British Columbia Institute of Technology

BUSA 1305

Chapter 14 Conflict, Politics, Discipline, and Negotiation

1)___is the process by which one party consciously interferes in the goal-achievement efforts of another party.

1. 1. Sabotage
   2. Undermining
   3. Conflict
   4. Disruption
   5. Intrusion

2. Define and briefly discuss the process of conflict.

3. Conflict in organizations has a positive side and can bring about                                       in an organization.
   1. teamwork
   2. enhanced management practices
   3. balance
   4. improved quality control
   5. change

4. Conflict is a natural phenomenon of organizational life because organizational members can have

                                                .

1. 1. alternative perspectives
   2. different goals,
   3. opposing views
   4. conflicting opinions
   5. different skill levels

5. If organizations were completely devoid of conflict, they would become apathetic, stagnant, and unresponsive to                                               .
   1. employees
   2. innovation
   3. management
   4. change
   5. improving product quality

6. A supervisor's goal should be to have enough conflict in the department to keep the unit responsive and innovative, but not so much                                                                                       .
   1. as to hinder research and development efforts
   2. that would hamper quality
   3. that would create increased employee turnover
   4. as to hinder departmental performance.
   5. as to impede product development

7.                                            differences are differences that encompass conflicts arising from misunderstandings

and different meanings attached to words.

1. 1. Personal
   2. Communication
   3. Cultural
   4. Structural
   5. Language

8. When company officials divide up tasks, group common tasks into departments, and establish rules and regulations to facilitate standardized practices among departments, this may contribute to

                                                                      conflict.

1. 1. supervisory
   2. communication
   3. corporate cultural
   4. structural
   5. standardized practices

9. When an organization creates horizontal (departments) and vertical levels (organizational hierarchy), and brings about efficiencies through specialization and coordination, this may produce

                                                        .

1. 1. structural conflict
   2. corporate conflict
   3. organizational discord
   4. employee stress and turnover
   5. communication issues

10.                                      differences are a source of conflict, which include value systems and personality characteristics that account for individual idiosyncrasies and disagreements.
    1. Communication
    2. Structural
    3. Ethical D Personal

E. Cultural

11.                                             conflicts occur when some persons are perceived by others as abrasive, hard to work with, untrustworthy, or strange.
    1. Interpersonal
    2. Structural
    3. Personality
    4. Behavioral
    5. Workplace

12. The application of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the optimal level of departmental conflict is known as                                                                  .
    1. conflict resolution
    2. conflict management
    3. arbitration
    4. equilibrium
    5. organizational optimization

13. Conflict is a natural phenomenon of organizational life. Why can’t conflict be eliminated in organizations?? Briefly explain.

14. Which of the following is NOT one of the five basic approaches. or techniques supervisors can use to resolve conflicts in their departments?
    1. Avoidance
    2. Coercion
    3. Forcing
    4. Accommodation
    5. Collaboration

15.                                                  is the best resolution technique for managing a conflict that is trivial, when emotions are running high, and where time can help cool things.
    1. Compromise
    2. Forcing
    3. Collaboration
    4. Avoidance
    5. Accommodation

16. Of the following, which conflict resolution technique goal is to maintain harmonious relationships by placing another's needs and concerns above your own?
    1. Collaboration
    2. Compromise
    3. Accommodation
    4. Forcing
    5. Avoidance

17.                                             is a type of conflict resolution supervisors would use to satisfy their own needs at the expense of the other party by using their formal authority.
    1. Forcing
    2. Compromise
    3. Avoidance
    4. Collaboration
    5. Accommodation

18.                                             is a conflict resolution approach that requires each party to give up something of value.
    1. Forcing
    2. Compromise
    3. Avoidance
    4. Collaboration
    5. Accommodation

19.                                    is a resolution technique that characterizes the ultimate win-win situation.
    1. Forcing
    2. Compromise
    3. Avoidance
    4. Collaboration
    5. Accommodation

20.                                          is the conflict resolution technique goal that might appear to be a "cop-out."
    1. Forcing
    2. Compromise
    3. Avoidance
    4. Collaboration
    5. Accommodation

21.                                  characterizes a basic resolution approach that is common to all supervisors.
    1. Culture
    2. Family background
    3. Emotional intelligence
    4. Personality
    5. Being proactive

22. How do you decide which conflicts justifies your attention? Does every conflict deserve a supervisor’s attention?

23. If sustaining supportive relationships is important, the best approaches, in order of preference are:

1. Accommodation, collaboration, compromise, and avoidance.
2. Avoidance, collaboration, compromise, and accommodation
3. Collaboration, compromise, avoidance, and force

4. Compromise,, force, collaboration, and avoidance
5. Avoidance, compromise, accommodation, and collaboration

24. If it’s crucial to resolve the conflict as quickly as possible, the best approaches in order of preference

are:

1. Accommodation, collaboration, and avoidance.
2. Avoidance, collaboration, and accommodation
3. Collaboration, compromise, and avoidance
4. Force, accommodation, and compromise
5. Avoidance, compromise, and accommodation

25. On occasion, supervisors stimulate conflict to enhance organizational operations or for other reasons. Of the following suggestions, which is NOT among those you might want to consider if you find your department needs an increased level of conflict?
    1. Bring in outsiders
    2. Restructure the department
    3. Appoint a devil’s advocate
    4. Use communication
    5. Use confrontation

26. A devil’s advocate is a person who purposely presents arguments that run counter to those proposed by

                                 or against current practices

1. 1. management
   2. the majority
   3. the Board of Directors
   4. external consultants
   5. third-party objective observers

27. Although, conflict can be a positive force in organizations, why might it not be in your best interest to use stimulation techniques?

