Deck 10: Managing Conflict and Negotiations

Question 1

Light tactics of conflict include making threats; heavy tactics include violence.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Ashley finds herself waking up at night frequently thinking about a report she must present to the vice presidents of her firm at the end of the month.She is experiencing social work-family conflict.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Managers wishing to reduce conflict between members and groups should isolate them from each other as much as possible.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Jamil is a new member of a group that evaluates student activities on campus.He wants to focus on bringing more foreign students into the mainstream activities.The president of the group seems to have her own ideas and virtually everyone supports her.When Jamil opposes one of her suggestions,everyone looks uncomfortable.This is an example of a psychological safety climate.

Question 5

As a manager of two employees who are having a personality conflict,one step you should take is to document the conflict.

Question 6

Sanjay promotes the benefits of little or no conflict within an organization.This,he states,leads to greater productivity.Is this analysis correct?

A) No. Organizational conflict is inevitable and can have constructive consequences.
B) Yes. This analysis is correct.
C) No. Less conflict leads to bordeom and lower productivity.
D) Yes. Conflict should be avoided wherever possible as it always has negative consequences.
E) No. Productivity and conflict are not related at all.

Question 7

Which of the following is not a result of escalation of conflict?

A) Parties move from heavy to light tactics.
B) The number of issues in dispute grows.
C) Issues in dispute move from specific to general.
D) The number of parties to the conflict expands.
E) The initial goals change.

Question 8

The best thing a manager can do to create functional conflict is to urge coworkers to hunker down and slog through,to simply persist.

Question 9

Work-family conflicts can be social or emotional.

Question 10

The integrating style of conflict handling is appropriate in all conflict situations.

Question 11

When the demands or pressures from work and family domains are mutually incompatible,work-family conflict has occurred.

Question 12

Flexspace includes the concept of working from home.

Question 13

Programmed conflict is conflict that raises different opinions regardless of the personal feelings of the managers.

Question 14

Donna is highly agreeable.That means she is well suited for integrative negotiations.

Question 15

In ________,one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party.

A) negotiation
B) devil's advocacy
C) conflict
D) integration
E) mediation

Question 16

The contact hypothesis states that the more members of different groups interact,the more intergroup conflict they will experience.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about conflict is ?

A) Conflict should be completely eliminated across the organization.
B) Conflict should be encouraged in some departments and discouraged in others.
C) Organizations experiencing excessive conflict tend to also be apathetic, uncreative, and indecisive.
D) Use of technology and virtual teams can minimize conflict.
E) Organizations can suffer from too little conflict.

Question 18

Functional conflict is also known as constructive or cooperative conflict.

Question 19

The most common response to incivility is that employees work harder to avoid its source.

Question 20

Which of the following situations is most likely to result in conflict?

A) clear job boundaries
B) independent tasks
C) competition for limited resources
D) realistic expectations
E) clear policies, standards, and rules

Question 21

Which of the following tips should be used by managers to reduce personality conflict?

A) Be sure to take sides in others' conflicts.
B) Intervene where possible in others' conflicts; do not let them work things out themselves.
C) Do not attempt informal dispute resolution.
D) Avoid direct communication with someone you are in conflict with.
E) Investigate and document conflict among your own subordinates.

Question 22

Which of the following is about in-group thinking?

A) Lower levels of cohesiveness lead to groupthink.
B) Members of in-groups view themselves as being all alike.
C) In-group members exaggerate the differences between their group and other groups.
D) In-group members view themselves and members of other groups positively.
E) In-group members view themselves and members of other groups as morally correct.

Question 23

Teddy is a project manager at a consulting firm.He travels a lot and works very long hours.When he's home,he is always checking e-mail.He has a three-year-old son and a brand-new daughter,and his wife is upset that he doesn't help more.He is experiencing

A) work-family conflict.
B) dysfunctional conflict.
C) functional conflict.
D) conflict handling issues.
E) incivility.

Question 24

Harry,Marsha,Eve,and Don are discussing ways to increase sales.Harry and Eve want to stick with the current sales promotion plan created four months ago.They say it needs more time to show results.Marsha and Don disagree; they feel sales have continued to decline and will not turn around.As the discussion progresses,various alternatives are proposed.Harry then suggests a modification to the current sales promotion plan that meets with everyone's approval.This is an example of the benefits of ______ conflict.

