Organizational Behavior CH.10
Which of the following would provide the most appropriate negotiation setting for both parties?
A rented conference room with no ties to either party
Why should concessions be made in installments?
Because a series of smaller concessions elicits more positive emotions
Customer service representatives at ABC Manufacturing are allowed to take lunch between 11:30 and 1:30. Most of the time people take their lunch breaks in staggered fashion, but some days everyone is at lunch at the same time and no one is left to answer phones, resulting in angry customers. How can this structural conflict best be resolved?
By clarifying which employees can take lunch at which times
Which of the following statements is TRUE about conflict?
Conflict of any level is harmful to the smooth functioning of an organization.
Match the approach to negotiation (on the left) with its description (on the right).
Distributive ---> A win-lose orientation Integrative ---> A win-win orientation
Match the approach to negotiation (on the left) with the type of situation it would be used in
Distributive ---> Parties have one issue to resolve Integrative ---> Parties have multiple issues to resolve
True or false: Successful negotiators make a greater number of small concessions than average negotiators.
False
True or false: When inexperienced negotiators set a target point, their distorted perceptions cause them to have overly pessimistic expectations.
False
What three things are conflicting groups asked to document during the intergroup mirroring process?
How each group thinks it is seen by the other How each group views the other How each group sees itself
Which are structural approaches to reducing conflict?
Improving communication Clarifying rules and procedures
According to the conflict process model, which are sources of conflict?
Incompatible goals Poor communication
Gathering information is of greatest importance in which type of negotiation?
Integrative
What is one of the benefits of conflict?
It encourages vigilance to better align with the external environment.
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the bargaining zone model of negotiations?
It implies that both the parties attempt to reach the initial offer point set by the other party.
Which activity has the least amount of control over the final resolution decision in the third-party conflict-resolution process?
Mediation
Which of the following potentially minimize the level of relationship conflict during task conflict episodes?
Motivating efforts to maintain stability Developing team cohesion Increasing mutual understanding
What are sources of conflict stemming from differentiation?
Past experiences Personal values
When rules in the workplace are missing or not applied fairly, employees are more likely to engage in which behavior?
Politics
What conflict-handling style is widely preferred over others whenever possible?
Problem-solving
Choose the conflict-handling method (on the left) most appropriate to each situation
Problem-solving ---> Parties trust each other and have time to share information Forcing ---> Dispute requires a quick resolution Yielding ---> Other party has more power Avoiding ---> Cost of resolving the conflict outweighs the benefits
Which type of interdependence is the most likely to create conflict?
Reciprocal
The bargaining zone model of negotiation typically establishes which points in the bargaining zone?
Resistance point Initial offer point Target point
A hotel without the proper number of headsets and radios experiences mistakes in coordination of valet services. Which structural source of conflict would this best represent?
Scarce resources
What does the "optimal conflict" perspective on organizational conflict state?
Some level of conflict is necessary and promotes organizational effectiveness.
What conditions can potentially minimize the level of relationship conflict in a task conflict episode?
Team development Psychological safety Emotional intelligence
Which of the following are reasons why managers tend to rely on the inquisition approach to intervene in workplace disputes?
The approach is consistent with the expectation of managers to make decisions. It gives managers control over the process and outcome.
Which of the following is a feature of relationship conflict?
The conflict episodes are viewed as personal attacks rather than attempts to resolve the problem.
In the model of the conflict process, what does manifest conflict represent?
The decisions and behaviors of parties in conflict
True or false: A negotiator from a highly collectivist culture is likely to approach conflict differently than one from a low collectivist, more individualist culture.
True
True or false: Increasing the availability of scarce resources is likely to reduce many conflicts.
True
What is psychological safety?
a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking
Clarifying rules and procedures helps to minimize structural conflict created by ______.
ambiguity
A method of using a neutral third party to resolve a conflict that has high control over the final decision but not over the intervention process is ______.
arbitration
A person from a collectivist society that values group harmony is likely to prefer problem-solving or ______ to manage conflict.
avoiding
Which of the following conflict management styles is associated with low cooperativeness and low assertiveness?
avoiding
A general approach to reducing dysfunctional conflict between groups is to ______.
change reporting requirements to foster more intergroup contact
Negotiators make more ______ as the deadline gets closer, because they are trying to reach an agreement.
concessions
Bob's perception that Emily's production schedule will make it harder for his group to meet goals is a potential source of ______, whether he is right or not.
conflict
The process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another is ______.
conflict
Dominic disagrees with his team's plan for achieving their new sales target because it requires the production department to pay more overtime. This is an example of ___.
constructive conflict
Coworkers may share a common goal but due to their differing backgrounds may have conflicting ideas about how best to reach that goal. This type of conflict is known as ______.
differentiation
Tomas, the production manager, is assigned to work with the product designers to develop a new product the company will be manufacturing. This is an example of reducing ______.
differentiation
When a negotiator adopts a win-lose orientation in which one party necessarily loses when the other party gains, they are using the ________ approach to negotiations.
