Deck 17: Managing Conflict, Politics, and Negotiation

Question 1

________ conflict takes place between different departments of the same organization.

A)Intradepartmental
B)Interdependency
C)Interorganizational
D)Intragroup
E)Intergroup

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Increasing diversity awareness and skills can resolve conflicts.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The dean of student services and the dean of academic affairs disagree about how to handle the misconduct of a student. Their disagreement signifies ________ conflict.

A)interpersonal
B)intrapersonal
C)interorganizational
D)intragroup
E)top-down

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Executives at Electronics Warehouse feel that one of their major competitors is using false advertising that is unfairly eroding their company's reputation. This is an example of ________ conflict.

A)intragroup
B)intrapersonal
C)intergroup
D)interorganizational
E)horizontal

Question 5

Two managers in the research and development department of a company disagree on whether their organization should outsource development of a new product or staff it internally. This is an example of ________ conflict.

A)intergroup
B)interdepartmental
C)intragroup
D)interorganizational
E)interdependency

Question 6

Jada and Julianna are business partners, but they have frequent arguments at work due to the differences in their values and interests. This is an example of

A)distributive justice.
B)integrative bargaining.
C)organizational conflict.
D)workplace bullying.
E)competition.

Question 7

Marta and James differ in their views on marketing strategies but each are willing to make concessions to achieve a unified strategy for the company's overall product line. This is an example of resolving conflict through compromise.

Question 8

Managers should strive to eliminate all forms of conflict within the organization.

Question 9

The level of conflict in an organization

A)should be very minimal to achieve optimal organizational performance.
B)should be increased to encourage more creative ideas and risk-taking.
C)impacts organizational performance and should be managed at an optimum level.
D)does not directly impact organizational performance.
E)is intrinsic and cannot be managed to increase organizational performance.

Question 10

Conflict in organizations arises from a variety of sources, including differences in goals, status, and reward systems.

Question 11

Arbitrators cannot force the parties involved in a conflict to make concessions, nor can they force an agreement to resolve a conflict.

Question 12

Julius and Jaden work together in the marketing department of their company. They are having a disagreement over which graphic designer to contract for upcoming projects. This is an example of ________ conflict.

A)interdependency
B)status
C)interdepartmental
D)intragroup
E)intergroup

Question 13

Marta, the human resources vice president, and Juan, the vice president of operations, disagree on their company's diversity policy. This is an example of ________ conflict.

A)intragroup
B)intradepartmental
C)interpersonal
D)interorganizational
E)horizontal

Question 14

Collaboration is when parties in conflict find a solution without making concessions, but in a way that leaves them both better off.

Question 15

Collaboration involves engaging in a give-and-take exchange and making concessions until a reasonable resolution of the conflict is reached.

Question 16

Jared's team is struggling to agree on a solution to an important product issue. To achieve a win-win solution, Jared should encourage members to openly critique each other to identify issues with individual approaches.

Question 17

Lack of conflict in an organization signals that managers are supportive of change and focused on effective decision making.

Question 18

The unobtrusive use of power to influence an organization is unnecessary and usually does not help bring about change.

Question 19

________ is discord arising from the incompatibility of goals of different individuals and their attempts to thwart each other's pursuit of objectives.

A)Workplace bullying
B)Social loafing
C)Organizational conflict
D)Accommodation
E)Workplace harassment

Question 20

Two technology companies participating in an industrywide collaboration project disagree on what key standards to set. This signifies ________ conflict.

A)interorganizational
B)interpersonal
C)competitive
D)interdependency
E)intergroup

Question 21

At top management team meetings, the CEO consistently praises the sales department but seldom acknowledges the efforts of product development. This creates conflict due to

A)scarce resources.
B)status inconsistency.
C)task interdependency.
D)overlapping authority.
E)different time horizons.

Question 22

________ occurs when the parties in conflict attempt to resolve the conflict without making concessions but, instead, attempt to resolve their differences in ways that leave all parties better off.

