Deck 1: Communication and Conflict

Question 1

Kim's response to Jamila's confrontation ("We always talk to each other that way.") could be considered which type of response in confrontation episodes theory?

A) a claim that the rule is legitimate
B) a claim that the rule is non-legitimate
C) a claim that there is a superceding rule
D) a claim that the rule needs to be reaffirmed
E) a claim that the rule has no remedy

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Describe one way in which the employee might have an incentive to cooperate with the manager in this situation and one way in which the employee might have an incentive to compete with the manager.

Answer 2

Incentive to compete: ( If this is a pattern of making unreasonable demands, the employee may want to stand up to the manager in this instance to stop the cycle of unreasonable requests. The employee would compete to protect his/her needs and reduce the manager's power.) Incentive to cooperate: ( If the employee knows that the manager has done a lot of favors for him/her recently and has been flexible with time off requests, then the employee may decide that he/she should cooperate in hopes that the manager continues to be flexible and supportive in other ways.)

Question 3

Assume the employee continued this conflict interaction by saying to the manager: "I don't have a way to appeal your requirement that we all need to work over time. All of us just have to comply with this demand whether we like it or not." What kind of social justice is the employee appealing to in making this claim?

A) cooperative justice
B) distributive justice
C) procedural justice
D) symbolic justice
E) competitive justice

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Jamila's second comment is the initiation of a confrontation episode. Why?

Question 5

Which of the following conflict behaviors would not be likely to occur in the differentiation phase of conflict?

A) parties clarify their separate views on the issues
B) parties emphasize differences that exist between them
C) parties claim that the other person has caused the conflict
D) parties challenge facts that the other person offers
E) parties explore viable solutions to problems

Question 6

Which of the following statements best characterize the relationship between anxiety and conflict escalation?

A) anxiety prevents rigidity of behavior and conflict escalation
B) differentiation creates anxiety which produces rigidity of behavior and conflict escalation
C) anxiety is a sign that conflict escalation is about to decrease
D) differentiation reduces peoples feelings of anxiety which allows for conflict de-escalation
E) there is no relationship between anxiety and conflict escalation

Question 7

Assume that the manager continued this conflict interaction with her employee by saying: "Every employee on my team is required to work over-time at least three days per year. Just make tonight one of your three days." Which value system is the manager using to try to settle this conflict with her employee?

A) equity rule
B) equality rule
C) needs-based rule
D) winner take all rule
E) gain/loss rule

Question 8

Procedural justice is primarily aimed at providing:

A) an outcome that clearly favors one party
B) an opportunity to convey forgiveness
C) a fair process for addressing the conflict
D) the opportunity for both parties to save face
E) a forum for the winner to take all of the resources he or she deserves

Question 9

According to confrontation episodes theory, Kim's first response to Jamila would not be considered as the initiation of a confrontation episode. Why not?

Question 10

How does this workplace interaction illustrate the role of perceived interference in defining conflict?

Question 11

Climate analysis is useful for understanding conflict because:

A) climate is always a source of anxiety for parties in conflict
B) climate is always a source of tension release for parties in conflict
C) climate provides a good sense of the substantive issues in the conflict
D) climates are always competitive
E) the climate influences the direction conflict interaction takes

Question 12

What does this short segment of conflict indicate about the type of interdependence that exists between these two people? Briefly describe their interdependence and how it might lead to a cooperative or competitive response.

Question 13

Gerry is having a conflict with his father. In talking to his best friend about this conflict he says: "I've learned to just let this one go and not talk about it with him. This let's us talk without all the emotion and strife." Gerry's comment suggests that he is relying n which of the following approaches in addressing the conflict with his father?

A) moving slowly through differentiation of the conflict
B) successfully turning towards an integration phase of the conflict
C) avoiding differentiation of the conflict
D) engaging with differentiation of the conflict
E) personalizing the conflict to heighten differences

Question 14

Assume Kim's response to Jamila's confrontation had instead been: " I know we both want to be careful about how we talk to each other otherwise we will have problems living together. I wasn't being sarcastic, I was emphasizing my point."
In this case, Kim's comment would be an illustration of which kind of response in
Confrontation episodes theory?

A) she sees the rule as non-legitimate and admits the behavior
B) she sees the rule as non-legitimate and she denies the behavior
C) she sees the rule as non-legitimate and there is no resolution possible
D) she sees the rule as legitimate but there is a superceding rule to consider
E) she sees as the rule as legitimate but denies the behavior