Job Scenario, Multiple-Choice
Dillon is a Web site developer for a restaurant company that owns five popular restaurant chains.
Most of these restaurants are run by franchise operators, yet many are run by the company.
Company headquarters provides the Web sites for all the restaurants. Dillon enjoys his work
including the challenge of frequently updating the various Web sites to help attract viewer
interest. However, his manager David, the director of information technology, often changes
Dillon’s modifications to the site. Furthermore, he often insults David with comments such as, “I
think my 12-year-old niece would do a better job updating our site.” David often thinks, “Should
I just quit? There must be a better Web site-development job for me somewhere out there.”
26) Dillon’s boss criticizes him again with the statement, “I think my 12-year-old niece would do
a better job updating our site.” To best resolve the conflict, what response should Dillon make?
A) “I want to improve our Web site. In what specific way would your niece do a better job?”
B) “Back off please. Bullying a subordinate is a human rights violation.”
C) “I doubt it. I once met your niece at a company picnic, and she gave me the impression of
being a little dull.”
D) “You may be the boss. But one more insult and I quit.”
AACSB: Reflective thinking
27) Dillon dislikes the frequent criticism from his boss, but he also wants to profit from the
experience. As a result, Dillon digs into his human relations text and reviews the few paragraphs
about cognitive restructuring. One day, David changes about six items on a Web site Dillon
updated, including changing the search button from blue to purple. A good cognitive
restructuring response for Dillon would be:
A) “I’ll just wait and nail David later with criticisms of my own.”
B) “Maybe I’m not so talented. It could be that I’m in the wrong field.”
C) “David is quite experienced, so perhaps his suggestions provide me useful feedback.”
D) “When you’re dealing with a retard, there’s not much you can do.”
AACSB: Analytical thinking
7
9.2 True/False Questions
1) Louise is a single parent with four children under age ten. A good way for her to avoid role
conflict would be take a position that requires heavy travel.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
2) Alberto, a maintenance supervisor, strongly believes that the physical environment should be
as free from toxins as much as possible. He is likely to experience role conflict when his boss
requires that he spread pesticides on the company lawns.
AACSB: Analytical thinking
3) The more you care about work and family responsibilities, the less likely you are to
experience work-family conflict.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
4) An analysis of a group of studies supported the fact that having supportive supervisors and a
supportive organization reduces work-family conflict among employees.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
5) A personality clash between two individuals usually comes about because one person has a
fancier job title than the other.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
6) Big-picture-thinking Annie works for detail-thinking Gus, so the two will rarely have a
personality clash because they complement each other nicely.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
7) A coworker who engages in frequent drama tends to reduce workplace conflict because he or
she is so entertaining.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
8
8) Extensive online interviews conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute found that many
workplace bullies are women, as well as men.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
9) Cross-cultural research suggests that in a society that highly values an equal distribution of
power, bullying by the boss is tolerated a little more than in a society in which managers are
expected to exercise more power and authority.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
10) A group of researchers suggest that a reason we become so upset with rudeness is that the
behavior violates unwritten laws referred to as social-exchange rules.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
11) Cross-generational conflict has become one of the most intense forms of workplace conflict
and often leads to workplace violence.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
12) Workers who will later become violent often show early telltale signs such as talking a lot
about weaponry.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
13) To use the competitive style of conflict management, a person must give primary concern to
the needs of the other party.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
14) In the sharing style of conflict management, the agreements reached are typically options for
mutual gain.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
9
15) When applying the conflict resolution technique of confrontation and problem solving, it is
important to confront the other person harshly and aggressively to get the conflict resolved as
swiftly as possible.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
16) A recommended approach to dealing with criticism is to act as if you are a detached observer
looking for useful information.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
17) To apologize for what you did wrong after being criticized shows so much personal
weakness, that the criticism is likely to intensify.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
18) Your manager annoys you because she frequently corrects the most minor flaws in your
work. To use reframing through cognitive restructuring, you would tell yourself something like,
“I guess my boss is just trying to be a caring manager. Maybe I can profit from her small
suggestions.”
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
19) Hanna is embroiled in office conflict, and decides to deal with the situation by reframing
through asking questions. A good question for Hanna to ask would be, “What is the real issue
here?”
AACSB: Application of knowledge
20) A useful rule of thumb for negotiating is to minimize empathy because it introduces emotion
into the negotiating process.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
21) To focus on interests, not positions, the negotiator thinks of certain demands that he or she
must absolutely have met.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
10
22) Knowing your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) helps you from accepting
an offer that is smaller than you need to.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
23) A study with many teams and many employees indicated that competitive approaches to
conflict resolution were more effective than cooperative approaches in leading to effectiveness in
resolving conflict.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
24) Quid pro quo harassment takes place when a person’s job is in jeopardy for not submitting to
a boss’s sexual advances.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
25) Keeping a log of sexually harassing incidents against you is considered a bad idea because
there is a good chance you will be sued for libel.
AACSB: Interpersonal relations and teamwork
11