Deck 14: Conflict and Negotiation

Question 1

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

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Some studies suggest that ________ levels of task conflict in the early development stages ________ creativity in groups.

A) low; increases
B) moderate; increases
C) high; mitigates
D) moderate; decreases
E) low; decreases

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Jennifer has come to realize that conflict has both functional, as well as dysfunctional, outcomes. She has observed examples of both in her organization. Last month, Jennifer's department experienced constructive conflict during a meeting. Which of the following is not an outcome of this functional conflict?

A) the quality of decisions is improved
B) creativity and innovation are stimulated
C) tensions are released
D) groupthink is increased
E) interest and curiosity are encouraged

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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

A) harmful
B) natural
C) necessary
D) healthy
E) rational

Question 5

Define and describe the interactionist view of conflict.

Question 6

________ conflict supports the goals of the group while ________ conflict hinders group performance.

A) Interactionist; dysfunctional
B) Functional; dysfunctional
C) Dysfunctional; functional
D) Dysfunctional; interactionist
E) Functional; interactionist

Question 7

You are a marketing director for a large food manufacturer. Lately, you have noticed that you are spending a great deal more time at work, sometimes 14 hours a day, because your best friend, who is head of product development, continues to ask you to serve on taste test panels for new products. Which type(s) of conflict are you experiencing?

A) task
B) relationship
C) process
D) both A and B
E) all A, B, and C

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

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

Question 10

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

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

Question 11

Jennifer's boss asks for her recommendations on strategies to promote functional conflicts within the company. Which of the following is Jennifer most likely to recommend?

A) punishing individuals who support beliefs that management has rejected
B) empowering employees to question their bosses
C) implementing a policy of promoting personnel who are conflict avoiders
D) instructing managers to discourage devil's advocacy in the decision-making process
E) encouraging managers to reward employees who keep their opinions to themselves

Question 12

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

Question 13

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

Question 14

Define and describe the traditional view of conflict.

Question 15

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) Groups performing routine tasks won't benefit from task conflict.
D) Task conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.
E) Task conflicts hinder creativity and innovation.

Question 16

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

Question 17

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

Question 18

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

A) dysfunctional
B) static and apathetic
C) responsive to the need for change and innovation
D) the most productive
E) viable, self-critical, and creative

Question 19

Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.

Question 20

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 ________.

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

Question 21

Tyler has often been seen to be employing accommodation as his conflict-handling strategy. In which of the following situations would Tyler's strategy be most suitable?

A) when he perceives no chance of satisfying his concerns
B) when an issue is trivial or symptomatic of other issues
C) when gathering information supersedes immediate decision
D) when others can resolve the conflict more effectively
E) when harmony and stability are especially important

Question 22

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

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

Question 23

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 ________.

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

Question 24

Irma does not agree with the standard operating procedures adapted for the new project. However, she discusses the items with the team and comes to know that she was in the minority. She has, therefore, decided to accept the new procedures to maintain smooth operations within the team. This type of intention is called ________.

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

Question 25

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

Question 26

Angelina feels that her cubicle neighbor talks loudly on the phone, but in other ways she is a great neighbor. Angelina gets annoyed every time her neighbor's phone rings, but she has decided it's simply not worth the trouble to talk to her neighbor. Angelina's conflict-handling intention is called ________.

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

Question 27

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

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

Question 28

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

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

Question 29

Which of the following conflict-handling intentions involves attempting to find a win-win solution?

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

Question 30

Based on the dimensions of cooperativeness and assertiveness, the conflict-handling intentions are classified into five categories. Which of the following is not one of these five conflict-handling intentions?

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

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true regarding conflict?

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

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

Question 33

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

A) perceived and felt
B) apparent and experienced
C) expressed and perceived
D) cooperative and assertive
E) accommodated and compromised

Question 34

Which of the following outcomes is not a dysfunctional consequence of conflict?

A) dissolution of common ties
B) reassessment of group goals
C) destruction of the group
D) poor communication
E) reduced group cohesiveness

Question 35

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

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

Question 36

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

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

Question 37

The conflict-handling intention of collaborating is ________.

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

Question 38

Leah has found some ethical problems with the healthcare policy of her organization. She knows she is right in considering this as a vital issue to her organization's welfare. She finds that others are taking advantage of her noncompetitive behavior. Which conflict-handling strategy should Leah select in this situation?

A) competition
B) collaboration
C) avoidance
D) accommodation
E) compromise

Question 39

The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is ________.

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

Question 40

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

Question 41

Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike, and management knows that such a strike would be very costly. Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible. 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) conciliation
B) distributive bargaining
C) mediation
D) integrative bargaining
E) arbitration

Question 42

What are the various causes of conflict?

