Question 1

Ken is being cooperative but unassertive with his employees during a conflict situation.He tries to smooth over their differences but it only produces a false sense of harmony among them.Ken is using which conflict management style?

Accepted Answer

Accommodation is a conflict management style where one party tries to appease the other by giving in to their demands, even if it means sacrificing their own goals or needs. In this scenario, Ken is trying to smooth over the differences between his employees in order to maintain peace, but this only creates a false sense of harmony and does not address the underlying issues causing the conflict. This behavior is characteristic of an accommodating style.

Question 2

__________ conflicts occur when the communication of task expectations is unclear or upsetting in some way,such as a team member receiving different expectations from the leader and other members.

Accepted Answer

Role ambiguity conflicts occur when the communication of task expectations is unclear or upsetting in some way, such as a team member receiving different expectations from the leader and other members.

Question 3

__________ may be used when issues are more important to others than to yourself or when you want to build "credits" for use in later disagreements.

Accepted Answer

Accommodation might be the best choice if the issues at hand are not high priorities for you and if you want to maintain good relationships for potential future conflicts. This strategy focuses on meeting the needs and wants of the other party while ignoring your own desires.

Question 4

The __________ process begins with a good understanding of the causes of conflict and recognition of the stage to which conflict has developed.

Accepted Answer

Conflict resolution is the process of finding a peaceful and mutually acceptable solution to a disagreement or dispute. It includes identifying the underlying causes of conflict and understanding the stage to which it has developed. By doing so, parties can take appropriate actions to address the root causes and find a resolution that satisfies everyone involved.

Question 5

The conflict management style of __________ involves being uncooperative and assertive.This style is characterized by working against the wishes of the other party,engaging in win-lose competition,and/or forcing things to a favorable conclusion through the exercise of authority.

Accepted Answer

The description matches the competition style of conflict management, which is characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness. This style involves being focused on winning and achieving one's goals, even if it means working against the wishes and interests of the other party. It is often seen as a confrontational approach that may lead to negative outcomes if not managed properly.

Question 6

_________ occurs between persons or groups at the same hierarchical level.

Accepted Answer

Horizontal conflict occurs when there is a disagreement or tension between individuals or groups who are on the same hierarchical level, such as two coworkers or two departments within the same organization. The conflict arises from competition for resources, conflicting goals or values, or differences in communication styles or personalities. In contrast, vertical conflict occurs between people at different hierarchical levels, and line-staff and bureaucratic conflicts refer to specific types of vertical conflicts. Role conflict is a more general term that can refer to either horizontal or vertical conflicts that arise from conflicting roles or expectations.

Question 7

Whenever he is involved in a disagreement,Harry tries to partially satisfy both his concerns and the other party's concerns through bargaining and appropriate trade-offs.Harry uses which conflict management style?

Accepted Answer

Harry's conflict management style involves a willingness to compromise and find trade-offs that satisfy both parties to some extent. This is characteristic of the compromise style, which involves a moderate level of assertiveness and cooperation. It differs from avoidance (A), which involves withdrawing from the conflict altogether, and competition (B), which involves a highly assertive, win-lose approach. Accommodation (C) involves giving in to the other party's demands at the expense of one's own concerns, whereas collaboration (E) involves a highly cooperative, win-win approach that seeks to fully satisfy both parties' concerns. Harry's approach falls in between these two extremes.

Question 8

Which of the following is (are)a common cause(s)of conflict in organizations?

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed are common causes of conflict in organizations. Unresolved prior conflicts can create lingering tensions within the organization that can resurface. Resource scarcities can lead to competition and disagreements over the allocation of resources. Role ambiguities can cause confusion and misunderstandings about responsibilities and expectations. Structural differentiation, or the separation of departments or functions within the organization, can create silos and a lack of communication and collaboration between teams.

Question 9

__________ is a superficial and often temporary form of conflict resolution that leaves the situation open to future conflict over similar issues.

Accepted Answer

Suppression is a superficial and often temporary form of conflict resolution that leaves the situation open to future conflict over similar issues.

Question 10

__________ commonly involve goal incompatibilities,resource scarcities,or purely interpersonal factors.

Accepted Answer

Horizontal conflicts occur between individuals or departments at the same level of the organization, often due to differences in goals or scarce resources. Bureaucratic conflicts typically involve disagreements over policies or procedures, while cross-diagonal conflicts occur between individuals in different departments or at different levels of the organization. Hierarchical conflicts involve disagreements between individuals at different levels of authority, and vertical conflicts refer to disagreements between managers and their subordinates.

