episode 12 exercise answer 01

Part 1: Solution

Let's see how well you answered the questions.

By understanding the nature of conflict, Pauline can gain a better understand of the benefits and potential problems that conflict brings to CanGo. Choose the best answer to each of the multiple-choice questions.

	1.	Conflict can be valuable to the organization because it may
		a. force important issues into the open.
		b. test the loyalty of those involved in the conflict.
		c. bring out creative ideas about problem solving.
		d. a and c only.
		e. a and b only.
		Your Answer:
		Correct Answer: d
		Conflict can benefit the organization by forcing important issues into the open and encouraging creative problem solving. However, it is not useful to the organization to use conflict as a tool to test loyalty.

	2.	Choose the facts that most accurately describe conflict.
		a. Conflict is minimal in well-managed organizations.
		b. Competition for scarce resources can contribute to conflict.
		c. Conflict occurs because one of the parties is wrong.
		d. Conflict in the workplace is frequently based on personal rather than business issues.
		Your Answer:
		Correct Answer: b
		Competition for scarce resources is only one of the many possible causes of conflict. In a business environment, conflict may occur because of differences in personal opinion, differences in goals and values, and differences in culturally ingrained ways of conducting business. Many times both parties involved in the conflict are correct but they may have different ways of approaching a solution. Conflict occurs in all organizations—and can be successfully resolved.

	3.	A win-lose conflict resolution requires that
		a. one party clearly wins and is declared the victor while the other clearly loses.
		b. both parties win some of their demands and lose others.
		c. the highest-ranking participant in the conflict wins based on seniority.
		d. an outside mediator chooses a winner and a loser.
		Your Answer:
		Correct Answer: a
		In a win-lose resolution, one party clearly wins and the other clearly loses. This strategy requires no compromise and will surely make someone unhappy. While this may be a simple solution in the short term, it will certainly cause problems in the future since the solution is unlikely to be viewed as fair by most employees. A better solution is to reach a compromise.

	4.	A lose-lose conflict resolution is most likely to occur when
		a. both parties involved in the conflict are clearly wrong.
		b. the supervisor wants to punish both parties and demonstrate that it is best to avoid conflict.
		c. both parties become so emotionally involved in the conflict that each would rather lose than see the other party win.
		d. there is no other possible solution.
		Your Answer:
		Correct Answer: c
		The lose-lose resolution occurs when both parties become emotionally involved in the conflict. The lose-lose resolution is most likely to occur when the conflict has been allowed to continue for some time. The best way to prevent the lose-lose resolution is to identify conflict in its early stages and seek resolution before both parties become emotionally involved. The least beneficial and most dangerous outcome of a lose-lose resolution is that there are two disgruntled employees.

	5.	The principle behind the win-win strategy is
		a. both parties are right.
		b. the parties can better solve their problems by working together than by waging war.
		c. preventing the anger of the involved parties is the most important outcome.
		d. there is always a way in which to find common ground and satisfy both parties.
		Your Answer:
		Correct Answer: b
		Conflict is always best resolved when the parties involved work together toward a mutually acceptable solution. This does not mean that one party is right and the other wrong. Rather, it focuses on finding common ground between the two parties. While this is not always possible, it is always the preferred outcome of conflict.

	6.	Many people avoid conflict entirely because it makes them uncomfortable. This situation
		a. benefits the organization since it ensures a peaceful workplace.
		b. detracts from the organization because there are many beneficial outcomes of conflict.
		c. prevents creative solutions for being discovered because one party withholds input.
		d. both b and c.
		Your Answer:
		Correct Answer: d
		Conflict, if managed properly, can produce creative solutions and force underlying issues out into the open. When an employee avoids conflict, he may prevent the organization from the potential benefits of conflict. The "peaceful" workplace may be a dictatorship in which employees are hesitant to speak their minds and, therefore, fail to contribute to creative solutions.

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