Deck 14: Conflict and Negotiation

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true regarding task conflicts?

A) Task conflicts relate to how the work gets done.
B) Task conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.
C) Task conflicts hinder creativity and innovation.
D) Task conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.
E) Task conflict won't benefit groups performing routine tasks.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

________ is defined as a process that begins when one party perceives another party has or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about.

A) Negotiation
B) Problem solving
C) Conflict
D) Collective bargaining
E) Assessment

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true regarding conflict?

A) Diversity of goals among groups is a major source of conflict.
B) As the ambiguity about where responsibility for actions lies decreases, the potential for conflict increases.
C) People low in the personality traits of disagreeableness, neuroticism, or self-monitoring are more likely to engage in a conflict.
D) The less specialized the activities of the group, the greater the likelihood of conflict.
E) The smaller the group, the greater the likelihood of conflict.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to the traditional view of conflict, all conflict is ________.

A) rational and cannot be avoided
B) healthy and improves productivity
C) necessary and improves creativity of a group
D) natural and helps generate discussion
E) harmful and must be avoided

Question 5

It seems that your work group is in conflict much of the time. One colleague has suggested that you, as the supervisor, are responsible for eliminating the conflict so that your work group can function harmoniously. Another colleague has suggested that conflict is good for stimulating creativity and productivity within the work environment. You are unsure about whether you should try to eliminate the conflict within your group or learn to deal with it positively.
If you support the idea that conflict should be eliminated, you are supporting which of the following views of conflict?

A) the optimistic view
B) the traditional view
C) the moderated acceptance view
D) the interactionist view
E) the human relations view

Question 6

Matt works as a sales representative at Tandem Industries which manufactures and sells bicycles. He's the best salesman on the floor, but he also receives the highest number of customer complaints for late deliveries. Which of the following, if true, best explains this situation?

A) The company's manufacturing facility is functioning at optimum capacity.
B) The company uses enterprise solutions to manage inventory.
C) The company keeps inventory levels low in order to reduce costs.
D) The company has an efficient credit verification process.
E) The company's sales and logistics functions are tightly integrated.

Question 7

For process conflict to be productive, it must be ________.

A) kept high
B) kept low
C) kept at moderate levels
D) subject to managerial control
E) kept at moderate-to-high levels

Question 8

According to the interactionist view, ________ conflicts support the goals of the group and improve its performance.

A) functional
B) informal
C) evaluative
D) formal
E) reactive

Question 9

The ________ stage of the conflict process is important because it's where conflict issues tend to be defined.

A) intentions
B) reaction and transference
C) potential opposition
D) behavior
E) cognition and personalization

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true regarding the managed conflict perspective?

A) It argues that conflicts improve creativity of the group.
B) It classifies conflicts into functional and dysfunctional conflicts.
C) It is based on the view that conflicts reduce the long-term viability of the group.
D) It argues that all conflicts are bad and should be eliminated.
E) It proposes that some conflict is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively.

Question 11

Stage II of the conflict process deals with the conflict being ________.

A) internalized
B) analyzed
C) expressed and resolved
D) apparent and experienced
E) perceived and felt

Question 12

When your work group disagrees, the disagreements usually concern how the group's work should be accomplished. The type of conflict experienced by your group is known as a ________ conflict.

A) process
B) relationship
C) traditional
D) reactive
E) task

Question 13

According to the ________ view of conflict, conflict can be a positive force in a group and some conflict is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively.

A) transactional
B) interactionist
C) managed
D) resolution focused
E) traditional

Question 14

According to the interactionist's perspective, a group that functions without conflict is ________.

A) a rare phenomenon
B) most likely to be responsive to the need for change and innovation
C) prone to becoming static and apathetic
D) living up to behavioral standards
E) the most productive

Question 15

The ________ view of conflict focuses on productive resolution of conflicts.

A) managed
B) interactionist
C) transactional
D) rational
E) traditional

Question 16

Conditions that can create conflicts can be classified into three categories. Which of the following is one of these three categories that includes variables such as jurisdictional clarity, member-goal compatibility, and leadership styles?

A) process variables
B) communication
C) personal variables
D) structure
E) group interactions

Question 17

Conservationists have had a perpetual conflict with the government of the United States over the fast and rampant depletion of the earth's natural resources. They argue that the United States must reduce its consumption level significantly to rectify this problem. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conservationists' argument?

