Deck 9: Stress and Conflict

Question 1

Those able to cope successfully with extreme stressors seem to have a "hardiness" disposition.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Frustration occurs when a motivated drive is blocked before a person reaches a desired goal.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Type B employees often take work home at night or on weekends and are unable to relax.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Most Type As are able and willing to make the shift from Type A to Type B behavior and/or to cope with their Type A characteristics.

Question 5

The performance of many tasks is strongly affected by stress and usually increases when stress rises to high levels.

Question 6

Inter-group behavior occurs whenever individuals belonging to one group interact,collectively or individually,with another group or its members in terms of their reference group identification.

Question 7

Staying away from a job that is causing stress or quitting the job is a "flight" reaction to the situation,which in fact may be worse than a "fight" reaction where the person continues working in a stress-producing job.

Question 8

Those that have interpersonal conflict most often attribute the cause to a personality problem or defect in the other party.

Question 9

Meditation involves muscle and mental relaxation.

Question 10

Frustration may actually result in a positive impact on individual performance and organizational goals.

Question 11

Tense energy is a stress-driven state characterized by a constant sense of pressure and anxiety.

Question 12

Burnout is least likely to occur in the so-called helping professions such as nursing,education,and social work.

Question 13

A research study showed that challenge stressors had a negative effect on motivation and performance.

Question 14

Type A employees experience considerable stress as they tend to be misunderstood by supervisors.

Question 15

Direct behaviors that may accompany high levels of stress include under-eating or overeating,sleeplessness,increased smoking and drinking,and drug abuse.

Question 16

Although it would be a common assumption,a person's family does not have a big impact on one's stress level.

Question 17

Globalization and strategic alliances have led to a dramatic increase in executive travel stress and relocation.

Question 18

Techniques such as Ellis's rational emotive model and cognitive behavior modification have been used as an individual strategy for reducing job stress.

Question 19

Since downsizing has become the norm rather than the exception,it has been observed that as a stressor,it has stopped taking its toll on the employees.

Question 20

The approach-approach form of goal conflict is most relevant to the analysis of conflict.

Question 21

Employee assistance programs typically provide employees with services such as confidential counseling and/or follow-up on issues of personal or work-related concerns.

Question 22

It is important to explain how each employee's job has changed,if at all,and relate how each individual contributes to the new big picture in the downsized organization.

Question 23

According to Kobasa and her colleagues,which one of the following traits can be classified as a characteristic of hardy executives?

A) They become very involved in what they are doing.
B) They thrive on stability.
C) They do not feel the need to influence events around them.
D) They show limited commitment.

Question 24

) As a source of macrolevel organizational stressors,which of the following can be considered as belonging to organizational structure and design?

A) Centralization and formalization.
B) Bureaucratic rules.
C) Punitive appraisal systems.
D) Rotating work shifts.

Question 25

During negotiations,addressing the easy point first reduces trust and momentum for the tougher issues.

Question 26

Which of the following would be considered as being 'tense energy'?

A) Constant sense of pressure
B) Low muscle tension
C) Alert presence of mind
D) Peaceful body feelings

Question 27

Type A employees:

A) are usually underworked.
B) relax without guilt.
C) compete with themselves.
D) are mild mannered.

Question 28

All of the following are types of group stressors,EXCEPT:

A) lack of social support.
B) bullying.
C) lack of cohesiveness.
D) role ambiguity.

Question 29

Race and gender,strained relations with a family member,and the death of a spouse are all examples of:

A) extraorganizational stressors.
B) organizational stressors.
C) societal stressors.
D) life stressors.

Question 30

The positional bargaining approach to negotiation involves successively taking,and then giving up,a sequence of positions.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true about stress?

A) It is the same as anxiety.
B) It is damaging and should be avoided.
C) It is not the same as nervous tension.
D) It operates solely in the emotional and psychological sphere.

Question 32

Which among the following examples can be considered as a form of eustress?

A) A college student being placed under scholastic probation
B) A seriously ill loved one
C) A reprimand received by the boss for poor performance
D) A college student making it to the dean's list

Question 33

Seligman and his colleagues have suggested that people are most apt to experience helplessness when they perceive the causes of lack of control to be:

A) related to something about the personal characteristics of others.
B) related to environmental forces.
C) as stable and enduring.
D) in just one sphere of life.

Question 34

In soft bargaining the participants are friends,in hard bargaining they are solvers.

Question 35

Studies have shown that if employees are given a sense of control over their work environment,such as being given a chance to be involved in the decision-making process that affects them,this will reduce their _____.