A) alternative resolution
B) dysfunctional
C) escalating
D) functional
E) integrative

Question 25

The dean of Roan College is looking for a new head of admissions.She wants to be sure that Roan College has an admissions program with the highest standards.As the committee interviews various candidates,the dean tries to point out potential flaws in each person.She is playing the role of

A) dysfunctional conflict manager.
B) dialectic advocate.
C) integrative specialist.
D) devil's advocate.
E) promoter.

Question 26

Identifying and modeling appropriate ways for people to interact with colleagues is a(n)________ strategy.

A) work-life
B) antibullying
C) intergroup
D) flex space
E) groupthink

Question 27

Tina is a restaurant manager at a high-end restaurant.She works very long hours,and sometimes double shifts.When she's home,she is constantly texting and answering texts from the restaurant.Her husband complains that he rarely gets to see her and that he is unable to keep up all the household tasks himself.Tina is experiencing

A) work-family conflict.
B) dysfunctional conflict.
C) functional conflict.
D) conflict handling issues.
E) incivility.

Question 28

______ is employees' shared perceptions of policies,practices,and procedures of an organization.

A) Culture
B) Socialization
C) Climate
D) Civility
E) Groupthink

Question 29

Which of the following statements about incivility at work is ?

A) Incivility can arise from both individual and organizational sources.
B) Incivility can damage an organization's reputation.
C) Stress is a potential outcome of incivility.
D) Personality is highly unlikely to be a source of incivility.
E) Abusive supervision is a form of incivility.

Question 30

Two supervisors,Justin and Sean,are given instructions to trim their group size by two people.Justin's personality tends to favor people.He is generally more sensitive to people,and is a thoughtful supervisor.Sean is just the opposite.He is more concerned with group production,and considers people's feelings secondary to the work.Hence their approaches in trimming their teams are different.They can't see each other's point of view and leave the discussion thinking ill of each other.Which of the following types of conflict are Justin and Sean experiencing?

A) personality conflict
B) functional conflict
C) intergroup conflict
D) cross-cultural conflict
E) programmed conflict

Question 31

Harriet works at Good Steaks,a local bar and restaurant.Her manager is always barking orders at her,saying she needs to move faster,be nicer to the customers,do her share,etc.Harriet starts to come in to work late,and tries to schedule shifts when the manager isn't in.She doesn't even smile at the customers much.Harriet is reacting to

A) dysfunctional conflict.
B) incivility.
C) devil's advocacy.
D) imbalance.
E) stress.

Question 32

Ellen and George work for the same company.Ellen,a Gen Xer,really appreciates the flextime opportunities,while George,a baby boomer,takes advantage of the free computer training offered at the company.These policies are examples of

A) dysfunctional conflict.
B) family-support philosophy.
C) work-life balance.
D) work-family conflict.
E) intergroup conflict.

Question 33

Carol and Dee have never gotten along.Carol feels that Dee acts superior,while Dee believes that Carol just tries to please everyone.This is ________ conflict,which is defined as interpersonal opposition based on individual dislike or disagreement.

A) personality
B) distributive
C) programmed
D) integrative
E) devil's advocate

Question 34

Conflict is considered to be dysfunctional when

A) it involves alternative dispute resolution.
B) it hinders organizational performance.
C) it involves the compromising or integrating conflict handling styles.
D) it involves a devil's advocate.
E) it involves groupthink.

Question 35

___________ are members' interactions aimed at working through task and interpersonal disagreements.

A) Conflict processes
B) Conflict states
C) Conflict handling styles
D) Dialectic methods
E) Contact hypotheses

Question 36

A study conducted in two prisons showed that the more contact white inmates experienced with African American inmates,the more positive their attitudes toward the African American inmates became.This is an example of the ________ hypothesis.

A) conflict reduction
B) coalition
C) groupthink
D) contact
E) climate

Question 37

Which of the following situations is most likely to produce conflict?

A) Joe finishes his part of the project and then passes it to Marge for her part of the assignment. Each recognizes their role.
B) The sales force at DNY Company follows clear and reasonable policies and rules.
C) Claire and Michele are on a tight deadline. Their manager comes in and says that they have an extra week to complete the assignment.
D) John, Paul, and Peter have each been given additional resources for their three projects.
E) Maria cannot finish her report until Juan provides the financial spreadsheet. Juan is late and Maria is afraid she won't meet her deadline.