A)Compromise
B)Avoidance
C)Competition
D)Collaboration
E)Accommodation

Question 23

Both the marketing group and corporate communications group of a company claim responsibility for developing corporate marketing strategies. What may be a potential source of conflict between these groups?

A)scarce resources
B)overlapping authority
C)different reward systems
D)status inconsistency
E)different time horizons

Question 24

________ refers to the resolution of differences through compromise or collaboration between the parties in disagreement.

A)Functional conflict-resolution
B)Integrative bargaining
C)Status inconsistency
D)Building alliances
E)Distributive negotiation

Question 25

When conflict arises due to a lack of understanding regarding the work demands of others, ________ is an effective resolution strategy.

A)increasing awareness of the sources of conflict
B)practicing job rotation
C)increasing diversity awareness
D)using permanent transfers
E)dismissing employees

Question 26

If a group faces communication problems when interacting with organizations in other countries, managers should

A)give employees autonomy to resolve the conflicts on their own.
B)reorganize the group so no one has to work with organizations in other countries.
C)increase diversity awareness and skills.
D)pursue permanent transfers of employees.
E)dismiss incompatible employees.

Question 27

Sarah tries to explain why she believes her manager's approach to an issue will not be effective, but eventually, she agrees to go along with its implementation. Sarah addressed this conflict through

A)compromise.
B)collaboration.
C)accommodation.
D)mediation.
E)negotiation.

Question 28

If the source of a conflict is overlapping authority, a manager should

A)require employees to take diversity training.
B)clarify the chain of command.
C)change the organizational culture.
D)use permanent transfers.
E)change cultural norms.

Question 29

One business partner wants to grow the company through acquisition of a large competitor while the other partner prefers expanding operations to other states. They agree to buy out two smaller firms in different states, satisfying both individual's preferences. The partners used ________ to address this conflict.

A)compromise
B)distributive negotiation
C)accommodation
D)avoidance
E)competition

Question 30

________ would be considered a functional way of resolving conflict.

A)Competition
B)Avoidance
C)Accommodation
D)Compromise
E)Confrontation

Question 31

Frank wants to delay production on a product in order to cash in on an impending decrease in raw materials cost. Samuel believes production should start immediately to beat competitors to the market. They resolve their conflict through ________ by agreeing to produce a small number of units immediately and scale up production as costs decrease.

A)accommodation
B)distributive negotiation
C)avoidance
D)competition
E)compromise

Question 32

Accommodation is ineffective as a conflict-resolution strategy because

A)the parties to the conflict do not make any concessions.
B)it escalates levels of conflict as each party tries to outmaneuver the other.
C)the weaker party who gives in might look for ways to get back at the stronger party in the future.
D)the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle than cooperating.
E)it does not allow either party to achieve its goals.

Question 33

Avoidance is ineffective as a conflict-resolution strategy because

A)it does not address the real source of disagreement.
B)it escalates levels of conflict as each party tries to outmaneuver the other.
C)the weaker party who gives in might look for ways to get back at the stronger party in the future.
D)the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle than cooperating.
E)it allows only one party to achieve its goals.

Question 34

As the production manager, Carlos prefers long production runs of thousands of units in order to drive down unit costs. Anita, the marketing manager, prefers shorter runs of a few hundred units in order to deliver the product more quickly. This conflict is the result of

A)different goals.
B)overlapping authority.
C)scarce resources.
D)different reward systems.
E)status inconsistencies.

Question 35

The factory foreman at an automobile assembly plant is behind on meeting the quarterly production target due to an ongoing machinist strike lasting longer than anticipated. Conflict in this situation is attributed to

A)different time horizons.
B)overlapping authority.
C)task interdependence.
D)different reward system.
E)scarce resources.

Question 36

Accommodation is likely to resolve a conflict when

A)both parties prefer to ignore the cause of the conflict and wait for it to resolve.
B)one party has more power than the other party.
C)each party is willing to engage in a give-and-take exchange.
D)both parties are willing to cooperate with each other.
E)both parties can satisfy their goals without making any concessions.

