Leadership Chapter 21
A nurse is in a conflict with a colleague, but both nurses are committed to collaboration. To promote collaboration, the nurses should: a. identify a common goal that is important to both of them. b. possess the ability to negotiate without having emotion get involved. c. have a relationship that existed before the conflict. d. ask a neutral third party to mediate in the conflict.
ANS: A Feedback: In collaboration, all parties set aside their original goals and work together to establish a supraordinate or priority common goal. This does not necessarily require the preexistence of a relationship or mediation. Collaboration is still possible even if the conflict has an emotional element.
A negotiating session has just concluded with a compromise agreement. What is the manager's best action? a. Clearly restate the terms of the compromise to all involved before dispersing. b. Give feedback to the members of the other negotiating team on their behavior and performance. c. Evaluate the fairness of the compromise to all involved parties. d. Restate each party's original bottom line.
ANS: A Feedback: Once a compromise has been reached, restate it so that everyone is clear about what has been agreed on. Giving feedback to others after negotiation is not a usual practice. The fairness of the compromise would be considered as it was negotiated, not after the fact. There is no benefit to stating the original bottom lines.
A nurse-manager has accepted a new position on a hospital unit. An experienced nurse on the unit tells the manager, "We all work really well with each other. There's never any conflict." How should the manager interpret this statement? a. The unit may be lacking in growth and new ideas. b. There is a need for the manager to introduce conflict. c. The manager needs to ensure that this characteristic continues. d. There is likely conflict that the nurse is not recognizing or acknowledging.
ANS: A Feedback: Some level of conflict in an organization appears to be desirable because it appears to prevent organizational stagnation. Despite this, it would normally be inappropriate for the manager to deliberately introduce conflict for the purpose of promoting growth. There is no reason to believe that the nurse's statement is untrue.
The nurse-manager has learned that two employees are in conflict. The manager's fact gathering reveals that the conflict exists because each employee misunderstands the job description and role of the other employee. What conflict management strategy should the manager implement first? a. Responsibility charting b. Confrontation c. Behavior change d. Third party consultation
ANS: A Feedback: When a supervisor delineates job duties to persons in conflict, it is called responsibility charting. This attempt at clearing up the misunderstanding should be attempted before resorting to other strategies.
An employee has come to the manager with a long list of complaints about a coworker, all of which are attributable to personality factors rather than unsafe practice. What is the manager's best initial action? a. Encourage the employee to speak directly with the coworker. b. Ask the employee to e-mail or text message the complaints to the coworker. c. Arrange for third-party mediation. d. Acknowledge and document the employee's complaints.
ANS: A Feedback: When team members inappropriately expect the manager to solve their interpersonal conflicts, managers can urge subordinates to attempt to handle their own problems by using face-to-face communication to resolve conflicts. This basic approach should be attempted before mediation. E-mails and text messages are too impersonal for interpersonal conflicts that can have significant conflict aftermath. Acknowledging and documenting the complaints offers no course of action to the employee.
Which of the following behaviors should the nurse-manager identify as workplace violence, incivility, or bullying? Select all that apply. a. A group of nurses consistently refuse to help a nurse when that nurse has a heavy workload, despite having time to do so. b. Staff members assign an unwanted nickname to a colleague. c. A nurse's specific vacation request is denied by the manager for 2 years in a row. d. A nurse asks a colleague to assess a known verbally abusive client without warning to see how the colleague will respond. e. A nurse tells a nursing student to rush to room 311, knowing that the unit has no room 311.
ANS: A, B, D, E Feedback: Workplace incivility can take many forms, including name-calling, refusing help, setting up a colleague for failure, or playing pranks. Vacation denials can happen for many reasons and would not necessarily constitute an uncivil act.
Two groups in the health-care organization have been unable to reach an agreement after prolonged negotiation. The groups have agreed to arbitration. What will happen during this process? a. A neutral party will facilitate new negotiations, starting from the beginning. b. A neutral party will listen to both groups and then present a binding recommendation. c. A neutral third party will act as a "go between" in the negotiations. d. Negotiations will continue in a court setting, and a lawyer will mediate between the groups.
ANS: B Feedback: Arbitration is a binding conflict resolution process in which the facts of the case are heard by an individual who makes a final decision for the parties in conflict. It does not involve repeating the negotiations and does not take place in a court setting.