A) There are several countries that have more requirements for resources than the United States.
B) The United States has been conserving forests for several years.
C) The United States accounts for one-third of the total world resource consumption.
D) Most countries have not taken any measures to reduce their consumption levels of natural resources.
E) New resource deposits are constantly being discovered.

Question 18

Conflicts related to how the work gets done are called ________ conflicts.

A) process
B) task
C) relationship
D) job
E) communication

Question 19

With reference to the interactionist view of conflict, conflict that relates to the content and goals of work is called ________ conflict.

A) task
B) job
C) process
D) relationship
E) communication

Question 20

It seems that your work group is in conflict much of the time. One colleague has suggested that you, as the supervisor, are responsible for eliminating the conflict so that your work group can function harmoniously. Another colleague has suggested that conflict is good for stimulating creativity and productivity within the work environment. You are unsure about whether you should try to eliminate the conflict within your group or learn to deal with it positively.
You decide to do more research on the view that conflict should be encouraged as a means to achieve change and innovation. This view is termed ________.

A) the human relations view
B) the acceptance view
C) the interactionist view
D) the traditional view
E) the promotional view

Question 21

Conflict is dysfunctional when it ________.

A) provides a medium to release tension
B) provides a means for expressing frustration
C) fosters an environment of self-evaluation
D) reduces group cohesiveness
E) leads to change

Question 22

Which of the following is a conflict-stimulation technique?

A) compromise
B) bringing in outsiders
C) exercising authoritative command
D) expansion of resources
E) problem solving

Question 23

Assertiveness indicates the degree to which ________.

A) one party attempts to satisfy the other party's concerns
B) the parties attempt to find a win-win solution
C) the parties are willing to involve a third party in conflict resolution
D) one party attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns
E) one party attempts to suppress the conflict

Question 24

Which of the following conflict-handling intentions involves accepting a solution that provides incomplete satisfaction of both parties' concerns?

A) competing
B) avoiding
C) collaborating
D) compromising
E) accommodating

Question 25

Which of the following conflict management techniques involves designating a critic to purposely argue against the majority positions held by the group?

A) exercising authoritative command
B) altering the human variable
C) bringing in outsiders
D) altering the structural variables
E) appointing a devil's advocate

Question 26

In which stage of the conflict process does conflict become visible?

A) outcomes
B) personalization
C) incompatibility
D) behavior
E) intentions

Question 27

When one person seeks to satisfy his or her own interests regardless of the impact on the other parties to the conflict, that person is using the conflict-handling intention of ________.

A) collaborating
B) accommodating
C) compromising
D) avoiding
E) competing

Question 28

Luke's cubicle neighbor Leia, though an understanding and great co-worker, talks loudly on the phone. Luke gets annoyed every time Leia's phone rings, but he has decided it's simply not worth the trouble to talk to her about it. Luke's conflict-handling intention is called ________.

A) accommodating
B) collaborating
C) compromising
D) avoiding
E) competing

Question 29

Which of the following conflict-handling intentions is unassertive and uncooperative?

A) accommodating
B) collaborating
C) avoiding
D) competing
E) compromising

Question 30

________ is the third stage in the conflict process and it intervenes between people's perceptions and their overt behavior.

A) Attribution
B) Behavioral manifestation
C) Cognition
D) Intention
E) Potential for opposition

Question 31

________ is a conflict-handling technique in which the parties in a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties.

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

Question 32

A party who seeks to appease an opponent may be willing to place the opponent's interests above his or her own, sacrificing to maintain the relationship. We refer to this intention as ________.

A) compromising
B) competing
C) avoiding
D) accommodating
E) collaborating

Question 33

The conflict-handling intention of collaborating is ________.

A) unassertive and uncooperative
B) affective and reflective
C) assertive and cooperative
D) unassertive and cooperative
E) assertive and uncooperative

Question 34

The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is ________.

A) reflective and assertive
B) unassertive and cooperative
C) assertive and uncooperative
D) assertive and cooperative
E) unassertive and uncooperative

Question 35

The division manager at Xperience Inc. wants to replace the SAP ERP currently used in his division with Epicor ERP as it costs 30 percent less to train new staff in Epicor ERP. But this leads to a conflict with the general manager, who insists that they can simply hire only people who already know how to use SAP ERP. Which of the following, if true, weakens the general manager's objection to the replacement of SAP ERP with Epicor ERP?

