Deck 13: Conflict and Negotiation

Question 1

You own and operate a pre-cast concrete company that specializes in large beams,walls,and other components for large commercial structures.You deliver and install as well as manufacture.One of your installation foremen just called to say that the ironworkers for another company installed the door jambs for a building,when you had sent your crew to perform this task.What type of conflict has occurred?

A) authority relationships
B) status inconsistencies
C) interdependence
D) jurisdictional ambiguity

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Dolvett oversees a number of individuals.He decides he must stimulate conflict to move his area forward.Which response indicates why he would want to stimulate conflict within his area?

A) when group members are highly cohesive
B) when the group suffers from groupthink
C) when there is only one source of conflict
D) when there has been a tendency to overuse the devil's advocate perspective

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A software company employs one person to manage databases,another person for statistical packages,and another for expert systems.What is the structural cause for conflict among these individuals?

A) status inconsistencies
B) sharing common resources
C) specialization
D) interdependence

Answer 3

C

Question 4

You have a problem with your furnace,so you call a repairman.The repairman informs you that the problem is caused by your gas supply.You call the gas company and the gas company tells you the problem is your furnace.What type of conflict has occurred?

A) interdependent forms
B) goal differences
C) common resources
D) jurisdictional ambiguities

Question 5

You are supervising two work crews that work in adjacent departments performing nearly the same task.You decide to create a competitive situation between them as a means of increasing productivity and performance.What must you understand for your approach to be successful?

A) This situation can only be positive.
B) Conflict may emerge and hostile and aggressive behaviours may be disruptive.
C) Functional conflict creates a negative climate.
D) Friendly competition does not have to be supervised.

Question 6

What type of conflict occurs between teams in an organization?

A) interorganizational
B) intergroup
C) interpersonal
D) intraorganizational

Question 7

Two machine operators disagree over the reason for an equipment breakdown.In this scenario,what is the cause of this conflict?

A) emotions
B) perceptions
C) needs
D) personality

Question 8

Two departments in a university are engaged in a conflict because one department had its budget cut.What type of conflict has occurred?

A) interdependence
B) common resources
C) jurisdictional ambiguity
D) authority relationships

Question 9

What is an example of intergenerational conflict?

A) over work/home expectations
B) over whether flexible employee benefit systems are needed
C) over strategic decisions
D) between a hockey players' union and management

Question 10

What best summarizes emotional intelligence (EI)?

A) a situation where incompatible goals,attitudes,emotions,or behaviours lead to disagreement or opposition between two or more people
B) the power to control one's emotions and to perceive emotions in others
C) constructive agreement between two or more people
D) the positive side of emotional quality

Question 11

What percentage of their time do managers spend dealing with conflict?

A) 11
B) 21
C) 31
D) 41

Question 12

What is an example of structural factors in causing conflict?

A) interdependence and status inconsistencies
B) personalities and skills and abilities
C) interdependent groups and individuals
D) specialization and communication barriers

Question 13

What type of conflict occurs between two or more organizations?

A) interorganizational
B) interpersonal
C) intraorganizational
D) intergroup

Question 14

What is likely the cause of conflict or disagreement between two or more parties?

A) resource dependency
B) incompatible goals
C) mutual interest
D) goal congruence

Question 15

Which question applies to the diagnosis of conflict?

A) Is the outcome likely to be favourable for the organization?
B) Is energy being directed to goal achievement?
C) Do the potential losses of the parties exceed any potential gains?
D) Are the parties showing professionalism toward each other?

Question 16

With recent bargaining,conflict has occurred between a company's management and its union.What type of conflict is occurring?

A) interorganizational
B) intraorganizational
C) intergroup
D) interpersonal

Question 17

What is a personal factor in causing conflict in organizations?

A) goal differences
B) skills and abilities
C) interdependence
D) status inconsistencies

Question 18

Your text discusses an example in which the Indian students in an MBA class didn't understand why the North American students challenged the professor.What can help to prevent such cultural misunderstandings?

A) apply a resolution strategy
B) offer diversity training that emphasizes cultural differences in education
C) address the power distance issue
D) separate workers of different cultural backgrounds

Question 19

What would you do to prevent dysfunctional conflict in virtual teams?

A) Ensure virtual team members have team training.
B) Ensure each individual has access to e-mail.
C) Ensure the team's tasks fit the members' methods of interacting.
D) Ensure each member of the virtual team keeps e-mails as neutral as possible.

Question 20

As a manager,you want to foster positive conflict.Which response is an example of positive conflict?

A) conflict that serves as a safety valve to indicate problems
B) conflict that increases hostility
C) conflict that wastes resources
D) conflict that diverts energy from work

Question 21

What is an example of the positive side to intrapersonal conflict?