A) work motivation
B) job stress
C) boredom
D) job satisfaction

Question 36

This reaction may be used to explain irrational bureaucratic behavior.

A) Aggression
B) Fixation
C) Withdrawal
D) Compromise

Question 37

Which among the following is an organizational stressor?

A) Economic and financial conditions
B) Relocation
C) Administrative policies and strategies
D) Technological change

Question 38

Some people seem to go to pieces at the slightest provocation,whereas others seem unflappable in the face of extremely stressful situations.The latter could be attributed to this disposition.

A) Optimism.
B) Happiness.
C) Hardiness.
D) Altruism.

Question 39

Christina Maslach believes that burnout creates a sense of _____ and a feeling of lost control,causing the burned-out employee to relate differently to others and to their work.

A) urgency
B) individuality
C) isolation
D) anxiety

Question 40

) Which of the following is a characteristic of a Type B personality?

A) Measures success by quantity
B) Is always moving
C) Doesn't brag
D) Talks rapidly

Question 41

Disagreements stemming from _____ often become highly emotional and take on moral overtones.

A) personal differences
B) environmental stress
C) role incompatibility
D) information deficiency

Question 42

In a scenario where groups within the organization vie for budget funds,supplies,personnel and support services,this can be identified as a source for intergroup conflict.

A) Task interdependence
B) Status struggles
C) Jurisdictional ambiguity
D) Competition for resources

Question 43

A major role of a production manager is to cut costs,and one way to do this is to keep inventories low.A sales manager has a dominant role of increasing revenues through increased sales.The sales manager may make delivery promises to customers that are incompatible with the low inventory levels maintained by production.This is an example of interpersonal conflict due to:

A) personal differences.
B) role incompatibility.
C) environmental stress.
D) information deficiency.

Question 44

Tension headaches are a(n):

A) immune system problem.
B) cardiovascular system problem.
C) musculoskeletal system problem.
D) gastrointestinal system problem.

Question 45

Doug is a frontline sales executive.He is neither interested in attending a training session on customer service nor in clearing out the store's stock room,but he has to make a choice between the two.This is an example of:

A) approach-approach conflict.
B) approach-avoidance conflict.
C) avoidance-negation conflict.
D) avoidance-avoidance conflict.

Question 46

In an organization characterized by scarce or shrinking resources,competitive pressures,etc.,which type of conflict could most probably be amplified?

A) Information deficiency
B) Personal differences
C) Environmental stress
D) Role incompatibility

Question 47

Toby finds Mac's autocratic leadership style unsuitable to their work environment and thinks that a participative approach might be more appropriate.However,Mac feels his autocratic style is necessary as it is the only way he can get any work done in the office.This is an example of:

A) the person and the role conflict.
B) intrarole conflict.
C) per-role conflict.
D) interrole conflict.

Question 48

Recently,Brian has started working extra hours at the office during the week and bringing work home on weekends to meet his project deadlines.However,on account of his busy schedule,Brian is unable to coach his son's Little League baseball team.This is an example of which of the following types of role conflict?

A) Interrole conflict
B) Intrarole conflict
C) The person and the role conflict
D) Per-role conflict

Question 49

Managers engaged in long-range planning typically are very confident of a goal they have developed for the future.Yet,as the time gets near to commit resources and implement the plan,the negative consequences seem to appear much greater than they did in the developing stage.This is characteristic of which type of organizational goal conflict?

A) Approach-approach conflict.
B) Avoidance-negation conflict.
C) Approach-avoidance conflict.
D) Avoidance-avoidance conflict.

Question 50

An uncooperative and unassertive type of response coming from one individual during a confrontation with another could be categorized as:

A) forcing.
B) compromising.
C) avoiding.
D) collaborating.

Question 51

Through cognitive therapy,the goal is to gain or enhance one's sense of _____ over stressful situations,as an individual coping strategy for stress reduction.

A) esteem
B) achievement
C) satisfaction
D) efficacy

Question 52

A new team leader may not really believe in keeping close control over the workers,and it goes against this individual's personality to be hard-nosed,but that is what the head of production expects.This could result in which type of role conflict?

A) Intrarole
B) Per-role
C) Interrole
D) The person and the role.

Question 53

Which of the following has NOT been identified as resulting from psychological problems arising from stress?

A) Poor job performance
B) Lowered self-esteem
C) Inability to make decisions
D) Desire for greater supervision

Question 54

Biodfeedback is a(n)_____ technique.