A nurse-manager is attempting to help a group of staff members reach a consensus on a sensitive issue. What is a consequence of using a consensus-based approach? a. One group will be perceived as the "winner" and one group as the "loser." b. It is likely that neither group will achieve their desired "ideal" outcome. c. A solution that is ideal to both groups will be selected. d. There is an increased risk for similar conflict in the future.
ANS: B Feedback: Consensus means that negotiating parties reach an agreement that all parties can support, even if it does not represent everyone's first priorities. Consensus decision making does not provide complete satisfaction for everyone involved, and the solution is unlikely to be described as "ideal" by anyone involved. Reaching a consensus does not involve an increased risk for future conflict.
A charge nurse has assisted two employees 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 c. A majority rule approach d. A good lesson in compromising
ANS: B Feedback: In collaboration, all parties set aside their original goals and work together to establish a common goal. In promoting collaboration, the charge nurse has not simply smoothed over the conflict. The formation of new goals differentiates between collaboration and compromise. There is no evidence that a majority rule approach has been taken because there are two parties involved.
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 self-reflection
ANS: B Feedback: Negotiation is psychological and verbal. The effective negotiator always appears calm and self-assured. The other options are not as impactful when considering the psychological aspects of the negotiation process.
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. Ask that the aggressive individual recognize the rights of all the other members. b. State, "I need to have time to think over all that we have discussed." c. Halt any discussion until new representatives can be appointed. d. Share with the members that aggressiveness negatively impacts the negotiations.
ANS: B Feedback: Some people win in negotiation simply by rapidly and aggressively taking over and controlling the negotiation before other members realize what is happening. If managers believe that this may be happening, they should call a halt to the negotiations before decisions are made. Saying simply, "I need to have time to think this over" is a good method of stopping an aggressive takeover. The other options are much less effective and may even lead to increased aggressiveness among team members.
A nurse-manager was involved in conflict where the other individual adopted a competing approach. This approach is evident in what circumstances? 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
ANS: B Feedback: The competing approach is used when one party pursues what it wants at the expense of the others. Because only one party typically wins, the competing party seeks to win regardless of the cost to others. Neither manager control nor political strategy is necessarily associated with the competing approach to resolving conflict.
What statement about conflict most closely reflects the interactionist theories of organizational conflict? a. "The most important response to conflict is to deal with it immediately." b. "Conflict can actually be a good thing and can help us to grow." c. "The presence of conflict in our workplace shows that there is bad management." d. "The best organizations are places where there is no conflict."
ANS: B Feedback: The interactionist movement encouraged organizations to promote conflict as a means of producing growth. Interactionist did not see conflict as evidence of bad management or dysfunction. Interactionists did not particularly emphasize the need to deal with conflict immediately.
The manager has learned that some of the more experienced nurses on the unit have been playing pranks on a newly hired nurse and delegating their most challenging tasks to the nurse. What is the manager's best response after confirming that these events took place? a. Offer support and encouragement to the newly hired nurse. b. Confront the more experienced nurses directly about their behavior. c. Implement a structure change so the experienced nurses no longer work at the same time as the new nurse. d. Arrange for third-party consultation involving the more experienced nurses, the manager and the new nurse.
ANS: B Feedback: The manager must address bullying directly and promptly. The nurse should also offer support to the bullied nurse, but the priority is addressing the behaviors. Separating the group from the individual or having mediation may eventually be necessary, but the manager would first confront the behavior.
A nurse-manager is participating in negotiations around the allocation of resources in the organization. During the negotiations, the manager should: a. try to speak the same amount or slightly more than the other party. b. use open-ended questions rather than yes or no questions. c. declare his or her bottom line at the start of negotiations. d. ensure that the negotiations proceed at a rapid pace.
ANS: B Feedback: The manager should encourage the other negotiator to talk by asking lots of open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." It is not beneficial to openly declare the bottom line before negotiations have even begun. The manager should listen 70% of the time and talk only 30% of the time. Speed is not a goal during negotiation and can lead to hasty decisions.
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 discord or external discord between individuals. d. It is the outcome of a visible struggle between individuals.