Question 37

Following a manager's unexpected retirement, multiple lead members of the group took initiative to address the manager's responsibilities until an official replacement could be named. This situation could create conflict due to

A)task interdependence.
B)different reward systems.
C)scarce resources.
D)overlapping authority.
E)status inconsistency.

Question 38

Members within a team are consistently butting heads due to communication problems and interpersonal misunderstandings. To address this conflict, the team's manager should

A)increase overall awareness among the team of the specific communication and interpersonal misunderstandings at the heart of the conflict.
B)implement job rotations to increase appreciation for each other.
C)identify temporary assignments to give members a break from each other.
D)pursue permanent transfers of members to other teams.
E)dismiss those employees most involved in conflict.

Question 39

Competition is ineffective as a conflict-resolution strategy because

A)the parties to a conflict make concessions.
B)the parties to a conflict ignore the problem and do nothing to resolve the disagreement.
C)the weaker party who gives in might look for ways to get back at the stronger party in the future.
D)the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle, which can escalate tensions.
E)it does not allow either party to achieve their goals.

Question 40

The sales team needs production to deliver on schedule to satisfy customer contracts, while the production team needs sales to win enough contracts to keep production levels at an optimum level. ________ is a likely source of conflict between these two teams.

A)Resource availability
B)Status inconsistency
C)Reward inconsistency
D)Overlapping authority
E)Task interdependence

Question 41

Managers engage in ________ to increase their power and to use power effectively in order to achieve their goals.

A)organizational politics
B)superordinate goals
C)distributive negotiation
D)integrative bargaining
E)interpersonal conflict

Question 42

Managers can create mutually beneficial relationships by

A)avoiding conflict.
B)ignoring other managers.
C)controlling uncertainties.
D)building alliances.
E)ignoring organizational politics.

Question 43

The political strategy of ________ helps managers increase and maintain their power.

A)controlling uncertainty
B)increasing diversity
C)focusing on demands
D)focusing on people, not problems
E)emphasizing distributive negotiation

Question 44

________ are third-party negotiators who can impose what they believe is a fair solution to a dispute that both parties are obligated to abide by.

A)Lawyers
B)Arbitrators
C)Mediators
D)Hagglers
E)Judges

Question 45

By emphasizing superordinate goals, parties facing conflict

A)are reminded that they are working together for a larger purpose despite their disagreements.
B)will more readily revert into a distributive negotiation mode.
C)focus on getting the majority share of the available resources.
D)focus on having their specific demands met rather than on their interests.
E)will more likely take a competitive, adversarial stance.

Question 46

To streamline the sales process, the CEO is implementing several changes that are triggering resistance from some sales teams within the company. To increase his power in order to overcome the resistance and to achieve the desired changes, the CEO should

A)deal with the resistance through avoidance.
B)resolve the conflict through accommodation.
C)ignore the resistance and proceed.
D)engage in organizational politics.
E)engage an arbitrator.

Question 47

If parties in a conflict work on creating new options for joint gain, they

A)are still limited by the "fixed pie" of resources that they need to divide.
B)need to compete for the majority share of the available resources.
C)may come up with alternatives that could expand the resource pie.
D)need to focus on their demands instead of their interests.
E)are adopting a principle of distributive negotiation.

Question 48

To encourage integrative bargaining, managers should

A)change to a taller organizational structure.
B)focus on each party's shortcomings.
C)emphasize goals to which both parties can agree.
D)encourage accommodation.
E)increase diversity awareness.

Question 49

Raul has intentionally worked hard to become an expert in industry standards and, as a result, was given approval to work a flexible schedule that would ensure his loyalty to the company. Raul's intent to become irreplaceable in order to influence his schedule reflects a(n)

A)negotiation.
B)political strategy.
C)accommodation.
D)integrative bargaining strategy.
E)referent power.

Question 50

A ________ is an impartial individual with expertise in handling conflicts and who helps parties in conflict reach an acceptable solution.

A)task-oriented leader
B)bargainer
C)mentor
D)third-party negotiator
E)transformational manager

Question 51

In her role as a third-party negotiator, Bonnie acts as a(n)________ to facilitate an effective negotiation without forcing either party to make concessions.