28. It is important that effective supervisors understand                            and adjust their actions accordingly.
    1. economic factors
    2. their own motives
    3. communication with managers
    4. the political nature of organizations
    5. supervisory performance

29.                                       are the actions one can take to influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within an organization.
    1. Best practices
    2. Leadership initiatives
    3. Politicking
    4. Policies and procedures
    5. Coercion

30. What are some examples of organizational political behavior? Briefly discuss.

31. The potential for conflict over                                          occurs because organizations are made up of individuals and groups with different values, goals, and interests.
    1. performance measurements
    2. strategic initiatives
    3. organizational goals

1. 4. R&D initiatives
   5. resources

32. Maybe the most important factor leading to politics within organizations is the realization that most of the “facts” that are used to allocate limited resources are                                                           .
    1. mainly guesswork
    2. open to interpretation
    3. arbitrarily decided
    4. always objective and fair
    5. rarely fully objective and fair

33. Not all political actions are necessarily                                                .
    1. objective
    2. reasonable
    3. unethical
    4. in one’s self-interest
    5. in the community’s interest

34. Spreading untrue rumors about the safety of a new product introduced by your company, to make that product’s design group look bad,                                  .
    1. is unethical.
    2. can be justified easily
    3. can create havoc with customers
    4. could influence your company’s bottom line
    5. creates a potential quality issue

35. A department head exchanges favors with his or her division’s purchasing supervisor to get a critical contract processed quickly, which                                             .
    1. is pragmatic
    2. is unethical
    3. is ethical
    4. demonstrates expediency

1. 5. is just common sense

36. Before you consider your political options in any situation, you need to evaluate the key situational factors in your organization, which are culture,                                        , and your own power.
    1. your career goals
    2. the balance of power
    3. the internal environment
    4. the external environment
    5. the power of others

37.                                    is/are a set of unwritten norms that members of the organization accept and

understand, and that guide their actions.

1. 1. Corporate environment
   2. Guidelines
   3. Culture
   4. Operating norms
   5. Policies

38. Because power                                        , a supervisor will need to determine which individuals or groups will be powerful in a given situation.
    1. varies with managers
    2. varies among individuals
    3. is consistent among individuals
    4. rests in an organization’s culture E is about knowledge

39. How do you identify the power players, those motivated to engage in politicking and pinpoint your likely adversaries in an organization? What specific things do you need to assess to determine their power within the organization?

40. Discipline refers to actions taken by a supervisor to enforce the organization’s                                                   
    1. standards and regulations. I
    2. work schedules
    3. policies and procedures
    4. quality measures

A. discipline

E. process flows

41. Of the following, which is NOT one of the typical four steps in the disciplinary process?
    1. verbal warning
    2. written warning
    3. suspension
    4. psychological counseling
    5. dismissal

42. The more frequent violations that may require discipline can be divided four categories. Of the following, which is NOT one of those violations that require discipline?
    1. Attendance
    2. Ability
    3. On-the-job behaviors
    4. Dishonesty
    5. Outside activities

43. Why should all discipline be fair and reasonable?

44.                                                 discipline is action that begins with a verbal warning, and then proceeds

through written reprimands, suspension, and finally, in the most serious cases, dismissal.

1. 1. Progressive
   2. Immediate
   3. Corrective
   4. Active
   5. Staged

45. The “hot stove” rule is a frequently suggested set of principles that can guide supervisors in effectively disciplining an employee. Of the following, which is NOT one of those principles?
    1. Advance warning
    2. Consistency
    3. Immediacy
    4. Impartiality
    5. Paper trail

46. Beginning in the late 1800s, the major legal doctrine that defined an employer’s right to discipline or discharge an employee was                                                         .
    1. collective bargaining
    2. the concept of wrongful discharge
    3. the right-to-work legislation
    4. the concept of employment at will
    5. the discriminatory practices act

47. Defining what is “reasonable in relation to the offense” is one of the most challenging aspects of the discipline process. Briefly discuss why this is so.

48.                                  is the process by which two or more parties who have different preferences must make a joint decision and come to an agreement.

A. Accommodation B.. Negotiation

3. Conflict resolution
4. Collaboration
5. Compromise

49.                                             bargaining is negotiating process that operates under zero-sum conditions; any gain made is at the expense of the other person, and vice versa.
    1. Representative
    2. Integrative
    3. Distributive
    4. Joint
    5. Collective

50. Which of the following operates under the assumption that there is at least one settlement that can create a win-win solution?
    1. Negotiated
    2. Collaborative
    3. Collective
    4. Distributive
    5. Integrative