ANS: C Feedback: Conflict is generally defined as the internal or external discord that results from differences in ideas, values, or feelings between two or more people. The remaining options describe only limited aspects of conflict.
Which is a true statement about destructive negotiation tactics? a. Ridicule often takes the form of ambiguous or inappropriate questioning and is a diversionary tactic. b. Most managers successfully resist the helplessness tactic because of their nursing preparation. c. Negotiation tactics can sometimes be manipulative; thus, managers must be cognizant of the other party's motives. d. Nurses are known to be particularly vulnerable to the tactic of flattery.
ANS: C Feedback: Destructive negotiation tactics are never a part of a successful collaborative conflict resolution. An astute nurse-manager must stay cognizant of the other party's motives and behaviors in order to identify manipulative tactics. Ridicule is a separate tactic from ambiguous and inappropriate questioning. Nurses can be particularly vulnerable to the helplessness tactic because nurses are educated and inclined to help others. Nurses are not noted to be exceptionally vulnerable to flattery, however.
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
ANS: C Feedback: The CFO was consciously or unconsciously using a diversionary tactic that deflects from the issue at hand. There is no evidence of collaboration with this question, and it is unnecessary information. Smoothing is an approach to conflict, not negotiation.
Which of the following workplace situations would be categorized as latent conflict? a. A nurse expresses frustration to a colleague who did not perform some tasks that were clearly delegated. b. A nurse expresses anger to the manager, accusing the manager of preferential treatment toward other nurses. c. The most experienced nurses on a unit are allowed to self-schedule, but less experienced nurse are not. d. Two nurses were in conflict about inequities in their work assignment but were able to resolve the conflict.
ANS: C Feedback: The first stage in the conflict process, latent conflict, implies the existence of antecedent conditions such as inequities in staffing. In this stage, conditions are ripe for conflict, although no conflict has actually yet occurred. In each of the other examples, the conflict has progressed beyond this antecedent stage.
A recent graduate has begun working at a health center and finds the behaviors of colleagues stressful and intimidating. The nurse's colleagues whisper when she is around, roll their eyes at her, and laugh when she asks for assistance or clarification. What is this recent graduate's best action? a. Organize a meeting to confront the colleagues about their behavior. b. Avoid the offending colleagues whenever possible. c. Report these behaviors to the nurse-manager. d. Seek assistance from the organization's ombudsperson.
ANS: C Feedback: The nurse-manager should be made aware of this behavior so that action can be taken. It is unrealistic to expect a new graduate to organize a staff meeting to confront a group of more experienced colleagues about their behavior. Ombudspersons generally deal with disputes and grievances, not the immediate management of workplace violence. The nurse may be tempted to simply avoid these colleagues, but this is not sustainable and does not address this unacceptable behavior.
A hospital unit is in a major transition from a nursing model that was exclusively RNs to one that involves a mix of RNs, LPNs, and NAPs. The transition has resulted in several conflicts between staff. What conflict resolution strategy will the manager most likely need to use? a. Third-party consultation b. Behavior change c. Responsibility charting d. Structure change
ANS: C Feedback: The transition from a homogenous workforce to a highly diverse one with a complex skills mix is likely to cause conflict around roles and jurisdictions. This type of conflict can be addressed by reviewing and reinforcing the responsibilities of each team member. Each of the other listed strategies may be necessary for some conflicts on the unit, but the most likely strategy is the one that directly addresses roles and responsibilities.
Several RNs on the unit want to address the possibility of initiating flextime on the unit because they state that the current scheduling system is unfair. What is the manager's best initial response? a. Assuring the RNs that every effort is being made to streamline the current scheduling system 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
ANS: C Feedback: This manager should plan to let employees air their views at the next staff meeting. Nursing managers can no longer afford to respond to conflict traditionally (to avoid, deflect, or suppress conflict) because this is nonproductive. Putting off the nurses be providing false reassurance or referring them elsewhere is not a direct and respectful response to conflict.
An employee who is involved in a dispute has sought the assistance of the organization's ombudsperson. What role will the ombudsperson play in resolving the employee's conflict? a. Providing expert testimony in conflict cases b. Providing psychosocial support to employees in distress c. Investigating the employee's grievance against the other party d. Monitoring the implementation of the terms of a conflict's compromise
ANS: C abirb.com/test Feedback: Ombudspersons investigate grievances filed by one party against another and ensure that individuals involved in conflicts understand their rights as well as the process that should be used to report and resolve the conflict. They do not normally provide expert testimony, psychosocial support, or monitor implementation of a solution.
