Deck 21: Effective Conflict Resolution and Negotiation

Question 1

Which action is an accepted tactic when engaged in a negotiation?

A) Being willing to win at any cost
B) Communicating only when asked direct questions
C) Compromising only as a last resort
D) Beginning with a high but realistic expectation

Answer 1

Beginning with a high but realistic expectation

Question 2

A charge nurse assists a group of personnel to resolve their conflict, with the outcome being that the two opposing goals were discarded and new goals were adopted. What is this an example of?

A) Smoothing of conflict by the leader
B) Facilitating collaboration among personnel
C) A majority rule approach
D) A good lesson in compromising

Answer 2

Facilitating collaboration among personnel

Question 3

Which is a true statement about negotiation tactics?

A) Ridicule often takes the form of ambiguous or inappropriate questioning and is a diversionary tactic
B) Most managers successfully resist the illness/wellness tactic because of their nursing preparation.
C) Negotiation tactics can be manipulative; thus, managers should know how to identify and counter destructive tactics
D) The tactic of paternalism allows both parties in the negotiation to reach a consensus of opinion

Answer 3

Negotiation tactics can be manipulative; thus, managers should know how to identify and counter destructive tactics

Question 4

What did the interactionist theorists of the 1970s believe about organizational conflict?

A) It should be dealt with immediately
B) It should be encouraged
C) It was an indication of poor management
D) It should be avoided

Question 5

Which statement reflects the contemporary thinking about conflict?

A) It can lead to new ideas
B) It leads to decreased motivation
C) It should be avoided whenever possible
D) It is neither qualitative nor quantitative

Question 6

What term is used when two or more people have conflict about values or goals?

A) Intergroup conflict
B) Common control
C) Intrapersonal conflict
D) Interpersonal conflict

Question 7

Which statement is true concerning perceived conflict?

A) It develops during the first stage of the conflict process
B) It is sometimes referred to as antecedent conflict
C) It occurs if the conflict is intellectualized
D) It occurs when the conflict is emotionalized

Question 8

When is the competing approach to resolving conflict used?

A) When fair play is important to all involved parties
B) When one party wins at the expense of the others
C) When managers need to control a volatile situation
D) When an appropriate political strategy is necessary

Question 9

What is the most important criterion for success for health-care providers collaborate on patient care?

A) Having mutual respect for one another's knowledge and expertise
B) Having the skills to negotiate successfully
C) Liking each other enough to want to collaborate
D) Being willing to cooperate with each other

Question 10

A registered nurse reports to the nurse-manager that the team's nursing assistant regularly fails to complete assigned tasks. The nurse-manager responds that it is the nurse's responsibility to talk with the nursing assistant about this problem. The manager is engaged in what aspect of conflict?

A) Conflict avoidance
B) Conflict smoothing
C) Encouraging competitive conflict
D) Facilitating conflict resolution

Question 11

Which statement best defines conflict?

A) It involves an internal struggle resulting from value-related discord
B) Its basis is the violation of personal rights or values
C) It centers on either internal or external discord between individuals
D) It is the outcome of a visible struggle between individuals

Question 12

What is a critical goal in negotiation?

A) That gains for each party are different but equal
B) That the hidden agendas of all parties be exposed
C) That each party willingly reveals their negotiated limits
D) That both parties perceive that they have won something they value

Question 13

What is "Consensus" in nego tiation referring to?

A) One party wins at the expense of another
B) The willingness by all parties to accept agreed-on conditions
C) The most rapid conflict resolution strategies
D) An unanimous decision has been reached

Question 14

The nurse-manager is negotiating for the funds necessary to purchase several new isolettes for the facility's newborn nursery. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) states, "I've always been curious about that piece of equipment; how does it actually work?" What negotiation action has the CFO engaged in?

A) Collaborating
B) Smoothing
C) A diversionary tactic
D) Appropriate fact finding

Question 15

Several RNs on the unit want to address the possibility of initiating flextime on the unit. What is the manager's initial response?

A) Assuring the RNs that their suggestion will be taking under consideration
B) Asking the RNs to circulate a partition to be signed by employees who support the change
C) Arranging for the RNs to air their views at the next staff meeting.
D) Sharing with the RNs that they need to address the issue with upper management

Question 16

The nurse-manager facilitates a conflict that involves the delineation of staff job descriptions. What is this an example of?

A) Responsibility charting
B) Smoothing conflict
C) Alternate dispute resolution
D) Mediation counseling

Question 17

What are the least common sources of organizational conflict?

A) Communication problems
B) Organizational structure
C) Individual behavior within the organization
D) Self-scheduling

Question 18

What occurs when there is very little conflict in an organization?

A) Stasis
B) Increased productivity
C) Decreased effectiveness
D) Employee immobilization

Question 19

What is the name given to the first stage in the conflict process?

A) Latent
B) Perceived
C) Felt
D) Manifest

Question 20

Considering dispute resolution, which statement is true regarding what occurs during mediation?

A) It uses a neutral third party; is a confidential, legally nonbinding process designed to help bring the parties together to devise a solution to the conflict
B) It asks questions to clarify the issues
C) It makes a final decision for the parties in conflict
D) It involves presentation of evidence including that of expert witnesses

Question 21

What is the result of arriving at a consensus?

A) All involved parties agree to support the way a conflict has been resolved
B) A conflict is resolved by meeting the goals of all involved parties
C) It resolves a conflict by an initial unanimous decision
D) Conflict is resolved through the mediation process

Question 22

What is the function of an ombudsperson?

A) Providing expert testimony in conflict cases
B) Mediating disputes between an organization and its employees
C) Educating individuals involved in a grievance situation of their rights
D) Monitoring the implementation of the terms of a conflict's compromise

Question 23

After a compromise has been made, what is the manager's initial action?

A) Clearly restating the compromise's specific outcomes to all involved
B) Thanking all involved for their cooperation on reaching the compromise
C) Evaluating the compromise's outcomes for fairness to all involved parties
D) Assuring all involved that the compromise will not cause a change in goals

Question 24

A nurse-manager is engaged in a negotiation with staff representatives when the discussion becomes controlled by a particularly aggressive member. Which action will the nurse-manager take to assure that the process is successful?

A) Asks that the aggressive individual recognize the rights of all the other members
B) States, "I need to have time to think over all that we have discussed."
C) Halts any discussion until new representatives can be appointed
D) Shares with the members that aggressiveness negatively impacts the negotiations

Question 25

Which personal characteristics will best help meet the psychological needs of conflict negotiation?

A) Perseverance and assertiveness
B) Calmness and self-assuredness
C) Compassion and reflectiveness
D) Organization and preparedness