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Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-1
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL PART TWO:
Activities and Discussion Questions
-----
Chapter 1: The Nature of Conflict
Activities and Discussion Questions
What Is Conflict Anyway?
1. Ask students to write a paragraph about what they think conflict is. Pair each student with a
partner, and ask each pair to exchange paragraphs. If all the stories are “too nice,” ask them to
think of someone else who engages in conflict; students can then write about someone else’s
conflict. (You can have students pair up more than once, if time allows.)
2. Give a “mini-lecture” on the definition and elements of conflict.
3. Distribute the worksheet at the end of this chapter’s activities, titled “Elements of Conflict.”
Ask students to fill out the worksheet for their own conflicts and for their partners’. Note: The
worksheet may also be used in conjunction with the essay assigned in Part Three of the
Instructor’s Manual.
4. Bring the class back together for a larger discussion. Reflect on what they discovered about
conflict.
5. Discuss escalatory and de-escalatory spirals. Ask students to compare and contrast them.
Which type of spiral is the worst? Why? What can people do to stop the spirals?
6. Send the students back to their partners and ask the pairs to help each other draw any spirals
that occur in the conflict they analyzed with the worksheet.
7. Finish with a discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in conflict.
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-2
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Elements of Conflict Worksheet
My Perspective
Conflict Partner’s Perspective
Expression of Struggle:
Interdependence:
Perception of
Incompatible Goals:
Perception of
Scarce Resources:
Perception of
Interference:
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-3
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Elements of Conflict in “Action”
Family Stone: Movie Analysis
Note to Instructor: The following activities accompany the viewing the movie, Family Stone.
Since the students have only read the first chapter at this point, the movie works well for
identifying the “elements of conflict.” However, as your term progresses, you could re-visit the
film and its concepts/characters numerous times, since topics like power, emotions, systems and
interpersonal negotiation are readily apparent. Finally, you could just use clips for Chapter 1,
clips for later chapters, and then watch the entire movie at the end of the semester and complete a
more in-depth conflict analysis.
Discussion Questions (Ch. 1)
Using the “Elements of Conflict” worksheet helps a lot.
1. Identify “expressions of struggle” between Everett and his family.
a. What do you see as the perceived “incompatible goals” and “scarce resources?”
b. What “interference” do you see between/among the parties?
2. Identify “expressions of struggle” between Meredith and Everett’s family?
a. What do you see as the perceived “incompatible goals” and “scarce resources?”
b. What “interference” do you see between/among the parties?
3. What “expressions of struggle” do Everett and Meredith experience with each other?
4. How are the parties interdependent? (You could ask this question for the whole family or
just Meredith and Everett, etc.)
5. Choose any other set of characters and analyze the various elements of conflict you see
between them.
*One way to complete these discussion questions is to ask the students these questions ahead of
time and/or after the clips/entire film. Another fun way to try it (to demonstrate differences in
perceptions), is to give the sets of questions to half the class for Everett (or Meredith), and then
give the other half of the questions to the rest of the class for the character’s conflict partner.
That is, have each class view it from one person’s perception only, and then conduct the
conversation afterwards. The differences/similarities will make for great discussion!
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-4
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Conflict Skills Inventory
Part One
1. In class, make a list of what you perceive to be your strengths when managing conflict with
others. What skills do you have?
2. Next, make a list of what you perceive to be you weaknesses when managing conflict. What
do you need to improve? What skills would you like to acquire?
3. Ask three important people in your life (friend, co-worker, parent, sibling, romantic partner)
to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Do not give them your list.
4. Note the similarities and differences in your lists and the lists of others.
5. Write a “Plan for Improvement,” incorporating the feedback from others. Set 3-5 goals for
yourself to improve during this course.
6. Incorporating ideas from Chapter 1, discuss how you and those around you might benefit
from your improved skills.
Part Two (Optional)
1. At the end of the term, repeat steps 1 – 5 above. Notice areas where you have improved and
skills that still need work. When writing your “Improvement Plan,” think ahead to the next 6
months – 1 year.
2. As you exit this course on conflict, reflect on the major factors that have contributed to your
increased skill level. Conversely, if you have regressed in any areas, talk about why and
what, if anything, you’d like to do differently
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-5
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Preventing Destructive Conflict at Work
Process
1. Ask students to read the following scenario and sample dialogue.
2. Assign groups of 3-4 students to answer the questions that follow. Have each group assign a
scribe to write down their reflections. Have a student in the group (other than the scribe)
report back to the larger group.
3. When students reconvene in the larger discussion, look for themes, similarities, differences,
and a few “take aways”—snippets of learning they can use to help prevent and manage their
interpersonal conflict.
Sample Dialogue:
Situation: Vicki is an employee in a small training company. Her boss, Maria, has been
frustrated with Vicki’s lack of initiative, inability to prioritize her workload, and her lack of
interpersonal skills. Vicki is frustrated with Maria because she thinks her boss expects too much
from her and the pace of the work is much too fast for a small company. Vicki has been taking a
lot of “sick” days lately and often does not follow through with small assignments. The
following conversation is just one of many “small” conflicts that have been ongoing for
approximately six months. Read the dialogue and then answer the questions below.
Maria: Hey, Vicki. I was wondering where you put that file for the
Spring Conference next week.
Vicki: Which one? You give me a lot of files.
Maria: The really big blue one with our logo on the front.
Vicki: That’s the one you said you’d follow up on. I just assumed
you did.
Maria: No, I remember very distinctly from our debriefing session that
you said you wanted to do it because you had worked with Ed on last
year’s conference. We all took different assignments, and that’s the
one you took.
Vicki: I definitely took a lot of assignments, but the Spring
Conference folder wasn’t one of them.
Maria. Okay. (Pause) I guess what we really need to do is not figure
out who lost it, but where it is now.
Vicki: Who “lost” it? It was never mine, so how could I lose it?
I’m sick of always being blamed for everything that goes wrong around
here. If everyone would just sit still for a minute, maybe all this
stuff wouldn’t fall through the cracks.
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-6
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Maria: Wait a second. I wasn’t blaming you for anything. I just
really need to find the folder. I’m wondering where it is, and I need
to write the follow-up evaluations.
Vicki: Well, I don’t have it. (Vicki returns to completing her
timesheet on the computer).
(Maria retreats to her office and doesn’t say what’s really on her
mind. She’s trying not to get too angry. She meets with another
colleague later that afternoon and asks the colleague what his
thoughts are about Vicki as their support staff.)
Discussion Questions
• Do you think this conflict could have been prevented?
• Should Vicki and Maria just drop it and not discuss it?
• What do you think Maria and Vicki could do to prevent more of this potentially time-wasting
and destructive conflict?
• If you were to write the “third” story of this conflict, what would it be?
• What advice could you give to these conflicting parties?
• Do think there is “hope” for this conflict and working relationship? Explain.
• Is avoidance the same as prevention?
• Your text discusses several benefits of learning conflict management, including success in
the workplace. What skills do Maria and Vicki need to learn?
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM-7
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Journaling Ideas
1. Write about a time when you “read” someone else’s mind. How did it turn out? How
would dialogue have helped/hindered? Write about a time when someone else “read”
your mind? How did it turn out? How might dialogue have helped/hindered?
2. Write about YOUR “bad habits” and/or “dirty tricks.” How have these played a role in
how you manage conflict with others?
3. Recall a recent or current conflict that mattered/matters to you. How do you feel when
you think about it? Describe physical symptoms, if you have them, as well as your
thought processes. How do these feelings/thoughts affect how you manage the conflict.
(You could do this more than once, or repeat it later in the semester, to see what, if
anything may be different/similar.)
