Organizational Behavior Conflict and Negotiation 55-79 Answers

55) A review that examined the effects of the four sets of behaviors across multiple studies found that openness and collaborating were both associated with superior group performance. Answer: TRUE Explanation: A review that examined the effects of the four sets of behaviors across multiple studies found that openness and collaborating were both associated with superior group performance, whereas avoiding and competing strategies were associated with significantly worse group performance. These effects were nearly as large as the effects of relationship conflict. This further demonstrates that it is not just the existence of conflict or even the type of conflict that creates problems, but rather, the ways people respond to conflict and manage the process once conflicts arise. 56) What are the various causes of conflict? Answer: The three general categories of conditions that may be the sources of conflict are communication, structure, and personal variables. a) Communication represents those opposing forces that arise from semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and "noise" in the communication channels. Differing word connotations, jargon, insufficient exchange of information, and noise in the communication channel are all barriers to communication and potential antecedent conditions to conflict. The potential for conflict increases when either too little or too much communication takes place. b) Structure includes variables such as size, degree of specialization in the tasks assigned to group members, jurisdictional clarity, member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems, and the degree of dependence between groups. c) Personal variables include individual value systems that each person has and the personality characteristics that account for individual idiosyncrasies and differences. 57) Describe the five conflict-handling intentions that are based on the dimensions of cooperativeness and assertiveness. Answer: The five conflict-handling intentions that are based on the dimensions of cooperativeness and assertiveness are: a) Competing: When one person seeks to satisfy his or her own interests, regardless of the impact on the other parties to the conflict, that person is competing. b) Collaborating: In collaborating, the intention of the parties is to solve the problem by clarifying differences rather than by accommodating various points of view. c) Avoiding: In avoiding, a person may recognize that a conflict exists and want to withdraw from it or suppress it. d) Accommodating: A party who seeks to appease an opponent may be willing to place the opponent's interests above his or her own, sacrificing to maintain the relationship. We refer to this conflict-handling intention as accommodating. e) Compromising: In compromising, there is no clear winner or loser. Rather, there is a willingness to ration the object of the conflict and accept a solution that provides incomplete satisfaction of both parties' concerns. 58) Outline and discuss the conflict process. Answer: The conflict process can be seen as comprising five stages: potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcomes. a) The first step in the conflict process is the presence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise. They need not lead directly to conflict, but one of these conditions is necessary if conflict is to surface. These conditions are communication, structure, and personal variables. If the conditions related to these variables negatively affect something that one party cares about, then the potential for opposition or incompatibility becomes actualized in the second stage. The antecedent conditions can only lead to conflict when one or more of the parties are affected by, and aware of, the conflict. b) "Stage II" is cognition and personalization. This is where conflict issues tend to be defined. c) In "Stage III," intentions intervene between people's perceptions and emotions and their overt behavior. These intentions are decisions to act in a certain way. This is "Stage III" of the conflict process. d) When most people think of conflict situations, they tend to focus on "behavior" because this is where conflicts become visible. The behavior stage includes statements, actions, and reactions made by the conflicting parties. This is "Stage IV" of the conflict process. e) The action-reaction interplay between the conflicting parties results in consequences. These outcomes in "Stage V" may be functional in that the conflict results in an improvement in the group's performance, or dysfunctional in that it hinders group performance. 59) Explain the conflict resolution strategies used by collectivist cultures. Answer: Collectivist cultures see people as deeply embedded in social situations. As a result, collectivists are more likely to seek to preserve relationships and promote the good of the group as a whole than individualists. To preserve peaceful relationships, collectivists will avoid direct expression of conflicts, preferring to use more indirect methods for resolving differences of opinion. Compromising and avoiding are the most preferred methods of conflict management in China. Smoothing, or playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between the conflicting parties, is also a good technique to maintain relationships. Collectivists such as the Chinese may also be more interested in demonstrations of concern and working through third parties to resolve disputes. 60) Which of the following terms best describes the process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources? A) integration B) association C) negotiation D) unionization E) differentiation Answer: C Explanation: We can define negotiation as a process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources. 