Question 43

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

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

Question 44

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) Collectivists are more likely to confront differences of opinion directly and openly as compared to individualists.
C) Competing tactics are the most preferred methods of conflict management in China.
D) As compared to individualists, collectivists are less likely to see offers from their counterparts as unfair and to reject them.
E) The methods of conflict management preferred by United States managers are avoiding and compromising.

Question 45

What can managers do to manage conflicts effectively in their organizations?

Question 46

Which of the following is a characteristic of distributive bargaining?

A) win-win solution
B) long-term focus
C) good interpersonal relationships
D) opposed interests
E) high information sharing

Question 47

Describe the five conflict-handling intentions that are based on the dimensions of cooperativeness and assertiveness.

Question 48

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

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

Question 49

People from which country are most likely to involve a third party to resolve disputes?

A) United States
B) Canada
C) Great Britain
D) Germany
E) China

Question 50

What are the various functional outcomes of conflict?

Question 51

________ is an antidote for groupthink.

A) Politics
B) Distributive bargaining
C) Conflict
D) Integrative bargaining
E) Negotiation

Question 52

Describe the various dysfunctional outcomes of a conflict.

Question 53

During the intentions stage of the conflict process, the parties decide what the conflict is about.

Question 54

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

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

Question 55

Which of the following is not a possible result of felt conflict?

A) anxiety
B) tension
C) frustration
D) indifference
E) hostility

Question 56

Outline and discuss the conflict process.

Question 57

The potential for conflict increases when too much communication takes place.

Question 58

What is the overall goal of conflict management?

A) achieving the desired conflict level
B) resolving conflict
C) stimulating conflict
D) identifying conflict
E) assessing the source of conflict

Question 59

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

A) mediation
B) conflict management
C) negotiation
D) unionization
E) arbitration

Question 60

The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is unassertive and cooperative.

Question 61

What are the various characteristics of integrative bargaining?

Question 62

________ bargaining is negotiation that seeks to divide a "fixed pie."

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

Question 63

Discuss distributive bargaining.

Question 64

In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining.

Question 65

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

A) resistance
B) clarification
C) target
D) closure
E) focus

Question 66

People from which country are most likely to confront differences of opinion directly and openly?

A) United States
B) Canada
C) Great Britain
D) Germany
E) China

Question 67

You have decided to try to find a win-win situation to help labor and management resolve their differences. You are attempting to engage in ________.

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

Question 68

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

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

Question 69

All things being equal, ________ bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because the former builds long-term relationships.

A) accommodative
B) transformational
C) integrative
D) collaborative
E) distributive

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true regarding distributive bargaining?

A) It operates under zero-sum conditions.
B) It focuses on long-term relationships.
C) It involves high information sharing.
D) It attempts to create a win-win solution.
E) In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, distributive bargaining is preferable to integrative bargaining.

Question 71

The terms negotiation and ________ are used interchangeably.

A) mediation
B) bargaining
C) collaboration
D) accommodating
E) arbitration

Question 72

At first, the disputing parties resist your offer to help create a win-win situation for both groups. They are each highly focused on their demands in the negotiation, otherwise known as their ________.

A) focal points
B) distribution points
C) resistance points
D) settlement ranges
E) target points

Question 73

All of the following techniques are ways to achieve more integrative outcomes, except ________.

A) bargaining in teams rather than bargaining as an individual
B) introducing more negotiable issues of negotiation
C) focusing on underlying interests of both parties
D) creating more opportunities for logrolling
E) making an aggressive first offer

Question 74

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) resistance
B) tolerance
C) target
D) focal
E) clarification

Question 75

Distributive bargaining attempts to create a win-win solution for both the parties.

Question 76

Which of the following statements is true regarding integrative bargaining?

A) Integrative bargaining leaves one party a loser.
B) Integrative bargaining makes the first offer, and makes it an aggressive one.
C) Integrative bargaining focuses on long-term relationships.
D) Integrative bargaining operates under zero-sum conditions.
E) Integrative bargaining involves low information sharing.

Question 77

When you are engaged in distributive bargaining, research consistently shows one of the best things you can do is make the first offer.

Question 78

Emma is the labor union negotiator. Today, she is meeting with management to discuss the new five-year contract, including wages and benefits. This example of labor-management negotiations over wages exemplifies ________.

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

Question 79

The two general approaches to bargaining are known as ________ bargaining.

A) emotional and rational
B) affective and reflective
C) distributive and integrative
D) formal and informal
E) reflexive and restrictive

Question 80

Which of the following statements is a condition necessary for integrative bargaining to succeed in organizations?

A) Opposing parties must not be guarded about their concerns.
B) Opposing parties must not be sensitive to others' needs.
C) Opposing parties must not trust each other.
D) Opposing parties must not be open to sharing information.
E) Opposing parties must not want to maintain flexibility.