Question 11

When people are unclear about how their objectives or those of their teams fit with those being pursued by others,or when their objectives directly compete in a win-lose fashion,which of the following may be the cause of conflict?

Accepted Answer

Domain ambiguities, where there is confusion about the scope or boundaries of responsibilities, can lead to conflict when different parties pursue objectives that overlap or clash. This can happen when objectives are unclear, or when different departments or individuals have differing interpretations of their mandates. Resource scarcities and task interdependencies can also cause conflict but are not necessarily related to objectives being pursued by different parties. Unresolved prior conflicts and structural differentiation may exacerbate conflicts related to domain ambiguities but are not necessarily the cause.

Question 12

In the context of the stages of conflict,when the antecedent conditions become the basis for substantive or emotional differences between people or groups,the stage of __________ exists.

Accepted Answer

In the stages of conflict, the stage of perceived conflict occurs when the antecedent conditions lead to the recognition of substantive or emotional differences between people or groups. This perception is the awareness that there is a conflict, which is a necessary precursor to the conflict becoming more apparent and potentially escalating.

Question 13

Conflict that is experienced as tension and motivates a person to take action to reduce feelings of discomfort is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Felt conflict is experienced as tension and motivates a person to take action to reduce feelings of discomfort. Perceived conflict refers to the belief that there is a disagreement or incompatibility between two or more parties, but may not necessarily cause discomfort or motivate action. The other options (distinct, manifest, apparent) do not accurately describe the nature of conflict as described in the question.

Question 14

The conflict management style of __________ involves being cooperative and unassertive.This style is characterized by letting the wishes of others rule,and smoothing over or overlooking differences to maintain harmony.

Accepted Answer

The conflict management style described is accommodation, which is a cooperative and unassertive style characterized by downplaying differences and prioritizing harmony. This style aims to meet the needs and wishes of others while sacrificing one's own interests.

Question 15

Len emphasizes cooperation and assertiveness in dealing with conflict situations in his department.Differences are worked through together so that everybody's concerns are addressed and everyone gains something in the end.Len uses which conflict management style?

Accepted Answer

Len's approach of emphasizing cooperation and assertiveness in dealing with conflicts and resolving them for the benefit of everyone involved indicates the use of collaboration as a conflict management style. Collaboration involves working through differences together and finding a mutually beneficial solution.

Question 16

__________ commonly involves supervisor-subordinate disagreements over resources,goals,deadlines,or performance results.

Accepted Answer

The description of supervisor-subordinate disagreements over resources, goals, deadlines, or performance results fits the definition of vertical conflict. Vertical conflict occurs between individuals or groups in different hierarchical levels within an organization, such as between a supervisor and their subordinate.

Question 17

The conflict management style of __________ involves being both cooperative and assertive.This style is characterized by trying to fully satisfy everyone's concerns by working through differences and finding and solving problems so that everyone gains.

Accepted Answer

The conflict management style being described is collaboration, which involves both cooperation and assertiveness to find a solution that satisfies everyone's concerns. Avoidance is the opposite of collaboration, as it involves ignoring the conflict. Accommodation involves giving in to the other party's needs or desires. Competition involves focusing on winning at all costs. Compromise involves finding a middle ground solution that may not fully satisfy all parties.

Question 18

In a course team where members are arguing over content choices for a PowerPoint presentation,it might help to remind everyone that the goal is to impress the instructor and get an "A" for the presentation and that this is only possible if everyone contributes their best.This is an example of which indirect conflict management strategy?

Accepted Answer

The reminder to focus on impressing the instructor and getting an "A" for the presentation is an example of an appeal to common goals, which is an indirect conflict management strategy that reminds team members of their shared goals and underlying interests in order to refocus on collaboration and problem-solving.

Question 19

When conflict is expressed openly in behavior,it is considered ____________.

Accepted Answer

When conflict is expressed openly in behavior, it is visible or observable, which makes it manifest. Felt conflict refers to the emotional strain felt by individuals due to differences in opinions, beliefs or goals. Perceived conflict is the existence of a disagreement between two parties. Apparent conflict refers to a situation where there seems to be conflict, but in reality, there is none. Distinct conflict is not a formal term used to describe conflict.

Question 20

__________ establish the conditions from which conflicts are likely to develop.

Accepted Answer

Conflict antecedents refer to the underlying factors or conditions that make conflicts more likely to develop. These can include factors such as incompatible goals, scarce resources, power imbalances, communication breakdowns, and cultural differences, among others.

Quiz 10: Conflict and Negotiation