Question 38

The relationship between conflict intensity and performance outcomes can be described as

A) the higher the conflict intensity, the lower the performance.
B) the higher the conflict intensity, the higher the performance.
C) higher conflict intensity is related to moderate performance.
D) both high and low conflict intensity are related to lower performance.
E) conflict intensity is unrelated to performance.

Question 39

A local political group is divided on how to present their candidate.The debate is getting heated.Finally,the head of the group focuses the team on defending their idea based on facts,rather than personal preference.This is an example of ______ conflict.

A) functional
B) dysfunctional
C) programmed
D) escalating
E) integrative

Question 40

Ryan,Jerry,and Mark belong to Sigma Phi Upsilon fraternity.They pride themselves on being a group of solid students with leadership abilities.As a result,they often seem to hijack Fraternity Council Leadership meetings.Clearly,they feel they know how all the fraternities on campus should operate.This very high level of cohesiveness in a group

A) enhances critical thinking.
B) causes groupthink.
C) results in the best decisions.
D) increases cooperation of the group.
E) heightens individual perceptions.

Question 41

A neutral and trained third party can guide others to find innovative solutions to conflict.To ensure neutrality,most organizations hired ADR qualified outsiders.In this case,a(n)_________ is one who does not render a decision.Rather,it is up to the parties to the conflict to reach a mutually acceptable decision.

A) ombudsman
B) facilitator
C) peer reviewer
D) mediator
E) arbitrator

Question 42

Laura is head of ABC Systems.She needs to allocate a fixed amount of funds to various projects.There are two top projects that Laura believes hold the most promise.She decides to arrange a structured debate for the two top proposals.Importantly,the assumptions of each proposal are identified,and a conflicting counterproposal is generated based on a different set of assumptions.Advocates of each position present and debate the merits of their proposal before Laura makes her decision.Which technique is Laura using to help her make a better decision?

A) dialectic method
B) negotiation
C) devil's advocacy
D) avoidance
E) mediation

Question 43

________ is an alternative dispute resolution technique in which disagreeing parties agree ahead of time to accept the decision of a neutral party in a formal courtlike setting,often complete with evidence and witnesses.

A) Ombudsmanship
B) Facilitation
C) Peer review
D) Mediation
E) Arbitration

Question 44

Jim is head of the marketing department and must decide how to allocate a fixed amount of funds.There are two top projects that Jim believes hold the most promise.Recently,the majority of funds have been allocated to Project A,but Jim wonders if it is time to provide Project B with a larger share of the money.Jim decides to assign a particular individual,Clara,to thoroughly criticize the proposal for Project B,looking for every possible flaw.Which technique is Jim using to help him make a better decision?

A) diagnostic process
B) devil's advocacy
C) mediation
D) dialectic method
E) negotiation

Question 45

The ________ conflict handling style is a give-and-take approach.

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

Question 46

Trained _________,typically from outside agencies,are versed in relevant laws and case precedents.The parties agree ahead of time to accept the decision of this neutral person in a formal setting,often complete with evidence and witnesses.

A) mediators
B) arbitrators
C) facilitators
D) conciliators
E) ombudsmans

Question 47

Nate is a manager at a small appliance store.He is working with an unhappy customer who is yelling at him.Nate's policy on handling customer complaints is to give the customer what they want even at a cost to the company.This represents the _________ handling style.

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

Question 48

_______ is an alternative dispute resolution technique in which a neutral third party informally acts as a communication conduit between the disputing parties.

A) Ombudsmanship
B) Facilitation
C) Conciliation
D) Mediation
E) Arbitration

Question 49

If a speedy decision is needed,the _______ conflict handling style is appropriate.

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

Question 50

Orna is a restaurant manager.She is helping a server who has a difficult guest.Everything is wrong-the water,the menu,the food,the service.Orna knows that this customer is always unhappy and delights in picking on the server. Orna bluntly tells the server that she needs to learn better conflict handling skills.But then,Orna goes over to the customer,who begins to argue with her.So she tells the customer to leave and not bother coming back.This best represents the _________ conflict handling style.

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

Question 51

Which of the following statements about conflict handling styles is ?