A) collaborative forms of resolution
B) cooperative forms of resolution
C) the resolution of dissonance
D) defining moments that can shape one's character

Question 22

Which defence mechanism does an individual demonstrate when he/she continues dysfunctional behaviour that clearly will not solve a conflict?

A) rationalization
B) displacement
C) fixation
D) negativism

Question 23

What is an example of a withdrawal mechanism that individuals engage in to escape from conflict by daydreaming?

A) fantasy
B) conversion
C) displacement
D) flight

Question 24

What problem is associated with the equal versus equal power relationship?

A) control versus autonomy
B) stress
C) role conflict
D) suboptimization

Question 25

Interventions may include approaches such as improving coordination between the parties and working toward common interests.In what type of conflict are these particular interventions most appropriate?

A) high versus middle versus low relationship
B) high versus low relationship
C) equal versus equal relationship
D) intergroup relationship

Question 26

What does the competitive strategy in conflict management entail?

A) synergy
B) trust
C) less than honest communication
D) openness

Question 27

When a child gets sick at school,the parent often must leave work to care for the child.What is this type of conflict?

A) interrole
B) person-role
C) interpersonal
D) intrarole

Question 28

Suppose a manager is advised by her department head that she needs to socialize less with the nonmanagement employees.She also is advised by her project manager that she needs to be a better team member,and that she can accomplish this by socializing more with the nonmanagement employees.What type of conflict is this an example of?

A) intrarole
B) interrole
C) person-role
D) intergroup

Question 29

What is an example of intrapersonal conflict?

A) increased conflict in task focus
B) increased conflict in group loyalty
C) increased conflict among multiple roles
D) increased conflict in group cohesiveness

Question 30

What behaviour is associated with an equal versus equal power relationship?

A) tendency to compete
B) lack of motivation
C) resistance to change
D) making concessions

Question 31

Middle managers frequently are caught in a power squeeze.What form is this conflict likely to take?

A) equal versus equal conflict
B) high versus low conflict
C) resource dependency conflict
D) role conflict

Question 32

What defence mechanism is used by individuals to make the best of a conflict situation?

A) compromise
B) aggressive
C) withdrawal
D) cooperative

Question 33

What situation arises when an intrapersonal conflict forces us to choose between right and right?

A) moral dilemma
B) avoidance
C) test of character
D) defining moment

Question 34

A person continually responds with pessimism to attempts at solving a problem.Which of the following is an example of the defence mechanism this person is displaying?

A) negativism
B) displacement
C) identification
D) fixation

Question 35

What two techniques are effective in managing intrapersonal conflict?

A) role analysis and personal/organizational value clarification
B) role analysis and personality inventory identification
C) personality inventory identification and identification of your natural conflict-resolution style
D) personal/organizational value clarification and identification of your natural conflict-resolution style

Question 36

What is an example of a defence mechanism in which an individual makes up for a bad relationship at home by spending more time at the office?

A) aggressive
B) cooperative
C) withdrawal
D) compensation

Question 37

You are the supervisor of a work team.What type of conflict occurs between individuals in a team or within a single individual who is on your team?

A) intrapersonal
B) intragroup
C) intergroup
D) interpersonal

Question 38

What is an example of a defence mechanism in which aggressive behaviour is directed at someone who is not the source of the conflict?

A) conversion
B) identification
C) displacement
D) fixation

Question 39

What type of conflict occurs when one's values conflict with one's job demands?

A) person-role
B) interrole
C) intrarole
D) interpersonal

Question 40

What type of conflict occurs between two or more individuals?

A) intergroup
B) intrapersonal
C) intragroup
D) interpersonal

Question 41

On what two behavioural dimensions can a conflict management style be classified?

A) cooperativeness and degree of competition
B) cooperativeness and degree of compromise
C) cooperativeness and accommodation
D) cooperativeness and assertiveness

Question 42

Which of the following research findings indicates a style used by ineffective managers?

A) a combination of competing and avoiding styles
B) a combination of avoiding and competing styles
C) a combination of accommodating and compromising styles
D) a combination of collaborating and competing styles

Question 43

What is the best approach to conflict management when you are dealing with a culture that values collectivism?

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

Question 44

In your role as a department supervisor,you are confronted by a senior employee who claims that she should not have been passed over for a promotion.You don't have decision authority but can only recommend to the plant manager decisions concerning promotions.You listen to the employee's protest but inform her that there is nothing you can do and direct her to your supervisor and the human resource department.What technique are you using?

A) due process nonaction
B) character assassination
C) administrative orbiting
D) confrontation

Question 45

A key to recognizing functional conflict is that it often is cognitive in origin.

Question 46

Suzie tells her team that the problem is being worked on so she has more time to discuss the problem with her boss.What technique for dealing with conflict is Suzie engaging in?

A) due process nonaction
B) administrative orbiting
C) avoidance
D) secrecy

Question 47

Your text contrasts North American and Japanese business cultures,and states that North Americans tend to be individualistic.In contrast,what do the Japanese prefer?

