Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 12e (DuBrin)
Chapter 9 Resolving Conflict with Others
9.1 Multiple Choice Questions
1) Conflict occurs whenever
A) you are experiencing stress.
B) two sets of demands are incompatible.
C) you deal with coworkers.
D) your job is demanding.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
2) Sam and Muriel argue over who gets to use the new company car. Their conflict is best
classified as
A) differences in goals.
B) personal differences.
C) competition over limited resources.
D) conflict-prone job duties.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
3) Peggy will most likely face role conflict when she encounters the problem of
A) being asked to both increase customer satisfaction and spend as little time with customers as
possible.
B) not earning a high enough salary to meet her expenses.
C) working for a boss she dislikes.
D) being asked to choose between receiving her salary by direct deposit or by debit card.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
4) The concept of work-life choices implies that
A) you have to at some point decide whether to give higher priority to work or personal life.
B) if you place higher priority on family life, career success will follow.
C) if you place higher priority on work, personal success will follow.
D) you need to balance work and career about 50-50.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
1
5) An important company initiative for helping employees reduce work-life conflict is to offer
A) anger-management training.
B) company-sponsored medical insurance.
C) early retirement with severance pay.
D) flexible working hours.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
6) A type of personality conflict frequently noted at work is between people who prefer
A) light-colored walls versus dark-colored walls.
B) warm supervision versus cold supervision.
C) a sweeping big picture versus details.
D) self-monitoring versus extraversion.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
7) Drama in the workplace acts much like a
A) personality clash.
B) win-win approach to conflict resolution.
C) company initiative for reducing work-life conflict.
D) family-to-work conflict.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
8) A manager who says to a group member, “Are you going to be stupid for the rest of your life?”
is most likely engaging in
A) competition over limited resources.
B) win-win conflict resolution.
C) negotiating.
D) bullying.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
9) Social-exchange rules help explain why we become upset when
A) friends earn a higher income than we do.
B) we are pressured into relocation for the company.
C) a coworker treats us rudely.
D) our boss is younger than we are.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
2
10) An example of cross-generational conflict would be when
A) a younger and older worker are in dispute over the effectiveness of texting.
B) two younger workers argue about the importance of experience for job performance.
C) two older workers argue about the importance of youth for creative thinking.
D) a younger worker fires an older worker.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
11) Bertha and Ben are engaged in task conflict when they argue about
A) the best way to value an old building that the company owns.
B) who is the most skilled property evaluator.
C) who makes a more professional appearance between the two.
D) whether the CEO is competent.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
12) Imagine yourself as the sales manager for a company that sells corporate jets. A major
customer complains that a recently purchased jet makes too much noise at high altitudes. To stop
the conflict surrounding the complaint, you offer to send the customer a check for $10,000 as
compensation for the problem. Which style of conflict management did you use?
A) competitive
B) collaborative
C) accommodative
D) sharing
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
13) Linda, a labor relations specialist, wants each side to leave the negotiating table well
satisfied. Linda is best advised to use which style of conflict management?
A) competitive
B) collaborative (win-win)
C) accommodative
D) sharing
AACSB: Application of knowledge
3
14) The method of identifying the true source of conflict and resolving it systematically is called,
A) frame the outcome in positive terms.
B) disarm the opposition.
C) confrontation and problem solving.
D) begin with a plausible offer, but allow room for negotiation.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
15) A police officer says to you, “I’ve pulled you over because you’ve been driving ten miles per
hour beyond the speed limit.” Following the principle of disarm the opposition, you should
respond in this manner:
A) “Officer, there’s been some mistake.”
B) “Would it be possible for me to pay my fine in cash?”
C) “You must have been speeding in order to catch me.”
D) “You’re right, I was speeding.”
AACSB: Application of knowledge
16) An important result of apologizing for something you have done wrong is that you will
A) be perceived as weak, and the criticism will mount.
B) most likely prevent the criticism from escalating.
C) be permitted to repeat the wrongdoing one more time without punishment.
D) gain power over the accuser.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
17) Michelle is in frequent conflict with a coworker who spends much of the day on her
smartphone rather than contributing to the group effort. In order to reframe the conflict by asking
questions, Michelle might ask all but which one of the following?
A) “Do I have all the facts?”
B) “What is the real issue here?”
C) “How would I want to be treated if the situation were reversed?”
D) “When is the best time to tell management about my lazy coworker?”
AACSB: Application of knowledge
4
18) Jud is involved in conflict within his work group. A useful question for him to reframe the
situation would be
A) “Why am I forced to work with fools?”
B) “Am I sure what my coworker is saying?”
C) “Why has life dealt me such a terrible hand?”
D) “How do I get even?”
AACSB: Application of knowledge
19) The negotiating strategy, focus on interests, not positions, calls for the negotiator to
A) quickly uncover the interests of the other side.
B) stick to his or her demands until the last.
C) find mutual interests with the other side.
D) strive to satisfy his or her overall interests.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
20) You are interested in purchasing a speedboat on sale for $35,000. You make an offer of
$29,500, thereby using the negotiating tactic,
A) begin with a plausible demand or offer, yet allow room for negotiation.
B) compromise.
C) make small concessions gradually.
D) know your best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
AACSB: Analytical thinking
21) Knowing one’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) is designed to help a
person
A) prevent the opposing side from gaining any advantage.
B) block a win-win solution.
C) choose creative alternative solutions.
D) prevent accepting unfavorable terms.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
22) A recommended way of using anger to your advantage while negotiating is to
A) show genuine anger, but do not overdo it.
B) get red in the face and clench your fist while attempting to win your point.
C) not give the other side any indication that you are angry.
D) always be angry while negotiating.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
5
23) In quid pro quo sexual harassment, the harassed person
A) is intimidated with sexually-toned language.
B) loses out because of refusal to grant a sexual favor.
C) receives favorable treatment because of refusal to grant a sexual favor.
D) gets even with harasser by harassing him or her.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
24) Sexual harassment is said to be an expression of power because
A) showing pornography in the workplace is usually done by powerful executives.
B) the harasser often has more formal power than the person harassed.
C) sexual harassers are usually physically strong people.
D) the harassed person often feels powerful for being a victim.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
25) A major recommendation for combating sexual harassment is to
A) post any sexually-toned comments you hear on the company Web site.
B) keep a running log of incidents against you.
C) embarrass anyone who tells a sexually-oriented joke by posting his or her photo and the
comment on a blog.
D) wear a button that says, “Not me, not now.”
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
6