Question 1

When one party's target settlement is the other party's resistance point, they are likely to be:

Accepted Answer

When one party's target settlement is the other party's resistance point, they are unable to reach an agreement.

Question 2

The resistance points in contract negotiations are determined by:

Accepted Answer

The resistance points in contract negotiations are determined by the parties' Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) or Most Likely Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (MLATNA). These are the options and outcomes that each party has if they do not reach an agreement in the current negotiation. The resistance point is the point at which a party will not accept an agreement that is worse than their BATNA/MLATNA. Therefore, C is the best choice.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a step in the integrative bargaining process?

Accepted Answer

Integrative bargaining is a collaborative process where the two parties work together to find mutually beneficial solutions. The steps in this process include identifying the issues that need to be addressed, understanding each side's fundamental interests, creating standards for decision making, generating options, and reaching an agreement. However, presenting a list of demands to the other party is not a step in this process because it implies a more competitive, distributive bargaining approach where one party attempts to get as much as possible from the other.

Question 4

Which of the following terms describes a process where parties identify issues, determine costing procedures, and brainstorm solutions before creating their proposals and starting negotiations?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following terms describes a...

Question 5

If the union's resistance point is 3% and their target is 5%, while the employer's resistance point is 2.5% with a target of 0:

Accepted Answer

The union's resistance point is higher than the employer's target, and the employer's resistance point is lower than the union's target. This means that there is no overlap between the two parties' acceptable ranges, and thus no contract zone.

Question 6

All of the following could be another label for distributive bargaining except:

Accepted Answer

Distributive bargaining is characterized by an adversarial or hard approach to negotiations, where each side is trying to maximize their share of a fixed pie. Traditional bargaining can also be a label for distributive bargaining, as it refers to the historical approach to negotiations that has focused on dividing a set amount of resources. Interest-based bargaining, on the other hand, is a different approach to negotiations that seeks to identify the underlying needs and interests of each party and find mutually beneficial solutions. Therefore, D is the correct answer, as it is the only option that is not a synonym of distributive bargaining.

Question 7

As it pertains to bad faith bargaining, direct dealing occurs when:

Accepted Answer

Direct dealing occurs when an employer goes around the union to discuss issues directly with the employees in a way that undermines the union's ability to bargain. This is considered bad faith bargaining as it weakens the union's bargaining power and bypasses the agreed-upon negotiation process.

Question 8

Which of the following bargaining issues is most likely to be viewed as a zero-sum or constant-sum game?

Accepted Answer

Wage increases are typically viewed as a zero-sum or constant-sum game because the employer's gain is often seen as the employee's loss. For example, if the employer gives a 3% wage increase to all employees, they may have to decrease their profits or raise prices to cover the additional expense. Therefore, the negotiation of wage increases is often seen as a trade-off between employer and employee benefits. Safety standards, drug testing procedures, and promotion standards may also involve compromises, but they are generally not viewed as zero-sum games.

Question 9

Which of the subprocesses of bargaining is most concerned with the fact that the employer-employee-union relationship is a long term, ongoing relationship?

Accepted Answer

Attitudinal structuring is the process that focuses on establishing and maintaining a positive working relationship between the employer, employee, and union. The fact that the relationship is long term and ongoing is essential to the success of attitudinal structuring subprocess. This process aims to improve communication, build trust, and foster mutual respect among the parties involved.

Question 10

In distributive bargaining, each party's ____________________ is often the other side's resistance point.

Accepted Answer

In distributive bargaining, each party's target settlement is often the other side's resistance point, as each aims to negotiate as close to their target as possible while the other party tries to resist going beyond their own limits.

Question 11

The employment relationship is labeled a mixed motive because:

Accepted Answer

The employment relationship is labeled a mixed motive because it involves both conflicts of interests as well as shared opportunities for the employer-employee-union relationship. While management seeks to make a profit, they also need to be fair to employees. On the other hand, unions need to represent their members' interests while also ensuring the organization's profitability. Thus, the employment relationship involves a mixture of competing interests and shared goals.

