Question 1

The conflict process model includes:

Accepted Answer

The conflict process model includes sources of conflict, conflict emotions, and conflict outcomes. It is a comprehensive model that explains how conflicts arise, escalate, and are resolved. Therefore, option E is the best choice.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about the structural sources of conflict in organizations is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

While members of the organization may be one source of conflict, there are many other structural sources of conflict such as competing goals, limited resources, unclear roles and responsibilities, and discrepancies in values and attitudes. Therefore, statement A is false as it is too broad and does not capture the full range of structural sources of conflict in organizations.

Question 3

Which conflict management style has low cooperativeness and low assertiveness?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding is the conflict management style with low cooperativeness and low assertiveness. In this style, the individual avoids the conflict altogether and does not actively pursue their own interests or the interests of others.

Question 4

Two departmental managers are most likely to experience conflict with each other when they _____________ communicate with each other and their two departments have _____________ interdependence.

Accepted Answer

When two departments have a high degree of interdependence, the actions of one department can greatly affect the other. This creates a high potential for conflict, especially if the two departmental managers do not communicate frequently to coordinate their efforts. When they do not communicate frequently, misunderstandings and misalignments can occur, leading to conflict. On the other hand, when they communicate frequently, they can address potential sources of conflict and work together to find solutions. Therefore, the best choice is C.Seldom communication among departmental managers and high interdependence among departments can cause conflicts.

Question 5

Employees in engineering and marketing often disagree with each other,mainly because they hold divergent beliefs and attitudes due to their unique backgrounds,experiences,and training.The most apparent source of conflict here is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Employees in engineering and marketing often disagree...

Question 6

In organizational conflict,scarce resources are typically identified as:

Accepted Answer

Scarce resources, such as funding, equipment, or personnel, are often the cause of conflict in organizations. When resources are limited, departments, teams, or individuals may compete for access to these resources, leading to conflicts and tensions between them. Resolving such conflicts often involves finding ways to allocate the scarce resources more fairly or finding creative solutions to make the most out of the available resources.

Question 7

Which of the following interpersonal conflict management styles has some degree of win-lose orientation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following interpersonal conflict management...

Question 8

The potential for conflict between two employees would be highest under conditions of:

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal interdependence occurs when employees or teams depend on each other for resources or inputs to complete their tasks. This type of interdependence is often characterized by high communication, coordination, and collaboration between individuals, which can increase the potential for conflict if there is a breakdown in communication or if one employee perceives the other as not contributing equally. Pooled interdependence (A), total independence (B), anticipatory interdependence (D), and sequential interdependence (E) are less likely to create conflict because they involve less collaboration and dependency between individuals.

Question 9

Ambiguous rules,scarce resources and task interdependence are:

Accepted Answer

Ambiguous rules, scarce resources, and task interdependence are all structural aspects of the context in which conflict may arise. They create potential for conflict by making it difficult for individuals or groups to coordinate their actions and allocate resources fairly. These factors are not interpersonal or situational influences on negotiations and do not relate to specific strategies used in third-party conflict resolution, but rather are fundamental elements of the organizational or social context in which conflict occurs.

Question 10

A win-win orientation exists when a person or team believes that:

Accepted Answer

A win-win orientation is characterized by a belief that a mutually beneficial solution may be found if both parties apply a collaborative orientation. It is the opposite of a forcing style where one party wins and the other necessarily loses. A win-win orientation does not necessarily require the use of all interpersonal styles of conflict management or a yielding style for both parties.

Question 11

Incompatible goals,differentiation and ambiguous rules are:

Accepted Answer

Incompatible goals, differentiation, and ambiguous rules are all sources of potential conflict. Incompatible goals refer to situations where two or more parties have goals that are mutually exclusive or that cannot all be achieved at once. Differentiation refers to differences in backgrounds, cultures, values, and beliefs that can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. Ambiguous rules refer to situations where rules or expectations are unclear, leading to confusion and potential conflicts. These are all factors that can contribute to conflicts arising in negotiations or other types of third-party conflict resolution situations.

Question 12

Salespeople at Widget Ltd.complain that they lose sales bonuses when the production department is out of stock of a particular item.This sometimes causes customers to buy elsewhere rather than wait for the next production run.Meanwhile,production employees complain that salespeople don't appreciate the need to minimize inventory costs,for which production staff are rewarded.This is mainly an example of conflict due to:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of goal incompatibility, as the goals of the salespeople and production employees are conflicting. Salespeople are incentivized by sales bonuses while production employees are incentivized by minimizing inventory costs, which can cause conflict and lead to lost sales.

Question 13

Conflict management styles are defined in terms of their:

Accepted Answer

Conflict management styles are defined in terms of assertiveness and cooperativeness. These two factors describe how a person handles a situation that involves conflict. Assertiveness refers to the degree to which a person is willing to stand up for his or her own interests or to pursue their own goals. Cooperativeness refers to the degree to which a person is willing to work with others to find a solution that satisfies everyone's interests. These two dimensions result in five conflict management styles: competing, collaborating, compromising, accommodating, and avoiding.

Question 14

GlobalCo formed a task force consisting of eight employees from four culturally diverse countries who have not previously met.The task force must work closely together for a month to solve a troublesome customer problem.These employees have similar technical training,but they have different religious beliefs,different languages,and different standards of living.If these employees experience conflict,this conflict might be caused by:

Accepted Answer

All of these factors could potentially lead to conflict in this situation. Task interdependence may lead to disagreements on how to approach the customer problem, differentiation may lead to misunderstandings and clashes in values, and communication problems may arise from language barriers and different communication styles.

Question 15

Communication is a potential source of conflict because:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Communication is a potential source of conflict...

Question 16

Which of the following sources of conflict is typically associated with mergers and acquisitions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following sources of conflict...

Question 17

The problem-solving interpersonal style of conflict has:

Accepted Answer

The problem-solving interpersonal style involves high levels of assertiveness and high levels of cooperativeness. This means that individuals using this style are willing to assert their own needs and interests while also actively listening to and considering the needs and interests of others. They seek to find mutually beneficial solutions to the conflict rather than simply trying to "win" or get their own way.

Question 18

Compared to those with an individualist value,employees with a strong collectivist values tend to manage disagreements through:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compared to those with an individualist value,employees...

Question 19

Which of the following most likely produces the highest risk of conflict?

Accepted Answer

Scarce resources and high task interdependence are the factors that most likely produce the highest risk of conflict. When resources are limited and tasks are interdependent, individuals and teams may compete with each other to obtain the resources necessary to complete their tasks, which can lead to conflicts.

Question 20

Which of the following interpersonal conflict management styles has mostly or completely a win-win orientation?

Accepted Answer

The problem-solving conflict management style mostly or completely has a win-win orientation as it involves working together to find a mutually beneficial solution.

Quiz 11: Understanding and Managing Workplace Conflict