61) The terms negotiation and ________ are used interchangeably. A) win-lose B) bargaining C) collaboration D) accommodation E) compromise Answer: B Explanation: Negotiation can be defined as a process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources and agree on an exchange rate for the resources. The terms negotiation and bargaining can be used interchangeably. 62) Which of the following is not a necessary condition for integrative bargaining to succeed in organizations? A) Opposing parties have a zero-sum outlook. B) Opposing parties are open with information. C) Opposing parties are candid about concerns. D) Opposing parties are sensitive to the other's needs and trust. E) Opposing parties maintain flexibility. Answer: A Explanation: For integrative bargaining to succeed in an organization, opposing parties must be open with information, candid about concerns, sensitive to the other's needs and trust, and flexible. 63) Negotiation is a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about. Answer: FALSE Explanation: We can define negotiation as a process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources. 64) Discuss the effectiveness of teams versus individuals in negotiations in collectivist cultures. Answer: In general, the literature has suggested that teams negotiate more effectively than individuals negotiating alone. Some evidence indicates that team negotiations create more ambitious goals, and that teams communicate more with each other than individual negotiators do. Common sense suggests that if this is indeed the case, it is especially true in collectivistic cultures, where individuals are more likely to think of collective goals and be more comfortable working in teams. A study of the negotiation of teams in the United States and in Taiwan, however, suggests that this common sense is wrong. In both countries, solo individuals proved to be more effective than teams. Why? The researchers determined that in Taiwan, norms respecting harmony already exist, and negotiating in teams only amplifies that tendency prompting teams to satisfice to avoid conflict. Overall, these finding suggest that negotiating individually works best in collectivist cultures, and negotiating in teams works best in individualistic cultures. 65) The two general approaches to negotiation are ________ bargaining and ________ bargaining. A) emotional; rational B) affective; reflective C) distributive; integrative D) formal; informal E) legal; restrictive Answer: C Explanation: There are two general approaches to negotiation: distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining. In distributive bargaining, negotiation seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources into a win-lose situation. With integrative bargaining, negotiation seeks one or more settlements that can create a win-win solution. 66) ________ bargaining is negotiation that seeks to divide a fixed amount of goods or services. A) Distributive B) Integrative C) Reflective D) Affective E) Conjunctive Answer: A Explanation: The essence of distributive bargaining is negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed pie. Fixed pie refers to a set amount of goods or services to be divided up. When the pie is fixed, or parties believe it is, they tend to engage in distributive bargaining. 67) Karl is the labor union negotiator. Today, he is meeting with the top management to discuss the new five-year contract, including wages and benefits. This labor-management negotiation over wages is most likely to use ________ bargaining. A) integrative B) reflective C) distributive D) evaluative E) associative Answer: C Explanation: The most widely cited example of distributive bargaining is labormanagement negotiations over wages. 68) In the case of a distributive bargaining, the ________ point indicates what a person would like to achieve out of the negotiation. A) resistance B) distribution C) target D) bargaining E) focus Answer: C Explanation: Each party in a negotiation has a target point that defines what he or she would like to achieve. Each also has a resistance point, which marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable, or the point below which the party would break off negotiations rather than accept a less favorable settlement. 69) In the case of distributive bargaining, the ________ point marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable–the point below which the party would break off negotiations rather than accept a less favorable settlement. A) resistance B) tolerance C) target D) focal E) distribution Answer: A Explanation: Each party in a negotiation has a target point that defines what he or she would like to achieve. Each also has a resistance point, which marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable, or the point below which the party would break off negotiations rather than accept a less favorable settlement. 70) Which of the following statements is true regarding distributive bargaining? A) It operates under zero-sum conditions. B) It focuses on long-term relationships. C) It involves high information sharing. D) It attempts to create a win-win solution. E) It is rarely used in labor-management negotiations. Answer: A Explanation: Distributive bargaining operates under zero-sum conditions. The essence of distributive bargaining is negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed pie. 71) During a negotiation, making an initial offer leads to the ________ bias. A) self-serving B) framing C) attributional D) anchoring E) belief Answer: D Explanation: During a negotiation, making an initial offer leads to the anchoring bias. People tend to fixate on initial information. Once that anchoring point is set, they fail to adequately adjust it based on subsequent information. 