A) The average productivity of employees in the company is below the average productivity of the employees of its competitors.
B) The high costs of updates and upgrades make Epicor ERP more expensive to maintain than SAP ERP.
C) Experienced users of SAP ERP command much higher salaries than do prospective employees who have no experience in the use of any ERP.
D) Currently all employees in the company are required to attend workshops on how to use SAP ERP.
E) Once employees learn how to use an ERP system, they tend to change employers more readily than before.

Question 36

A conflict-intensity continuum has "annihilatory conflict" at the upper end and "no conflict" at the lower end. In the context of this conflict-intensity continuum, which of the following statements is true of conflict intensities?

A) Conflicts that reach the lower ranges of the conflict-intensity continuum are almost always dysfunctional.
B) Functional conflicts are typically confined to the lower range of the conflict-intensity continuum.
C) In cases of annihilatory conflict, there is overt questioning or challenging of others.
D) Aggressive physical attacks fall in the lower range of the conflict-intensity continuum.
E) Strikes, riots, and wars fall in the lower range of the conflict-intensity continuum.

Question 37

According to a newly added office smoking regulation, only employees who have an enclosed office may smoke at their desks. This leads to a major conflict between various employees as virtually all employees with enclosed offices are higher level managers, and all other employees lack enclosed offices. Therefore, the lower level employees who smoke argue that they should be offered enclosed offices. Which of the following, if true, strengthens the employees' argument?

A) The company is a zealous supporter of the "Kick the Butt" campaign a corporate anti-smoking campaign.
B) The smoking regulations allow all employees who smoke an equal opportunity to do so, regardless of an employee's job level.
C) The company has a limited budget for infrastructure modifications.
D) Employees at the higher level, who do not smoke, do not have enclosed offices.
E) Higher level managers, who have enclosed offices, are willing to share their offices with lower level employees.

Question 38

The conflict-handling techniques are characterized by two dimensions, cooperativeness and assertiveness. Cooperativeness indicates the degree to which ________.

A) the parties are willing to involve a third party in conflict resolution
B) one party attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns
C) the parties attempt to find a win-win solution
D) one party attempts to suppress the conflict
E) one party attempts to satisfy the other party's concerns

Question 39

Which of the following conflict handling intentions is assertive and uncooperative?

A) avoiding
B) competing
C) collaborating
D) accommodating
E) compromising

Question 40

Macy does not like a few of the standard operating procedures adapted for the new project. However, she discussed the items with the team and told them that she realized she was in the minority and that she would adapt the new procedures to maintain smooth operations within the team. This type of intention is called ________.

A) negotiating
B) compromising
C) collaborating
D) accommodating
E) competing

Question 41

During which phase of the negotiation process do the parties exchange their initial proposals or demands?

A) integration of preferences
B) preparation and planning
C) clarification and justification
D) definition of ground rules
E) bargaining and problem solving

Question 42

Which of the following statements is true regarding integrative bargaining?

A) Integrative bargaining involves low information sharing.
B) Integrative bargaining leaves one party a loser.
C) Integrative bargaining is used in labor-management negotiations most of the time.
D) Integrative bargaining operates under zero-sum conditions.
E) Integrative bargaining focuses on long-term relationships.

Question 43

Which of the following terms best describes the process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources?

A) association
B) negotiation
C) integration
D) unionization
E) differentiation

Question 44

The terms "negotiation" and "________" are used interchangeably.

A) bargaining
B) compromise
C) accommodation
D) collaboration
E) win-lose

Question 45

Karl is the labor union negotiator. Today, he is meeting with the top management to discuss the new five-year contract, including wages and benefits. This labor-management negotiation over wages is most likely to use ________ bargaining.

A) associative
B) distributive
C) evaluative
D) integrative
E) reflective

Question 46

During a negotiation, making an initial offer leads to the ________ bias.

A) self-serving
B) belief
C) framing
D) anchoring
E) attributional

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true regarding distributive bargaining?

A) It attempts to create a win-win solution.
B) It focuses on long-term relationships.
C) It involves high information sharing.
D) It is rarely used in labor-management negotiations.
E) It operates under zero-sum conditions.

Question 48

A collectivist Chinese manager is most likely to use which of the following techniques for conflict management?

A) competing tactics
B) pressurizing
C) direct confrontation
D) avoiding
E) authoritative command

Question 49

Labor and management at Leo Trucking cannot seem to agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. As each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, no agreement seems to be possible. The drivers are threatening to go on strike, and management knows that such a strike would prove to be costly.
None of the parties involved in the dispute wants to reach a win-win agreement. They are each highly focused on their demands which they would like to achieve, otherwise known as their ________ points.

