Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter 11: Managing Conflict
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Successful leaders are able to ask themselves, “How can we ______ conflict and
produce ______ change?”
a. avoid; minimal
b. control; minimal
c. learn from; notable
d. manage; positive
2. Moral struggles are an example of which type of conflict?
a. intrapersonal
b. societal
c. interpersonal
d. physical
3. Relying on others is an example of which characteristic of conflict?
a. struggle
b. interdependence
c. feelings
d. differences
4. A manager says to a subordinate, “Please wear your name tag when you’re on the
clock.” Analyzing which dimension of communication can yield different interpretations?
a. feelings dimension
b. content dimension
c. relationship dimension
d. differences dimension
5. Content conflicts involve struggles between individuals who differ on issues such as
what?
a. policies
b. procedures
c. rules
d. all of these
6. Conflict between the top 1% of the wealthiest and blue-collar workers would be an
example of what type of conflict?
a. intrapersonal
b. interpersonal
c. societal
d. physical
7. Which of the following best exemplifies a conflict of values and beliefs?
a. small business owners angry over large retail stores moving into their mall
b. Cubs and Cardinals fans fighting in the parking lot after a baseball game
c. doctors disagreeing on the diagnosis of a patient
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
d. ISIS waging war with the Western world
8. Which of the following describes a content-level conflict?
a. An employee wants a pay raise but her manager declines.
b. An employee is being teased by his coworkers.
c. A new employee speaks arrogantly to veteran employees.
d. An employee tries to impress her team but is consistently ignored.
9. What are the two types of conflict that occur regarding group goals?
a. communication and conflict resolution
b. cohesion and unity
c. procedural and substantive
d. subjective and objective
10. Kevin and Matt are conducting study abroad interviews for students but disagree on
how to long to interview, which questions to ask, and in what order to ask questions.
Which type of conflict are they experiencing?
a. different values and beliefs
b. procedural conflict
c. substantive conflict
d. relationship conflict
11. Which would be an example of a substantive conflict?
a. two students debating which order to present their information to the class
b. the president of Canada legalizing an open border policy
c. Middle East countries arguing over the use of Sharia Law
d. a married couple deciding on which route to take for their road trip
12. Two people having disagreements because of a personality clash is which type of
conflict?
a. relational
b. procedural
c. substantive
d. goal
13. Wendy uses a different, condescending tone to talk to certain employees. What is
the most likely type of conflict she has with them?
a. substantive
b. procedural
c. values
d. relational
14. In order to ensure a minimal amount of relational conflict, how should Greg treat his
coworkers?
a. arrive earlier than them
b. treat and talk to them all the same
c. discuss overall goals of the organization at a staff meeting
d. learn each of their parent’s names
15. Relational conflicts are usually related to differences in ______.
a. esteem
b. control
c. affiliation
d. all of these
16. Which issue, referring to relational conflict, involves wanting to feel equal or worthy
of the respect of others?
a. esteem
b. control
c. affiliation
d. equity
17. Which is NOT an example of conflicts related to issues of esteem?
a. an assistant having issues with an administrator because the administrator neglects
the specific contributions to the organization the assistant adds
b. older employees becoming upset when new coworkers do not give them respect of
their wisdom from years of experience
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
c. younger employees failing to get recognition for their innovative solutions to recurring
problems
d. a daughter being upset with her parents because they will not help pay for her tuition
despite having enough in their savings account to do so
18. Erica, a student, makes sure to pay off her credit card bills, is proactive about
making her class schedule each semester, and has many friends that share individual
interests with her. All of this helps minimize which issue of relational conflict?
a. esteem
b. control
c. affiliation
d. equity
19. Joining a fraternity or sorority is one example of how to receive which issue of
relational conflict?
a. esteem
b. control
c. affiliation
d. equity
20. When managing conflict, what is inherently increased due to channels of
communication remaining open with others?
a. understanding
b. control
c. esteem
d. affiliation
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
21. Which method for negotiation emphasizes deciding issues on their merits instead of
haggling?
a. bartering
b. principled negotiation
c. differentiation
d. fractionation
22. Which of the following is the best example of separating the people from the
problem?
a. A couple decides to text each other about their relationship problems instead of
calling each other.
b. A father and son flip a coin to see which one of them gets to keep a foul ball as a
souvenir from a baseball game.
c. A student and teacher focus on the question wording during a test review instead of
how the material was presented.
d. A supervisor and subordinate discuss their relationship history when talking about a
potential raise in the subordinate’s pay.
