive bargainers.

Question 60

It seems that your work group is in conflict much of the time. One colleague has suggested that you, as the supervisor, are responsible for eliminating the conflict so that your work group can function harmoniously. Another colleague has suggested that conflict is good for stimulating creativity and productivity within the work environment. You are unsure about whether you should try to eliminate the conflict within your group or learn to deal with it positively.
You decide to do more research on the view that conflict should be encouraged as a means to achieve change and innovation. This view is termed ________.

A) the traditional view
B) the human relations view
C) the interactionist view
D) the acceptance view
E) the promotional view

Question 61

Tenure and conflict have been found to be inversely related.

Question 62

When you are engaged in distributive bargaining, research consistently shows one of the best things you can do is make the first offer.

Question 63

Task conflicts can provide positive outcomes only when all members share the same goals and have high levels of trust.

Question 64

The conflict-handling intention of compromising involves finding out a solution that allows both parties' goals to be completely achieved.

Question 65

Supporting someone else's opinion despite your reservations about it, is an example of collaborating.

Question 66

One common ingredient in organizations that successfully create functional conflict is that they reward dissent and punish conflict avoiders.

Question 67

Playbill, Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and actresses have joined together to ask Playbill for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them.
The traditional view of conflict recognizes that a minimal level of conflict can help keep a group viable, self-critical, and creative.

Question 68

The best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) determines the conflict-handling technique to be used during the negotiation process.

Question 69

The potential for conflict increases when too much communication takes place.

Question 70

People scoring high on the dimensions of agreeableness and extraversion are the best distributive bargainers.

Question 71

Playbill, Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and actresses have joined together to ask Playbill for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them.
For process conflict to be productive, it must be kept at moderate-to-high levels.

Question 72

The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is unassertive and cooperative.

Question 73

In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining.

Question 74

Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike, and management knows that such a strike would be very costly. Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible.
At first, the disputing parties resist your offer to help create a win-win situation for both groups. They are each highly focused on their demands in the negotiation, otherwise known as their ________.

A) focal points
B) distribution points
C) resistance points
D) settlement ranges
E) target points

Question 75

Distributive bargaining attempts to create a win-win solution for both the parties.

Question 76

Individuals who bargain in teams reach fewer integrative agreements than those who bargain individually.

Question 77

Playbill, Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and actresses have joined together to ask Playbill for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them.
The interactionist view of conflict proposes that all conflicts are good.

Question 78

Playbill, Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and actresses have joined together to ask Playbill for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them.
Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.

Question 79

During the intentions stage of the conflict process, the parties decide what the conflict is about.

Question 80

Playbill, Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and actresses have joined together to ask Playbill for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them.
Which of the following statements is true pertaining to the effect of individual differences on negotiations?

A) Women tend to negotiate better outcomes than men.
B) Extraverts tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
C) People who are highly interested in having positive relationships with other people are poor negotiators.
D) Individuals who score high on agreeableness dimension tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
E) Positive moods and emotions negatively affect integrative bargaining.