A) focal
B) resistance
C) tolerance
D) target
E) distribution

Question 50

Your ________ determines the lowest value acceptable to you for a negotiated agreement.

A) hidden value
B) BATNA
C) bid price
D) asking price
E) margin of error

Question 51

The management has decided to try to find a win-win solution to help both parties resolve their differences. Management is attempting to engage in ________ bargaining.

A) distributive
B) integrative
C) reformatory
D) surface
E) reflective

Question 52

Porco Rosso, an aircraft manufacturer, develops a new engine model, PR-4, with safety features lacking in the earlier model, PR-3, which is still being manufactured. During the first year that both were sold, the PR-3 far outsold the PR-4, even after rigorous presentations and negotiations with potential customers for PR-4. Porco Rosso thus concluded that safety was not the customers' primary consideration. Which of the following, if true, would weaken Porco Rosso's conclusion?

A) Customers prefer and find safer, earlier engine models that have been tried and tested to newer engine models.
B) Several customers of Porco Rosso also bought engines from other manufacturers who did not provide additional safety features in their newer models.
C) The PR-4 model can be used in all planes in which the PR-3 model can be used.
D) Both private plane owners and commercial airlines buy engines from Porco Rosso.
E) There was no significant difference in price between the PR-3 and PR-4.

Question 53

________ bargaining is negotiation that seeks to divide a fixed amount of goods or services.

A) Distributive
B) Reflective
C) Integrative
D) Affective
E) Conjunctive

Question 54

The two general approaches to negotiation are ________ bargaining and ________ bargaining.

A) distributive; integrative
B) affective; reflective
C) emotional; rational
D) formal; informal
E) legal; restrictive

Question 55

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is most likely to be included in the "preparation and planning" step?

A) exchange of the initial proposals or demands
B) designing procedures for implementing the agreement that has been worked out
C) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement
D) justifying your original demands
E) determining where will the negotiation take place

Question 56

Which of the following is the first step in the negotiation process?

A) clarification and justification
B) definition of ground rules
C) bargaining and problem solving
D) preparation and planning
E) closure and implementation

Question 57

In case of distributive bargaining, the ________ point marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable the point below which the party would break off negotiations rather than accept a less favorable settlement.

A) focal
B) tolerance
C) distribution
D) target
E) resistance

Question 58

In the case of a distributive bargaining, the ________ point indicates what a person would like to achieve out of the negotiation.

A) target
B) focus
C) resistance
D) bargaining
E) distribution

Question 59

Labor and management at Leo Trucking cannot seem to agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. As each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, no agreement seems to be possible. The drivers are threatening to go on strike, and management knows that such a strike would prove to be costly.
As both sides agree that they are competing over a fixed amount of resources, each side feels that what one side wins, the other loses. Based on this information, we can say that the two sides are engaged in ________.

A) integrative bargaining
B) mediation
C) distributive bargaining
D) arbitration
E) conciliation

Question 60

Which of the following statements is true regarding negotiation that takes place in a collectivist culture?

A) Collectivists are less likely to seek to preserve relationships and promote the good of the group as a whole than individualists.
B) Collectivist cultures see people as autonomous, not as people deeply embedded in social situations.
C) Collectivists are more likely to confront differences of opinion directly and openly as compared to individualists.
D) As compared to individualists, collectivists are less likely to see offers from their counterparts as unfair and to reject them.
E) The method of conflict management preferred by collectivist managers is competing.

Question 61

Stratford Inc. is a company that hires culturally diverse people to perform Shakespearean plays for high school students. The company employs actors and actresses from all over the world. The actors and
Actresses have joined together to ask the company for higher salaries. The employees are struggling over deciding who will negotiate for them.Which of the following statements is true pertaining to the effect of individual differences on negotiations?

A) Positive moods and emotions negatively affect integrative bargaining.
B) Extraverts tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
C) People who are highly interested in having positive relationships with other people are poor negotiators.
D) Women tend to negotiate better outcomes than men.
E) Individuals who score high on agreeableness dimension tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.

Question 62

Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.

Question 63

Task conflicts can provide positive outcomes only when all members share the same goals and have high levels of trust.

Question 64

Megatron Construction is having a dispute with a home buyer about some of the terms of their building contract. Both the company and the home buyer want to avoid the expenses and trouble of going to court, but they cannot agree on how to settle their disagreement.
Megatron wants to bring in a neutral third party who will facilitate a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion, suggesting alternatives, and the like. This person is known as a(n) ________.