23. At its core, why should separating people from the problem help manage conflict?
a. People are not capable of looking at problems without relating them to past
experiences.
b. People and problems do not need to be separated because that is unrealistic and will
only lead to additional problems.
c. Doing so allows people to work together to overcome objective relationships and
focus on the problem.
d. Doing so allows people to work together to overcome subjective relationships and
focus on the problem.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
24. What is the second principle of principled negotiation?
a. invent options for mutual gains
b. insist on using objective criteria
c. focus on interests, not positions
d. separate the people from the problem
25. What refers to the relevant needs and values of the people involved in a conflict?
a. positions
b. interests
c. beliefs
d. options
26. After discussion, a professor decides to allow students to have their highest test
grade count twice instead of having to take a final. Which principle of negotiation is on
display?
a. separate the people from the problem
b. focus on interests, not positions
c. invent options for mutual gains
d. insist on using objective criteria
27. What would be the most useful perspective to look at to help focus on interests, not
positions in a principled negotiation?
a. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
b. Theory X and Theory Y
c. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
d. John Locke’s theory of value and property
28. Michael is facilitating an office issue between Angela and Oscar. Michael strives to
find the option that is a win-win for everyone involved. Which principle of negotiation is
Michael focusing on?
a. separate the people from the problem
b. focus on interests, not positions
c. invent options for mutual gains
d. insist on using objective criteria
29. Why do Fisher and Ury insist on using objective criteria?
a. Objective criteria is not needed; subjective criteria should be used instead.
b. Using objective criteria is more efficient and will save both parties time.
c. The goal in a negotiation is to reach a solution based on principle and not on
pressure.
d. It provides a fair playing field for each member involved in the conflict.
30. What is differentiation?
a. using objective criteria to efficiently facilitate conflicts in a timely manner
b. a process that helps participants define the nature of the conflict and clarify their
positions with regard to each other
c. the technique of breaking down large conflicts into smaller, more manageable pieces
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
d. communicative attempt to establish or maintain one’s self-image in response to a
threat
31. Which of the following is an example of differentiation?
a. John and Nora each take time to learn each other’s history of haggling before
negotiating a contract.
b. Rebecca and Eduardo break down their issues of a contract from 3 major points into
10 smaller, minor points.
c. Sally and Phillip tell each other they make good points but still feel differently
regarding which is the best Batman movie.
d. Group members working on a project discuss why they are having conflict issues
because of outside priorities.
32. When does the fractionation technique usually occur in the conflict resolution
process?
a. early
b. in the middle
c. late
d. after the end as an assessment tool
33. William and Henry decide to breakdown their contract disputes from 3 major issues
to 9 more manageable, smaller issues. This is an example of which conflict resolution
technique?
a. principled negotiation
b. differentiation
c. fractionation
d. face-Saving
34. How does fractionation facilitate a better working relationship between participants?
a. It speeds up the process thus creating happiness for the participants by having more
free time to spend on their interests.
b. It simplifies and specifies the issues at hand.
c. It allows all participants to spread their blame onto others and maintain a positive
image.
d. It uses objective criteria making it easier to decide on a clear winner.
35. What is face saving?
a. attempts to establish or maintain one’s self image in response to threat
b. breaking down large, complex issues into smaller, more manageable issues
c. physically showing up to undesired meetings of co-workers to show support of others
d. taking on the blame of a group onto a single individual
36. What is a patterned response or behavior that people use when approaching
conflict?
a. conflict resolution
b. conflict definition
c. conflict style
d. conflict interpretation
37. Which is NOT a style of approaching conflict?
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
a. compromise
b. avoidance
c. accommodation
d. amalgamation
38. Which shows a disadvantage of avoidance?
a. It leads to “short fuse” emotions in a person.
b. It does not provide time to rationalize issues and gather thoughts.
c. It is the most difficult conflict style to achieve.
d. Avoidance offers very few disadvantages.
