CBN Negotiation Styles & Behavioral Profiles

Question 1

Which negotiation style is characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness, pursuing one's own goals at the expense of the other party's interests?

Accepted Answer

Competing

Answer

The competing style (also called distributive or win-lose) prioritizes achieving personal goals regardless of the impact on the relationship or the counterpart's outcome. It is high in assertiveness and low in cooperativeness, appropriate when the issue is critical and the relationship is less important.

Question 2

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument identifies five negotiation/conflict styles. Which style involves low assertiveness AND low cooperativeness?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding

Answer

Avoiding is characterized by withdrawing from or postponing the negotiation, reflecting low concern for both personal goals and the relationship. It is appropriate when the issue is trivial, timing is wrong, or when cooling down is needed before re-engaging.

Question 3

A counterpart consistently makes large concessions quickly, prioritizes harmony, and rarely pushes back on demands. They are MOST likely exhibiting which negotiation style?

Accepted Answer

Accommodating

Answer

The accommodating style is high in cooperativeness and low in assertiveness. These negotiators place relationship preservation above their own substantive goals, often conceding quickly to avoid conflict. While valuable for maintaining trust, over-accommodation can result in unfavorable outcomes.

Question 4

When you identify that a counterpart is using a competing style, the MOST effective adaptive response in an ongoing business relationship is typically to:

Accepted Answer

Shift toward collaboration by surfacing underlying interests and proposing mutual-gain options

Answer

Mirroring a competing style escalates positional conflict. In an ongoing relationship, the most productive counter is to acknowledge the competitive dynamic and redirect toward interest-based exploration, often revealing options that satisfy both parties better than a positional battle would.

Question 5

Compromising as a negotiation style is BEST characterized as:

Accepted Answer

Moderate assertiveness and moderate cooperativeness — each party gives up something to reach a middle ground

Answer

Compromising sits in the middle of the assertiveness-cooperativeness grid. Both parties trade concessions to split the difference. It is faster than collaborating but may leave value on the table because underlying interests are not fully explored.

(CBN) Certified Business Negotiator Practice Test

(CBN) Certified Business Negotiator Practice Test

CBN Negotiation Styles & Behavioral Profiles