DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever experienced a constructive conflict? What happened? How was the
disagreement resolved?
Students can share their experiences. I serve on the organizing committee for a chorale. We were to
perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in partnership with another chorale that cancelled two weeks
2. Have you ever experienced a dysfunctional conflict? What happened? Why was the conflict
not resolved earlier?
Yes. The conductor of our symphony and chorale was accused of many things, and the symphony
finally mediated the conflict. The conductor was terminated with appropriate severance pay. As a
3. How can managers promote constructive conflict?
Managers can promote constructive conflict by assigning employees to play the devil’s advocate role
4. Which of the conflict causes do you feel is most challenging to a manager? Why?
Poor communication causes the conflict that is most challenging to a manager. When people lack
5. Think about a current conflict you are experiencing with a coworker, friend, or family member.
Which of Glasl’s conflict stages are you in? What can you do to keep the conflict from
escalating to the next level?
I’m involved in a conflict with a nonprofit group that is divided over moving to a new location in a
6. If two of your subordinates were experiencing relationship conflict, what would you do to
manage it? Why?
7. If two of your subordinates were experiencing task conflict, what would you do to manage it?
Why?
Task conflict occurs when employees disagree about issues such as which packaging design is best or
whether quality or quantity is more important. Task conflict can be very productive if handled
8. What could you do to minimize the potential for negative outcomes in cross-cultural
negotiations?
To minimize the potential for negative outcomes in cross-cultural negotiation, I would pay attention
9. What would have to happen for you to fully accept and cooperate with a mediator’s
recommended settlement?
GROUP EXERCISE: Win as Much as You Can!
Learning Objective: Describe some of the best and worst conflict resolution behaviors.
Summary: For ten successive rounds, each team will select either an “X” or a “Y” and submit their
choice to the instructor on a small piece of paper with their team name on it. The “payoff” for each round
is determined by the patterns of choices made by the other teams as described below:
Choice
Patter
n
Payout
4 Xs Lose $1each
3 Xs
1 Y
Win $1each
Lose $3
2 Xs
2 Ys
Win $2 each
Lose $2 each
1 X
3 Ys
Win $3
Lose $1each
4 Ys Win $1each
Task: In each round, teammates confer and make a joint decision. Before rounds 5, 8, and 10, the teams
will have a chance to confer with each other for 3 minutes before conferring with teammates for 1 minute
and making a decision. Note the three bonus rounds, where the payoff is multiplied.
Round
Time
Allowed
Confer with
other
Teams
Your
Choice $ Won $ Lost Balance Bonus?
1 2 min No No
2 1 No No
3 1 No No
4 1 No No
5 3 + 1 Yes Bonus 3X
6 1 No No
7 1 No No
8 3 + 1 Yes Bonus 5X
9 1 No No
10 3 + 1 Yes Bonus 10X
1. Why do some of the best conflict resolutions behaviors include perspective taking and creating
solutions?
2. Why do some of the worst conflict management behavior include winning at all costs and
retaliating?
VIDEO EXERCISE
Maine Media Workshops – Building a Contingent Workforce
Summary: Maine Media Workshops began as a summer camp for artists wanting to hone their skills.
Over the years, the workshops have allowed students to work with some of Hollywood’s heavy-hitters.
Staff selection is difficult for Maine Media Workshops. With the exception of a few full-timers, the
organization is staffed with temporary week-to-week instructors. Job requirements workshops instructors
are unique. Instructors act as mentors and coaches who dine with students, participate in social events,
teach, and discuss assignments and careers. Keeping courses staffed requires constant recruitment, and
there is no time for training. As a result, the HR department seeks people who were once students.
1. What is the primary problem that education directors face when recruiting instructors to teach
at Maine Media Workshops?
Recruiting faculty is a major challenge at Maine Media Workshops. Many creative and fine arts
professionals would like to teach at Maine Media Workshops but are prevented from doing so
2. What sources of conflict are hampering recruitment at Maine Media Workshops?
Recruiters at Maine Media Workshops encounter conflicts arising from organizational structure,
3. What might Maine Media Workshops do to help resolve its ongoing staffing conflicts?
Because structural conflict is due to organizational design, adjusting the design often reduces or
eliminates the structural conflict. The institute could possibly attract faculty more easily if it began
Presently, however, effective management of scheduling is the primary way to resolve staffing
challenges. Since conflicting schedules are the cause of the organization’s staffing woes, finding
Now What?
Imagine being part of a team of two other coworkers experiencing negative task conflict as they try to
finalize the design of a new toy before an imminent deadline. One team member is focused on making the
toy of maximum quality and the other is focused on the conflicting goal of making the toy at the lowest
cost. One of the team members is getting frustrated and feels that the team should be making better
progress. The coworker asks you if there is anything the team can do to be more effective. What do you
say or do? Go to this chapter’s “Now What?” video, watch the challenge video, and choose a response.
Be sure to also view the outcomes of the two responses you didn’t choose.
OB Concepts Applied: negative task conflict; goal conflict; shared goals; perspective taking; creating
solutions; expressing emotions; reaching out; avoidance
Discussion Questions
1. What types of conflict is the team experiencing in the challenge video?
The team is experiencing goal conflict, disagreement over what is to be accomplished. Is the goal to
produce a durable product or a low-cost product? Billie wants to use higher cost materials to produce
2. What aspects of the negotiation process would best resolve the conflict and why would this
work?
The four principles of integrative negotiation should help resolve the conflict. Separating the people
from the problem is the first step, empathizing with both positions is the first thing Alex does. Alex
3. What conflict resolution behaviors would you use as a manager to address this situation?
Explain your answer.
Integrative negotiation might be very effective in this situation. Integrative negotiation is a win-win
negotiation in which the agreement involves no loss to either party. Integrative bargaining helps to