39. Adam is working on a project for his supervisor with an approaching deadline when
a colleague requests his help with a trivial project due in a month. Which conflict
approaching style should be embraced in this example?
a. differentiation
b. competition
c. accommodation
d. avoidance
40. Which conflict approaching style involves pursuing one’s own goals while
disregarding helping others?
a. avoidance
b. competition
c. accommodation
d. compromise
41. Elizabeth and Kumar were having a conflict regarding their weekend plans and
decided to settle it by playing a game of chess. The winner of the game got to take point
on the weekend plans. This is an example of which conflict approaching style?
a. accommodation
b. competition
c. collaboration
d. compromise
42. Which two conflict approaching styles are opposites in regard to tending to each
individual’s needs?
a. avoidance and compromise
b. collaboration and competition
c. accommodation and competition
d. accommodation and collaboration
43. Taylor puts Harry’s needs before hers when they are producing the employee
schedule for their retail store. Taylor does not receive any benefit from doing so. Which
type of conflict approaching style is displayed by Taylor?
a. avoidance
b. collaboration
c. compromise
d. accommodation
44. Whose needs are closely attended in accommodation styles of approaching
conflict?
a. self
b. others
c. the group as a whole
d. self and others
45. Compromise occurs halfway between which two styles of approaching conflict?
a. competition and accommodation
b. competition and collaboration
c. accommodation and collaboration
d. avoidance and collaboration
46. Which is the second best style of approaching conflict?
a. competition
b. collaboration
c. accommodation
d. compromise
47. Collaboration requires which two principles in order to be successful?
a. cooperation and assertiveness
b. timidity and support
c. decisiveness and teamwork
d. empathy and efficiency
48. Why is collaboration the most difficult conflict approaching style to achieve?
a. It requires all individuals involved to have the same values.
b. It needs shared control and deep effort to be successful.
c. It only is successful if all criteria with the conflict are looked at objectively.
d. It is not the most difficult; compromise is.
49. Conflict on the content level involves differences in all of the following except
______.
a. relationships
b. values
c. beliefs
d. goal orientation
50. Which style of approaching conflict results in a win-win?
a. avoidance
b. competition
c. accommodation
d. compromise
True/False
1. In groups and organizations, conflict is inevitable.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
2. According to communication theorists, relational issues are inextricably bound to
content issues.
3. Kilmann–Thomas styles of approaching conflict are differentiation, fractionation, and
face saving.
4. Avoidance is a managing style that is usually productive, leading to less stress.
5. Collaboration is the most preferred style of conflict.
6. Face saving only involves verbal communication.
7. Only one style of practical communication can be used at once to resolve conflicts.
8. Annie and Eddie are debating which highway to take to get to their destination
quickest. This is an example of a substantive conflict.
9. Esther and Holly have a disagreement over which company to present their business
idea to. They decide to disregard their different stances on environmental issues and
focus solely on which business will provide them with the most resources in the short–
term. This is an example of focusing on interests, not positions.
10. There are four principles used in principled negotiations.
Essay
1. Identify and elaborate on three of the four elements of interpersonal conflict.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
2. Discuss the differences between content dimension and the relationship dimension of
communication.
3. Kaitlyn and Thomas are in charge of giving a day-long presentation to possible
investors for their new apple juice product. They have disagreements about the order of
the presentation as well as which points of it are important to keep and which can be
omitted. Classify and differentiate the two different types of conflict regard goals they
are experiencing.
4. Analyze the difference and similarities between accommodation and collaboration
conflict styles.
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a competition conflict style?
6. Emma and Jorge are partners owning a Laundromat business. They are looking to
expand soon but disagree on how to pay for the expansion. Emma believes they should
wait to earn enough to pay for the expansion entirely while Jorge thinks they should
take out a loan for the full amount today. Provide an example of how they could
negotiate to invent options for mutual gains.
7. Louise and Tyrone are facing problems making personnel decisions at the restaurant
they run because they are both brining in their professional relationship issues to the
argument. Classify which are the two most relevant principles of negotiation to use here
and why.
8. What is fractionation? Indicate when it should be used.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
9. Briefly define the three practical communication approaches to conflict resolution.
10. Identify and compare the three issues of relational conflict.