A) Organizations can develop a particular conflict handling style as a part of culture.
B) Research has shown that particular conflict handling styles are better for new product development.
C) Conflict handling style is related to emotional intelligence.
D) Integrating is always the best style to use.
E) No one style is best for every situation.

Question 52

Norm and Quinn have been arguing over role responsibilities.The atmosphere in their small office is increasingly negative and tense.Petra,a manager from another department,informally urges them to deal directly with each other in a positive and constructive manner.This easy form of ADR is

A) ombudsmanship.
B) facilitation.
C) peer review.
D) mediation.
E) arbitration.

Question 53

In the United States,the judicial system is an example of _________.It is based on hearing directly opposing points of view to establish guilt or innocence.

A) dysfunctional conflict
B) the dialectic method
C) integration
D) devil's advocacy
E) alternative dispute resolution

Question 54

The styles of conflict handling are differentiated along two dimensions:

A) internal and external.
B) functional and dysfunctional.
C) social and cognitive.
D) perceptual and real.
E) concern for others and concern for self.

Question 55

Theresa is a(n)______ for Capital Clinic services.She has worked for the company for 20 years and is widely respected and trusted.In this position,she hears grievances on a confidential basis and attempts to arrange a solution.

A) ombudsmanship
B) facilitation
C) peer review
D) mediation
E) arbitration

Question 56

The benefit of ________ is that it uses faster,more user-friendly methods of dispute resolution,instead of traditional,adversarial approaches,such as unilateral decision making or litigation.

A) dysfunctional conflict resolution (DCR)
B) alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
C) conflict resolution service (CRS)
D) flextime fix (FTF)
E) intergroup conflict resolution (ICR)

Question 57

When issues are complex,better solutions are needed,commitment is needed,and time is available,the ________ conflict handling style is appropriate.

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

Question 58

Roger manages both Bill and Nancy.They are in an argument about who should handle a particular job.Roger encourages them to deal directly with each other in a positive and constructive manner.Roger is acting as a(n)

A) facilitator.
B) arbitrator.
C) ombudsman.
D) conciliator.
E) negotiator.

Question 59

Dr.Watson,dean of students at ABC University,has been assigned the task of working with faculty and students when they have disputes about course grades.During these discussions,he attempts to help the parties arrange a solution but he has no formal authority to impose one.He is most likely a(n)

A) facilitator.
B) arbitrator.
C) ombudsman.
D) conciliator.
E) negotiator.

Question 60

Donna and Kim are both secretaries for the accounting department.Because someone must be present to answer the phones at all times,different times must be scheduled for each of them to go to lunch.Both of them want the time from noon to 1 p.m.Previous unsuccessful discussions have occurred,resulting in their not speaking to each other.Patti,who also works in the department,sits down separately with each of them to try to explore possible solutions,with the idea that if she can find common ground,they will again discuss alternative schedules face-to-face.Patti is acting as a(n)

A) facilitator.
B) arbitrator.
C) ombudsman.
D) conciliator.
E) negotiator.

Question 61

Ibide is a married,postgraduate student with a young son.She must balance academics,work,and family responsibilities.Ibide is experiencing pressure from all sides.Participation in academic work is more difficult because family and work responsibilities conflict,which tends to affect academic performance and social interactions.
1.Her graduate advisor is asking her to be his teaching assistant.
2.Her boss wants her to become the manager of the coffee shop,because she is so responsible.
3.Finally,her husband-another postgraduate student-is quite traditional and feels that she isn't paying enough attention to their son.He wants her to make a choice: extend her postgraduate studies or quit her job.

Question 62

Larry and Roger wanted to buy office furniture for the new location of their advertising firm.They discussed their needs.Larry said that he needed plastic furniture and Roger stated that he needed wooden shelves.They also discussed how many chairs,tables,shelves,and other kinds of furniture would be required.Which of the following steps of added-value negotiation is described in this situation?

A) clarify interests
B) identify options
C) design alternative deal packages
D) select a deal
E) perfect the deal

Question 63

Describe at least five of the reasons that people avoid conflict.How should people deal with conflict,rather than avoiding it? Provide examples of these solutions.

Question 64

Which of the following is not an unethical tactic to use in negotiations?

