2003: WK 11 SPRING

Which of the following describes the relationship between personality and negotiation skills?

• Negotiation skills depend on the situation.

• Extraverted personalities have a disadvantage because they are 'too closed'.

• Personality overcomes intelligence in negotiation skills.

• Negotiation skills depend on the quality of agreeableness.

Answer explanation

Regardless of personality or intelligence, each situation is different when it comes to negotiations.

Jill is a member of a team of graphic artists working on a company brochure. Her involvement with the brochure is minimal since she is working on several projects at once. The artists are having a heated debate with the corporate legal department regarding how to incorporate legal disclaimers into the brochure's design, and Jill is able to successfully resolve the issue between the two groups. What is the most likely reason?

• Jill is at the periphery of the art group and is not accountable to it.

• Jill is at the core of the legal group and is accountable to it.

• Jill is at the core of the art group and is best positioned to negotiate with another group.

• Jill is at the periphery of the art group and is best positioned to negotiate with another group.

Answer explanation

Jill is at the periphery of the art group and is best positioned to negotiate with another group.

Debbie is on a joint project between a chemical lab and a plastics manufacturer. She has been assigned to represent the lab and she has been working with Omar from the plastics manufacturing company. Omar has provided Debbie with specific details of how their plastic manufacturing works and expressed concerns that the lab's products may not solidify as quickly as the equipment needs them to. He said that the final product should be produced before the end of the tax year but that a delay of a couple of months is not a big deal. Debbie asked for additional funding to cover the expenses of buying new equipment for the plastic research because the lab cannot afford it. Omar refused, saying 'This is your equipment, and you should pay for it!' Omar prevents integrative bargaining because _________.

• He is not open with information

• He is not sensitive to the other party's needs

• He is not candid about their concerns

• He is not willing to be flexible

Answer explanation

Sensitivity to the other party's needs is one of the necessary conditions for integrative bargaining.

Lena has been working as an administrative assistant for the CEO of Orange Cream for the last five years. She has been getting good feedback about her work, and she would like a raise. She has asked the CEO for a meeting, and she plans to tell him that she would like a 12% raise. She knows that they will have to negotiate, so she is expecting that he will only give her 8%. Lena would also be happy with a 7% raise, since her work conditions are very flexible. Lena's points can be described as follows: _________.

• 12% is her target point and 8% is her resistance point

• 7% is her target point and 8% is her resistance point

• 8% is her target point and 7% is her resistance point

• 7% is her target point and 12% is her resistance point

Answer explanation

A target point defines what Lena would like to achieve, which is realistically 8%. Lena's resistance point, which marks the lowest outcome that is acceptable to her, is 7%.

Adam and Blair had a disagreement over a scheduling arrangement, which caused Adam to file a complaint with the human resources department. What type of negotiation would this represent?

• Mediation

• Arbitration

• Conciliation

• Conflict management

Answer explanation

The human resources department would have the authority to finalise the argument and make a determination according to the organisation's policies or procedures.

You are in a negotiation process with an opposing group that your client must continue to do business with. You are looking at what will happen if you 'win' this conflict while using a process that could cause future problems. Which stage of the negotiation process are you in?

• Clarification and justification

• Preparation and planning

• Definition of ground rules

• Bargaining and problem solving

Answer explanation

During preparation and planning, you plan and develop your strategy. This would be a time to consider long-range goals.

Meg, Paul, Sue, Brian and Todd are on a five-person team that examines work conditions at a green energy company. Meg and Paul do not get along no matter what team they happen to be on, and all five team members have heated arguments about whom to blame for workplace injuries. What two types of conflict is the group experiencing?

• Locus and dyadic

• Dyadic and intergroup

• Dyadic and intragroup

• Intragroup and intergroup

Answer explanation

The conflict between Meg and Paul is a dyadic conflict. The conflict between all five team members is intragroup conflict.

Timmy had a disagreement with his boss about the correct price point for his company's new line of kitchen gadgets and cried when he got home from work. What type of conflict was Timmy experiencing?

• Perceived

• Intragroup

• Felt

• Intergroup

Answer explanation

Timmy was experiencing felt conflict

Sara works at a daily newspaper and dislikes Julie, who heavily edits Sara's articles before publishing them. Julie goes to lunch from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sara has been handing in her articles at 1 p.m. so they can be reviewed by another editor. Which conflict-handling intention is Sara demonstrating?

• Avoiding

• Accommodating

• Compromising

• Collaborating

Answer explanation

Sara is avoiding Julie.

Mike and John have been bickering at work, and Mike threatens to report John to the manager. Samantha and Katy have been bickering at work and Samantha yells at Katy and tells her that her work is substandard. Which pair is higher on the conflict-intensity continuum, and why?

• Samantha and Katy because yelling is the highest point on the conflict-intensity continuum

• Samantha and Katy because telling someone that their work is substandard is the highest point on the conflict-intensity continuum

• Mike and John because threats rank higher on the conflict-intensity continuum than verbal attacks

• Mike and John because threats are the highest point on the conflict-intensity continuum

Answer explanation

Mike and John are higher on the conflict-intensity continuum because threats rank higher than verbal attacks. Going to John's manager has the potential to do more harm to Mike than yelling at him would.