A nurse-manager will be participating in negotiations around the skills mix in the organization. Before these negotiations begin, the manager should perform what action first? a. Identify the ideal skills mix for the organization. b. Choose an appropriate negotiation strategy. c. Interact with the other party to identify any hidden agendas. d. Learn as much as possible about the issue.
ANS: D Feedback: For managers to be successful, they must systematically prepare for the negotiation. As the negotiator, the manager begins by gathering as much information as possible regarding the issue to be negotiated. This data-gathering phase should precede the other listed actions.
Which nurse is experiencing intrapersonal conflict? a. A manager who has received a negative performance appraisal and who wishes to dispute the findings b. A manager who has to confront a nurse who made a medication error but did not follow up with documentation c. A manager who is in conflict with a long-standing employee who often ignores the manager's directives d. A manager who perceives a dilemma between loyalty to staff and loyalty to the organization in a particular situation
ANS: D Feedback: Intrapersonal conflict occurs within the person. Each of the other examples constitutes interpersonal conflict.
Two nurses in a small community are in conflict because the first nurse's son committed a violent assault on the second nurse's son. In recent weeks, workplace interactions between the two have become increasingly tense. What is the nurse-manager's best strategy for resolving this conflict? a. Confrontation b. Soothing c. Responsibility charting d. Structure change
ANS: D Feedback: The manager does not have the ability to mitigate the realities of these nurses' relationship, and it may be unrealistic to expect them to set aside this significant event. As a result, it may be necessary for one of the nurses to change work locations. This issue has nothing to do with roles or responsibilities, so responsibility charting is irrelevant. Soothing is always a temporary solution. Confrontation has the potential to exacerbate this particular conflict because there is no solution that changes the facts of their circumstances.
The nurse-manager is mediating a conflict between two nurses on the unit. What goal should the manager prioritize when addressing this conflict? a. A solution is chosen that minimizing the effect on other employees. b. The nurses emerge from the resolution with a close personal relationship. c. A solution is identified that can be easily and quickly implemented. d. The nurses agree to a solution that is mutually beneficial.
ANS: D Feedback: The optimal goal in resolving conflict is creating a win-win solution for all involved. Speed and ease of implementation are not priority goals and may in fact lead to a simplistic or hasty solution. It may be necessary for other employees to be affected by a fair and desirable solution. A win-win solution does not necessarily lead to the development of a close relationship between the parties.
The nurse-manager is preparing for negotiations. When negotiating, what is the manager's most appropriate action? a. Be willing to win at any cost. b. Communicate only when asked direct questions. c. Compromise only as a last resort. d. Begin with a high but realistic expectations.
ANS: D Feedback: The selected starting point in negotiations should be at the upper limits of the negotiator's expectations, within reason. However, negotiators must realize they may have to come down to a lesser goal. Winning at any cost is counterproductive, and the manager should expect to compromise. Plentiful and accurate communication is necessary at all stages of negotiation.
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 initial 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 resolution d. Facilitating conflict resolution
ANS: D abirb.com/test Feedback: Managers should not intervene in every conflict but should urge subordinates to handle their own problems. This is an example of supporting conflict resolution. In most circumstances, this approach should be implemented before the manager becomes directly involved. The manager's deference does not indicate conflict avoidance or conflict smoothing.
The nurse-manager is participating in negotiations that have become confrontational and unproductive. As a result, both parties have agreed to mediation. This mechanism for dispute resolution will have what characteristics? Select all that apply. a. The mediator will be a respected person from within the organization. b. Both parties are required to accept the mediator's decision. c. The mediator addresses the process but not the issues. d. The mediator meets with each group separately as well as meeting with them together. e. The mediator is an individual who has no vested interest in the outcome.
ANS: D, E Feedback: A mediator is a neutral third party who has no conflict of interest and who is from outside the organization. The mediator's decision is not binding, unlike arbitration. The mediator has a broad role that can address process as well as the issues in dispute.