A) showing emotions
B) nondisclosure
C) strengthening one's own position
D) weakening the opponent
E) puffery

Question 65

The two basic types of negotiation are

A) integrating and avoiding.
B) dominating and obliging.
C) distributive and integrative.
D) interpersonal and intrapersonal.
E) organizational and individual.

Question 66

Mark,the business head of a firm,wanted to give New Year's gifts to his employees.He discussed this with his employees and decided to give leather computer bags.Mark stated that he did not want to give cheap bags,while a few employees said that they did not want exorbitantly priced designer name bags.Identify the step of added-value negotiation used in this situation.

A) clarify interests
B) identify options
C) design alternative deal packages
D) select a deal
E) perfect the deal

Question 67

Dr.Hamrick is hired by the ABC Company to hear cases involving grievances of employees of the company.Sometimes evidence is presented and witnesses are called,and decisions are always based on legal merits,and his decisions are binding.This is an example of

A) arbitration.
B) mediation.
C) conciliation.
D) ombudsman.
E) peer review.

Question 68

Laura is hired as a copyeditor for a journal.Seven other employees worked on this team editing this journal,including a senior editor named Tim.Laura had worked there for about a month when she and her fellow co-workers went for happy-hour after work.Everybody had a great time and had consumed a fair amount of alcohol.When everybody was leaving the bar to head home,Tim,who had been secretly attracted to Laura since she started work at the journal,hailed a cab and offered to share the ride with Laura.Laura accepted the offer.Once she was inside the cab,Tim started to make advances toward her.Laura pushed him away.

Question 69

_______ is a give-and-take decision-making process involving two or more parties with different preferences.For example,labor-management negotiations over wages,hours,and working conditions.

A) Arbitration
B) Conciliation
C) Conflict
D) Negotiation
E) Dialecticism

Question 70

A(n)________ negotiation describes a situation where an agreement can be found that is better for both parties.

A) distributive
B) alternative
C) dialectic
D) integrative
E) arbitrary

Question 71

Two senior employees,Wanda and Tom,are experiencing conflict.There had been a change to the senior management structure,and Wanda has been named CEO.Tom felt that his role,contributions,and status has been minimized.Wanda believes that they are each being used for their best skills and experience.Talk between them is defensive and unproductive.The conflict between them was beginning to impact on their relationship and trust was breaking down due to incorrect assumptions being made about each other's feelings and intentions.There was a real risk of loss of key expertise to the company if the conflict could not be resolved.

Question 72

Meryl wants to buy a used car,and she can spend $4 ,000.She meets up with Sandy who wants $4,750 for her 2008 Toyota.Meryl can't go any higher.This is an example of _________ negotiation.

A) distributive
B) integrative
C) compromise
D) added-value
E) alternative

Question 73

What is the contact hypothesis? What has research shown about this idea? Do you think this is a useful philosophy?

Question 74

The first step of added-value negotiation is to

A) identify options.
B) perfect the deal.
C) design alternative deal packages.
D) clarify interests.
E) select a deal

Question 75

The Ethics Review Board at XYZ College is composed of students who were elected by the student body.When a student is charged with an ethics violation,the board meets to hear both sides of the dispute in a confidential meeting.Their decisions are not binding on the parties,according to college policies.They are acting as

A) ombudsmen.
B) negotiators.
C) a peer review team.
D) conciliators.
E) facilitators.

Question 76

In ________,the negotiating parties cooperatively develop multiple-deal packages while building a productive long-term relationship.

A) arbitration
B) devil's advocacy
C) added-value negotiation
D) peer review
E) mediation

Question 77

Most people,when talking about conflict,immediately assume that it is a problem that needs to be "fixed." Is that ? Is conflict always bad for organizations? Define the types of conflict and provide examples of each situation.

Question 78

Taylor is creating a presentation on effective conflict management.Create notes for a series of slides that will identify and briefly discuss the desired outcomes of effective conflict management.

Question 79

Customer satisfaction at Corley & Brothers,a furniture delivery company,is decreasing.There are growing complaints about damaged furniture and missed delivery dates.The managers of scheduling,operations,and sales are meeting to discuss these issues.

Question 80

In negotiation,the ZOPA is the _______.Remember that nonverbal communications also help convey your emotions during negotiations.

A) zone of possible agreement
B) zone of possible argument
C) zone of potential alternatives
D) zone of potential arrangements
E) zone of probable assets