A) consultant
B) mediator
C) plaintiff
D) arbitrator
E) bailor

Question 65

A(n) ________ is a neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion, and suggestions for alternatives.

A) plaintiff
B) agent
C) mediator
D) executor
E) consultant

Question 66

The traditional view of conflict recognizes that a minimal level of conflict can help keep a group viable, self-critical, and creative.

Question 67

Xanadu Industries manufactures and sells the same calipers as Utopia Industries. Employee wages account for thirty-five percent of the cost of manufacturing calipers at both Xanadu Industries and Utopia Industries. Xanadu Industries is seeking a competitive advantage over Utopia Industries. Richard, the manager put in charge of devising a strategy to meet this end, suggests lowering employee wages. This leads to a grave conflict between Richard and the labor union. Which of the following, if true, would suggest that the labor union will accept Richard's suggestion to lower the wages?

A) As they make a large number of precision instruments, caliper manufacturers receive huge volume discounts on raw materials.
B) Xanadu Industries has taken away twenty percent of Utopia Industries' business over the last year.
C) Utopia Industries recently set up a new manufacturing facility in the vicinity.
D) Many people who work for manufacturing plants live in areas in which the manufacturing plant is the only source of employment.
E) Utopia Industries pays its employees, on average, ten percent more than does Xanadu Industries.

Question 68

The two parties eventually agree to ask Sam Spade, an attorney and trusted friend, to help them informally to solve their problem. Sam's role is that of a(n) ________.

A) conciliator
B) arbitrator
C) consultant
D) mediator
E) plaintiff

Question 69

The interactionist view of conflict proposes that all conflicts are good.

Question 70

Bill is negotiating for the labor union. Today, he is presenting the evidence and papers that demonstrate the average wages in the area, the cost of health care for the average worker, and a pie graph demonstrating how these costs affect the new salary request. Which phase of the negotiation process is Bill currently in?

A) clarification and justification
B) definition of ground rules
C) closure and implementation
D) preparation and planning
E) bargaining and problem solving

Question 71

In which of the following situations is mediation most likely to be effective?

A) One of the parties involved in the negotiation perceives the mediator as biased.
B) The conflict between the parties involved in mediation is at a moderate level.
C) None of the parties is willing to disclose its BATNA.
D) One of the parties involved in the negotiation perceives the mediator as coercive.
E) There is a large gap between the target points of both the parties.

Question 72

During which phase of the negotiation process do the parties have the actual discussion to hash out an agreement?

A) integration of preferences
B) definition of ground rules
C) bargaining and problem-solving
D) preparation and planning
E) closure and implementation

Question 73

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is included in the "closure and implementation" step?

A) exchange of the initial proposals or demands
B) determining time constraints, if any, applicable to negotiation
C) justifying your original demands
D) formalizing the agreement that has been worked out
E) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement

Question 74

For process conflict to be productive, it must be kept at moderate-to-high levels.

Question 75

In third-party negotiations, a third party who provides an informal communication link between the negotiator and the opponent is known as a(n) ________.

A) arbitrator
B) conciliator
C) executor
D) consultant
E) plaintiff

Question 76

Megatron Construction is having a dispute with a home buyer about some of the terms of their building contract. Both the company and the home buyer want to avoid the expenses and trouble of going to court, but they cannot agree on how to settle their disagreement.
The home buyer wants to bring in a third party who will have the authority to dictate an agreement. This person will be a(n) ________.

A) plaintiff
B) consultant
C) conciliator
D) mediator
E) arbitrator

Question 77

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effects of personality traits on negotiation?

A) People who are highly interested in having positive relationships with other people are great negotiators.
B) Negotiation outcomes are never related to personality traits.
C) Disagreeable introverts are the best distributive bargainers.
D) Extraverts tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
E) Individuals who score high on agreeableness dimension tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.

Question 78

What factor would most likely increase the negative impact of an arbitration session?

A) voluntary nature of the arbitration
B) heavy-handedness of the arbitrator
C) establishment of an agreement that is nonbinding
D) compulsory nature of the arbitration
E) limited options of the arbitrator

Question 79

In a negotiation process, which of the following activities is most likely to be included in the "definition of ground rules" step?

A) determining time constraints, if any, applicable to negotiation
B) justifying your original demands
C) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement
D) determining the history leading up to the negotiation
E) formalizing the agreement that has been worked out

Question 80

Which of the following methods of third-party negotiation always results in a settlement?

A) consultancy
B) conciliation
C) mediation
D) arbitration
E) execution