A) low power distance
B) short-term gains
C) collectivism
D) ambiguity

Question 48

Role ambiguity and jurisdiction ambiguity are the same except that the former refers to an individual and the latter to a group.

Question 49

Groupthink would be an occasion when a manager may want to increase conflict.

Question 50

What style of conflict management has research shown to be least effective?

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

Question 51

What is a negotiation approach in which each party seeks to maximize its resources?

A) spiral bargaining
B) integrative negotiation
C) distributive bargaining
D) collective bargaining

Question 52

Doreen gives up some control on the new project in order to secure agreement.What are Doreen's actions an example of?

A) an accommodating stance
B) an avoiding stance
C) a compromising stance
D) a collaborating stance

Question 53

A group who fails to consider alternative solutions would benefit from healthy disagreements

Question 54

What is most appropriate when two departments are in conflict but also are facing a common threat?

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

Question 55

An employee is sued by his employer for allegedly stealing trade secrets and company funds to start his own business.The employee files a countersuit against the employer stating that the company used funds to spy on its competition.What type of conflict would the employee be illustrating during the countersuit?

A) secrecy
B) orbiting
C) character assassination
D) combative reaction

Question 56

Two of your employees are having a disagreement over the scheduling of a production run.What is an appropriate way to resolve this conflict?

A) change the personnel
B) confront and negotiate with the parties
C) change the structure
D) expand the resources

Question 57

Emotional intelligence relates positively to the ability to manage conflict.

Question 58

How are disagreements over wages and working conditions between a union and an employer usually resolved?

A) expending resources
B) going on strike
C) changing union leaders
D) undertaking negotiations

Question 59

When negotiators let emotion rather than cognition determine their actions,it is much less likely that conflict will be resolved.

Question 60

Most conflict is unintentional but a manager could purposefully orchestrate conflict between two work units in order to further organizational goals.

Question 61

Match the following:
a.Conflict that is constructive and beneficial
b.Two or more persons,units,or organizations that are tightly interconnected
c.An unhealthy,potentially destructive disagreement between two or more persons
d.Two work units claiming the same job or having blurred lines of responsibility
e.Conflict between two groups
Interdependence

Question 62

What are ways of preventing and/or eliminating intergroup conflict within an organization?

Question 63

Match the following:
a.Conflict that is constructive and beneficial
b.Two or more persons,units,or organizations that are tightly interconnected
c.An unhealthy,potentially destructive disagreement between two or more persons
d.Two work units claiming the same job or having blurred lines of responsibility
e.Conflict between two groups
Dysfunctional Conflict

Question 64

When your objective is to learning from the situation,you should use a competing style of conflict management.

Question 65

Appealing to a higher authority or a neutral third party is an effective method for resolving conflicts.

Question 66

The major problem associated with the high versus middle versus low power relationship is suboptimization.

Question 67

In a conflict situation,you should not compromise or accommodate when you are correct; rather,you should intensify efforts to compete.

Question 68

Match the following:
a.Conflict that is constructive and beneficial
b.Two or more persons,units,or organizations that are tightly interconnected
c.An unhealthy,potentially destructive disagreement between two or more persons
d.Two work units claiming the same job or having blurred lines of responsibility
e.Conflict between two groups
Functional Conflict

Question 69

Match the following:
a.Conflict that is constructive and beneficial
b.Two or more persons,units,or organizations that are tightly interconnected
c.An unhealthy,potentially destructive disagreement between two or more persons
d.Two work units claiming the same job or having blurred lines of responsibility
e.Conflict between two groups
Intergroup Conflict

Question 70

Displacement can be a relatively aggressive defence mechanism in an interpersonal conflict situation,whereas fixation is a very passive defence mechanism.

Question 71

Match the following:
a.Conflict that is constructive and beneficial
b.Two or more persons,units,or organizations that are tightly interconnected
c.An unhealthy,potentially destructive disagreement between two or more persons
d.Two work units claiming the same job or having blurred lines of responsibility
e.Conflict between two groups
Jurisdictional Ambiguity

Question 72

What is meant by structural factors that cause conflict in an organization and what are they?

Question 73

Cross-cultural negotiations between Japanese and North Americans can resemble a dance where one person is waltzing and the other is doing a samba.

Question 74

When an issue is trivial and there are more important issues a manager should use an avoiding style to handle conflict.

Question 75

Causes of conflict can be found in characteristics of the organization and personal characteristics of those in the conflict.What personal and organizational factors are similar?

Question 76

Conflict between groups can lead to increased cohesiveness within the group.

Question 77

How can conflict be functional and positive?

Question 78

The high versus middle versus low power relationship illustrates the conflict felt by middle managers.

Question 79

Administrative orbiting and direct confrontation are very good (effective)conflict reduction techniques.