Salespeople at Widget Co.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 is rewarded.This is mainly an example of conflict due to:
A)ambiguity.
B)communication problems.
C)pooled task interdependence.
D)differentiation.
E)goal incompatibility.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conflict between the salespeople and production staff is due to goal incompatibility, as each group has a different goal that is in conflict with the other's. The salespeople want to maximize sales, while the production staff wants to minimize inventory costs. This conflict highlights the importance of aligning goals and creating a shared understanding of priorities within an organization.