72) Which of the following statements is true regarding integrative bargaining? A) Integrative bargaining leaves one party a loser. B) Integrative bargaining is used in labor-management negotiations most of the time. C) Integrative bargaining focuses on long-term relationships. D) Integrative bargaining operates under zero-sum conditions. E) Integrative bargaining involves low information sharing. Answer: C Explanation: Integrative bargaining involves high information sharing and attempts to create a win-win solution. In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because the former builds long-term relationships. Labor and management at Leo Trucking cannot seem to agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. As each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, no agreement seems to be possible. The drivers are threatening to go on strike, and management knows that such a strike would prove to be costly. 73) As both sides agree that they are competing over a fixed amount of resources, each side feels that what one side wins, the other loses. Based on this information, we can say that the two sides are engaged in ________. A) conciliation B) distributive bargaining C) mediation D) integrative bargaining E) arbitration Answer: B Explanation: The essence of distributive bargaining is negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed pie. When the pie is fixed, or parties believe it is, they tend to engage in distributive bargaining. Probably the most widely cited example of distributive bargaining is labor management negotiations over wages. 74) None of the parties involved in the dispute wants to reach a win-win agreement. They are each highly focused on their demands, which they would like to achieve, otherwise known as their ________ points. A) focal B) distribution C) resistance D) tolerance E) target Answer: E Explanation: With distributive bargaining, each party has a target point that defines what he or she would like to achieve. Each also has a resistance point, which marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable, or the point below which the party would break off negotiations rather than accept a less favorable settlement. 75) The management has decided to try to find a win-win solution to help both parties resolve their differences. Management is attempting to engage in ________ bargaining. A) integrative B) reflective C) surface D) distributive E) reformatory Answer: A Explanation: In integrative bargaining, the parties try to expand the pie so that both parties are satisfied and reach a win-win agreement. 76) Distributive bargaining attempts to create a win-win solution for both the parties. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Distributive bargaining operates under zero-sum conditions. The essence of distributive bargaining is negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed pie. Distributive bargaining involves a win-lose situation. LO: 14.4: Apply the five steps of the negotiation process. Difficulty: Easy Quest. Category: Concept 77) In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining. Answer: TRUE Explanation: In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because the former builds long-term relationships. 78) In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, why is integrative bargaining preferable to distributive bargaining? Answer: In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because the former builds long-term relationships. Integrative bargaining bonds negotiators and allows them to leave the bargaining table feeling they have achieved a victory. Distributive bargaining, however, leaves one party a loser. It tends to build animosities and deepen divisions when people have to work together on an ongoing basis. Research shows that over repeated bargaining episodes, when the "losing" party feels positive about the negotiation outcome, he or she is much more likely to bargain cooperatively in subsequent negotiations. This points to an important advantage of integrative negotiations, even when you "win," you want your opponent to feel good about the negotiation. 79) Describe the first step of the negotiation process. How does this step affect negotiating parties' relationship? How does the negotiating parties' relationship help determine the kind of bargaining that will be done (integrative or distributive)? Answer: The first step of the negotiating process is planning and preparation. Before negotiating it's important to prepare by considering the nature of the conflict, the history leading up to the negotiation, who's involved and what their perceptions of the conflict are, what is desired from the negotiation, and what you hope to achieve. Relationships can change as a result of a negotiation, so that's another outcome to take into consideration in the planning and preparation phase. If one side completely "wins" a negotiation, it can push the other side into resentment or animosity. It might be wiser to pursue a more compromising style. If preserving the relationship will make you seem weak and easily exploited, you may want to consider a more aggressive style. In terms of intraorganizational behavior, all things being equal, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because the former builds long-term relationships. Integrative bargaining bonds negotiators and allows them to leave the bargaining table feeling they have achieved a victory. Distributive bargaining, however, leaves one party a loser.