A)judge
B)arbitrator
C)mediator
D)haggler
E)compromiser

Question 52

Two managers who are competing for the same pool of resources for their project try to convince top management that their project should be a priority for any remaining resources. This represents

A)integrative bargaining.
B)accommodation.
C)avoidance.
D)distributive negotiation.
E)integrative negotiation.

Question 53

In integrative bargaining, conflicts are handled through collaboration and

A)accommodation.
B)compromise.
C)avoidance.
D)competition.
E)arbitration.

Question 54

Two conflicting parties who highlight each other's shortcomings rather than solving the source of the conflict are focusing on

A)superordinate goals.
B)developmental goals.
C)interests instead of demands.
D)people instead of the problem.
E)the problem instead of winning.

Question 55

Due to potential changes in laws that affect the industry's competitive landscape, Rhea's company may need to drastically streamline and reorganize. To ensure continued focus on results during this time of potential change, Rhea's manager should employ the political strategy of

A)becoming irreplaceable.
B)controlling uncertainty.
C)building alliances.
D)generating resources.
E)integrative bargaining.

Question 56

Focusing on the meaningful contributions that people make to the organization and what is fair is consistent with the principle of

A)distributive negotiation.
B)distributive justice.
C)transactional justice.
D)avoidance.
E)accommodation.

Question 57

Griffin, a professor at a local university, is an award-winning author, and his reputation attracts new students and alumni donors to the institution. Griffin gains power with the university by

A)ignoring politics.
B)building alliances.
C)being in a central position.
D)controlling uncertainty.
E)generating resources.

Question 58

By emphasizing ________, integrative bargaining can achieve conflict-resolution that benefits all parties.

A)equity and the strategies of distributive negotiation
B)competition and the unique rights of each party in a conflict
C)fairness and the principles of distributive justice
D)individuals goals that make each party feel represented
E)each party's personal strengths and weakness in a conflict

Question 59

Creating new options for joint gain occurs by focusing on a(n)________ scenario.

A)win-win
B)win-lose
C)confrontational
D)lose-lose
E)avoidance

Question 60

Managers who engage in organizational politics

A)are generally not focused on personal goals.
B)are ineffective due to the negative perceptions surrounding politics.
C)are uncommon as most managers choose to ignore politics and focus on results.
D)can use their power to achieve support for and implement needed changes.
E)can create stability in a company by building resistance to change.

Question 61

To facilitate integrative bargaining and avoid distributive negotiation, managers should

A)change the organization's structure.
B)allow personalized conflicts.
C)change the organization's culture.
D)focus on interests, not demands.
E)use permanent transfers.

Question 62

In ________, the parties perceive that they might be able to increase the resource pie by trying to come up with a creative solution to the conflict.

A)accommodation
B)integrative bargaining
C)distributive negotiation
D)arbitration
E)collaboration

Question 63

Kerry conducts meetings in a way that strongly influences the alternatives considered when making important decisions. Kerry's behavior reflects the political strategy of

A)forming alliances.
B)being in a central position.
C)controlling the agenda.
D)relying on objective information.
E)making oneself irreplaceable.

Question 64

Levi and Ashton work in the same department. They have different opinions about how to budget departmental resources, so they often experience ________ conflict.

A)bargaining
B)intragroup
C)interpersonal
D)intergroup
E)interorganizational

Question 65

When negotiating the allocation of resources across departments, the business manager made sure that each department head had at least one of his or her highest priority needs addressed. This approach to exercising power is an example of

A)generating resources.
B)relaying on objective information.
C)controlling the agenda.
D)building alliances.
E)making everyone a winner.

Question 66

After a lengthy debate where two colleagues shared the pros and cons of their respective solutions, one colleague decided the resolution was taking too long and so conceded. This conflict was resolved through

A)avoidance.
B)collaboration.
C)integrative bargaining.
D)accommodation.
E)competition.