A) behavioral
B) cognitive
C) exercise
D) relaxation

Question 55

Mike wants to attend his boss's annual charity function as it will give him the opportunity to network with the senior executives of several multinational firms.However,his daughter's ballet recital is on the same day.This is an example of:

A) approach-approach conflict.
B) approach-avoidance conflict.
C) avoidance-negation conflict.
D) avoidance-avoidance conflict.

Question 56

Usually,the human resource department in an organization often feels that they are treated inequitably in relation to marketing,finance,and operations department.This would be a manifestation of which type of intergroup conflict?

A) Status struggles
B) Jurisdictional ambiguity
C) Competition for resources
D) Task interdependence

Question 57

Due to a breakdown in communication,Joe had forgotten to inform Alice that the deadline for her project had been brought forward resulting in her being reprimanded by the client.Now Alice no longer wishes to work with Joe.This is an example of which of the following source of interpersonal conflict?

A) Environmental stress
B) Personal differences
C) Role incompatibility
D) Information deficiency

Question 58

Sales representatives rewarding themselves with an extra break after having remained calm and collected while interacting with a particularly angry customer are probably using this type of stress combating technique.

A) Exercise
B) Behavioral self-control
C) Cognitive therapy
D) Meditation

Question 59

Which among the following is a behavioral problem resulting from stress?

A) Overeating
B) Boredom
C) Nervousness
D) Back pain

Question 60

A mid-career change evinced by a frustrated employee not being able to achieve motivated goals on the job,prompting him/ her to seek fulfillment outside the job,can be attributed to which one these reactions to frustration?

A) Compromise
B) Withdrawal
C) Aggression
D) Fixation

Question 61

What is the difference between tense energy and calm energy?

Question 62

Which of the following statements is true about negotiators?

A) They tend to rely on information that is not readily available.
B) They tend to be unaffected by the form of presentation in a negotiation.
C) They tend to rationally escalate commitment to a previously selected course of action.
D) They tend to assume that their gain must come at the expense of the other party.

Question 63

What is eustress?

Question 64

This type assumes a "fixed pie" and focuses on how to get the biggest share,or 'slice of the pie.'

A) Distributive bargaining
B) Principled negotiations
C) Power negotiations
D) Positional bargaining

Question 65

The integrative approach of bargaining suggested by Whetten and Cameron is based on what kind of strategy?

A) Compromising
B) Accommodating
C) Avoiding
D) Collaborating

Question 66

As per the principled negotiation approach,it is important to:

A) focus on positions,not interests.
B) generate a small range of possibilities before deciding what to do.
C) focus on both the people and the problem.
D) insist that the result be based on some objective standard.

Question 67

The following are all guidelines to help downsized organizations combat the problems of survivor syndrome,EXCEPT:

A) be reactive.
B) acknowledge the survivor's emotions.
C) communicate after the downsizing.
D) clarify new roles.

Question 68

Give some examples of extraorganizational stressors.

Question 69

List the major sources of interpersonal conflict.

Question 70

_____ is used to gain trust by appearing to give in to the opponent's position,but when overturned by a higher authority,concessions are gained based on trust.

A) Silence
B) Boulwarism
C) High-balling
D) Flattery

Question 71

The alliances formed from deliberate formation of close associations with trusted emphatic coworkers and colleagues is/are called _____.

A) social capital
B) human capital
C) in-groups
D) informal groups

Question 72

What are the different types of goal conflict?

Question 73

According to Seligman,when are people most apt to experience helplessness?

Question 74

Which of the following low-risk techniques may elicit a counteroffer that shows the opponent's position or may shift the point of compromise?

A) Flattery
B) Inflated opening position
C) Silence
D) Addressing the easy point first

Question 75

Work and life benefit programs and policies provided by an organization for its employees to combat stress or help prevent it include:

A) part-time work.
B) flexible scheduling.
C) job sharing.
D) limits on distance of business travel.

Question 76

Reorganization initiatives provided by an organization for its employees to combat stress or help prevent it include:

A) on-site child care.
B) paid family and medical leave.
C) telecommuting.
D) release time for personal events.

Question 77

Briefly explain the two categories of group stressors.

Question 78

Which of the following is a characteristic of the "soft" strategy of negotiations?

A) The goal is victory
B) Try to win a contest of will
C) Trust others
D) Apply pressure

Question 79

What are some of the characteristics of employees with Type A personality?

Question 80

What is a role? What are the different types of role conflict?