Deck 14: Conflict and Negotiation

Question 1

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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 5

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

Question 6

________ 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 7

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

Question 8

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

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

Question 9

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 10

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

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

Question 11

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

Question 12

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 13

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

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

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

Question 17

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) intentions
D) behavior
E) reaction and transference

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

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

Question 21

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

Question 22

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

Question 23

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 24

Which of the following is a conflict-stimulation technique?

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

Question 25

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 a third party in conflict resolution

Question 26

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 a third party in conflict resolution

Question 27

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

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

Question 28

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 29

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 30

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

Question 31

________ 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 32

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) Currently all employees in the company are required to attend workshops on how to use SAP ERP.
B) Once employees learn how to use an ERP system, they tend to change employers more readily than before.
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) The average productivity of employees in the company is below the average productivity of the employees of its competitors.
E) The high costs of updates and upgrades make Epicor ERP more expensive to maintain than SAP ERP.

Question 33

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 34

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

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

Question 35

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

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

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) accommodating
C) collaborating
D) compromising
E) competing

Question 40

Conflict is dysfunctional when it ________.

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

Question 41

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

Question 42

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

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

Question 43

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

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

Question 44

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) distribution

Question 45

A collectivist Chinese manager is most 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 46

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

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

Question 47

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

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

Question 48

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

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

Question 49

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

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

Question 50

Which of the following statements is true regarding integrative bargaining?

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

Question 51

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

Question 52

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) Collectivist cultures see people as autonomous, not as people deeply embedded in social situations.
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 53

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) Both private plane owners and commercial airlines buy engines from Porco Rosso.
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) There was no significant difference in price between the PR-3 and PR-4.
E) Customers prefer and find safer, earlier engine models that have been tried and tested to newer engine models.

Question 54

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

Question 55

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) It is rarely used in labor-management negotiations.

Question 56

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) distribution
C) resistance
D) tolerance
E) target

Question 57

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

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

Question 58

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

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

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

Question 60

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

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

Question 61

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

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

Question 62

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

Question 63

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

Question 64

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

Question 65

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

Question 66

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

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

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

A) Individuals who score high on agreeableness dimension tend to be very successful in distributive 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 great negotiators.
D) Negotiation outcomes are never related to personality traits.
E) Disagreeable introverts are the best distributive bargainers.

Question 69

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

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

Question 70

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

Question 71

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

Question 72

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

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

Question 73

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) Utopia Industries recently set up a new manufacturing facility in the vicinity.
C) Xanadu Industries has taken away twenty percent of Utopia Industries' business over the last year.
D) Utopia Industries pays its employees, on average, ten percent more than does Xanadu Industries.
E) Many people who work for manufacturing plants live in areas in which the manufacturing plant is the only source of employment.

Question 74

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

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

Question 75

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

A) determining your best alternative to a negotiated agreement
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 the history leading up to the negotiation

Question 76

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

Question 77

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

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

Question 78

Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.

Question 79

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) Women tend to negotiate better outcomes than men.
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) Individuals who score high on agreeableness dimension tend to be very successful in distributive bargaining.
E) Positive moods and emotions negatively affect integrative bargaining.

Question 80

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