distributive
When two parties in conflict are unable or unwilling to express their concerns about each other in diplomatic or nonconfrontational ways, the conflict is likely to become ______.
dysfunctional
Appealing to everyone's commitment to improve the company's profits to resolve a conflict is an example of ______.
emphasizing superordinate goals
Using a win-lose approach to resolving conflict is also known as ______.
forcing
It is important to listen and observe the other negotiators in order to ______.
gather information
Developing a solid understanding of their own needs helps negotiators avoid becoming locked into fixed ______.
goals
Effective negotiators focus on which of the following?
goals needs
Arbitration has a ________ level of control over the final outcome and a ________ level of control over the process.
high; low
In an attempt to provide superior customer service, Genzebe promises a customer that his order will go out the same day. Unfortunately, the warehouse supervisor tells Genzebe that due to budget constraints the shortest possible order turnaround is 48 hours. This is an example of conflict created by ______.
incompatible goals
Kemoy has been told to reduce costs by cutting sales personnel, but if he does so, he will not have enough people to reach the departmental sales targets. This is an example of ___.
incompatible goals
One recommended way to reduce conflict over scarce resources is to ______ those resources.
increase
To ________, companies can rotate staff to different departments and maintain a strong organizational culture.
increase differentiation
The underlying causes of conflict in an organization can be reduced by ______.
increasing resources
The most commonly used intervention strategy managers employ to resolve disputes is ______.
inquisition
Which of the following is a third-party conflict resolution strategy with low process control and high decision control?
inquisition
The employee who coordinates the activities of several departments toward completion of their tasks is a(n) ______.
integrator
Reducing task ______ can reduce conflict.
interdependence
The extent to which employees must share materials, information, or expertise to perform their jobs is known as ______.
interdependence
The dominant view of conflict in organizations has been that it ______.
is dysfunctional
Task conflict, or constructive conflict, ______.
is issue-related
Location is a factor in negotiations because ______.
it is easier to negotiate in a familiar setting
Based on the characteristics of constructive conflicts, which of the following would help a manager create constructive conflicts during a debate?
keeping the debate focused on the issue
In the context of interpersonal conflict-handling styles, a _______ represents the forcing style.
low degree of cooperativeness and a high degree of assertiveness
Which of the following immediately precedes conflict outcomes in the conflict process model?
manifest conflict
Employees at Charlotte International have been frustrated with the management on just about everything. The conflict episodes are being viewed by both sides as personal attacks rather than attempts to resolve problems. Both sides have decided to seek third-party dispute resolution. The management prefers a third-party intervention that has high process and decision control while employees prefer a high level of process control and low decision control. The employees at Charlotte International prefer which of the following third-party interventions?
mediation
The attempt to reach agreement between two parties with different views on an issue that affects them both is known as
negotiation
When Liliana discusses the renewal of her employment contract with her manager, they are engaging in ______.
negotiation
Negotiators tend to ________ when an audience is directly observing the process.
pay more attention to saving face
Which type of task interdependence usually has the lowest risk of conflict?
pooled interdependence
The potential for conflict between two employees would be highest under conditions of ________ interdependence.
reciprocal
Using multi-group teams to develop products reduces conflict by ______.
reducing differentiation
Asghar questions the credibility of Amal's budget figures, stating that Amal is inexperienced and is notan accountant. This is an example of ______ conflict.
relationship
Whereas task conflict focuses on the issues, ______ conflict focuses on the characteristics of individuals.
relationship
The demands of stockholders for a larger share of profits often conflicts with the demands of employees for increases in pay. This is a classic example of conflict over ______.
scarce resources
When communication between two parties is stifled or lacking, each side tends to define the other through ______.
stereotyping
Goals that are valued by all and that require a joint effort by conflicting parties are known as ______ goals.
superordinate
Any attempt by a neutral person to help conflicting parties resolve their differences is ______.
third-party conflict resolution
When a salesman explains that the special offer is only good until tomorrow, he is using the tactic known as ______.
time pressure
Ambiguous rules create conflict in organizations by increasing ______.
uncertainty
The negative consequences of conflict include ______.
wasted resources
Someone who uses forcing as a conflict handling method has a ______.
win-lose orientation
In the negotiation setting, people who sit face-to-face are more likely to develop a(n) _______ orientation toward the conflict situation.
win-win
The belief that those in conflict will find a mutually beneficial solution to their disagreement is a(n) ______ orientation to managing the conflict.
win-win
Samira and Johan believe they can find a creative solution to their disagreement because they have the time to work it through, have worked together for a long time, and trust each other. Their conflict management approach is an example of the ______.
win-win orientation
As a manager of XYZ Company, you are assigned to resolve a conflict between two departments in your organization, Department A and Department B. Both parties have equal power. You also realize that the parties lack trust/openness for problem solving. However, neither party wants to damage their relationship which has, in the past, been good. Which conflict resolution style would you use in this situation?
yielding