Question 12

The parties are most likely to be motivated to bargain when:

Accepted Answer

Parties are most motivated to bargain when they believe that a negotiated settlement will result in better outcomes than their Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) or Most Likely Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (MLATNA). This creates an incentive for both parties to engage in negotiations and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

Question 13

Holding public rallies, boycotts, and bringing negative publicity to the other party in negotiations is considered a(n):

Accepted Answer

Pressure tactics are actions taken by one party in a negotiation to put pressure on the other party to accept their demands. Holding public rallies, boycotts, and bringing negative publicity to the other party are all examples of pressure tactics.

Question 14

In negotiating a contract, the terms and conditions that are considered minimally acceptable to either side are determined by the:

Accepted Answer

BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) or MLATNA (Most Likely Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) help determine the lowest level of terms and conditions that each party can accept in a negotiation. This is important in establishing the "bottom line" or the minimum outcome that each party is willing to accept before walking away from the negotiation. The other options mentioned - Contract zone, Strike zone, and Target settlement - do not directly relate to determining minimally acceptable terms and conditions in a negotiation.

Question 15

Modified integrative bargaining is a term used to describe a process of negotiations where:

Accepted Answer

Modified integrative bargaining refers to a negotiation strategy where parties initially attempt integrative bargaining, which focuses on mutual benefits and win-win outcomes. If this approach does not yield satisfactory results, they then shift to distributive bargaining, which is more about dividing a fixed amount of resources, often leading to win-lose outcomes.

Question 16

The goal of integrative bargaining is:

Accepted Answer

Integrative bargaining aims to find a solution that benefits both parties involved in negotiations. Therefore, the best choice is D, which states that the objective of integrative bargaining is to unify the common interests of management and employees in a way that benefits everyone involved. Choices A, B, and C are not as accurate as they either do not encompass the interests of both parties or only focus on one party's objectives.

Question 17

A key principle of integrative bargaining is that the parties should focus on ___________________ in negotiations.

Accepted Answer

The key principle of integrative bargaining is that the parties should focus on common interests in negotiations. This approach encourages parties to work together to find solutions that benefit both sides, rather than focusing solely on their individual positions and self-interests. By identifying and prioritizing common interests, negotiators can find creative solutions that satisfy both parties and create value instead of just dividing what is available.

Question 18

Bluffing is a bargaining tactic that is most likely used in:

Accepted Answer

Bluffing is a tactic used in distributive bargaining where parties are trying to maximize their own outcomes. In this type of bargaining, there are a fixed amount of resources to be divided, and one party's gain is the other party's loss. Bluffing involves making a false claim or threat to gain an advantage in the negotiation. It is not typically used in unfair labor practices, attitudinal structuring, or intraorganizational bargaining.

Question 19

In a recent contract negotiation over the issue of wage increases, the union's resistance point was 2.5% and their target point was 3%. Management's resistance point was 3% and their target point was 2.75%. The size of the settlement range is:

Accepted Answer

The size of the settlement range is the difference between the two parties' resistance points, which in this case is 0.5% for both (2.5% - 3% for the union and 3% - 2.75% for management). Therefore, the range is 0.5% on either side of the target points, resulting in a 50% settlement range (0.5%/3% = 0.1667 or 16.67%, and 0.5%/2.75% = 0.1818 or 18.18%).

Question 20

All of the following could be another label for integrative bargaining except:

Accepted Answer

The term "traditional bargaining" refers to a style of negotiation that involves both parties taking extreme positions and trying to gain as much as possible at the expense of the other. This approach is fundamentally different from integrative bargaining, which emphasizes collaboration, understanding each other's interests, and finding ways to create value for both parties. Therefore, choice D is the only option that doesn't represent another label for integrative bargaining.

Quiz 7: Bargaining