Question 67

________ is when some individuals or groups in an organization are more highly regarded than others in the organization.

A)Interpersonal conflict
B)Task interdependence
C)Status inconsistency
D)Intergroup conflict
E)Overlapping authority

Question 68

Negotiation is a conflict-resolution technique most useful when

A)neither party wants to come up with alternative solutions.
B)neither party has any level of power in the organization.
C)parties involved have the highest levels of power in an organization.
D)one party is in the chain of command of the other party.
E)the parties involved have similar levels of power.

Question 69

What happens when a manager uses the political strategy of being in a central position?

A)The overall success of the organization is seen as relying on the manager.
B)The manager is viewed as being a know-it-all.
C)He or she can only influence the areas he or she manages.
D)He or she has power and influence over subordinates but not over other managers.
E)The access to big picture information becomes an obstacle to success.

Question 70

As a manager at a manufacturing company, Mary is responsible for activities that are directly connected to the organizational goals and its sources of competitive advantage. Mary should focus on the political strategy of ________ to grow her influence.

A)bringing in outside experts
B)being in a central position
C)building alliances
D)controlling uncertainty
E)generating resources

Question 71

As a marketing manager, Julian has developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the production manager to ensure the product and marketing strategies are aligned and successful. Which political strategy is Julian using to increase his influence and gain support?

A)controlling uncertainty
B)being irreplaceable
C)being in a central position
D)building alliances
E)generating resources

Question 72

By relying on objective information to build support for an initiative, a manager

A)causes others to believe that what the manager is proposing is the appropriate or rational thing to do.
B)can develop mutually beneficial relationships with people both inside and outside the organization.
C)generates knowledge in all aspects of the organization.
D)can ensure everyone's personal interests are considered.
E)ensures that everyone who supports the proposal benefits personally.

Question 73

Donna is well-respected for her decision-making skills, always supporting her proposals with detailed pro and con insights she gathers from sources with a balance of perspectives. Donna's strategy to ________ facilitates acceptance of her decisions by top management.

A)rely on objective information
B)control the agenda
C)make herself irreplaceable
D)focus on win-win solutions
E)generate resources

Question 74

Before engaging his management team in the selection process for a new head of human resources, the CEO reduced the list of candidates to include only those applicants the CEO found acceptable. The CEO is implementing the political strategy of

A)controlling the agenda.
B)being irreplaceable.
C)overlapping authority.
D)emphasizing status inconsistency.
E)relying on objective information.

Question 75

In ________, the parties in conflict believe that they have a "fixed pie" of resources that they need to divide.

A)distributive negotiation
B)integrative bargaining
C)collaboration
D)compromise
E)accommodation

Question 76

Building alliances is a political strategy that

A)is useful in the short-term but not an effective strategy for achieving future goals.
B)ignores organizational politics in favor of a focus on being liked.
C)works well for intragroup rather than intergroup relationships.
D)helps managers garner support due to benefits gained through relationships.
E)by nature eliminates legal and ethical conflicts.

Question 77

If all parties in a conflict keep in mind the big picture and the fact that they are working together for a larger purpose, they can disagree and still be aligned on ________ goals.

A)integrative
B)benchmark
C)superordinate
D)distributive
E)developmental

Question 78

Joey's subordinates don't realize that he is using his power to influence them. They support him because they believe the decisions he makes are appropriate. Joey is politically skilled and exercises his power

A)unobtrusively.
B)obtrusively.
C)in an adversarial manner.
D)in a dysfunctional way.
E)in a competitive manner.

Question 79

________ is a political strategy for managers to exercise power unobtrusively.

A)Controlling uncertainty
B)Being irreplaceable
C)Generating resources
D)Building alliances
E)Relying on objective information

Question 80

It appears that some norms and values in Kristen's organization are causing abnormally high levels of conflict that are difficult to resolve. What can you tell Kristen do to solve this issue?

A)Increase diversity awareness and the skills of organization members.
B)Dismiss employees from the organization.
C)Ignore the conflict as individual values cannot be changed.
D)Provide temporary assignments.
E)Work to change the organization's structure or culture.