CCM Workplace Conflict and Organizational Dynamics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the tendency of groups to suppress dissent in order to maintain cohesion, which can escalate unaddressed conflict?
- Social loafing
- Groupthink (Correct answer)
- Diffusion of responsibility
- Cognitive dissonance
Correct answer: Groupthink
Groupthink occurs when the desire for group harmony overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives, allowing latent conflicts to fester unaddressed.
Question 2: During a post-merger integration, employees from the acquired company resist new policies. This conflict MOST likely stems from:
- Lack of technical skills
- Organizational culture clash (Correct answer)
- Insufficient compensation
- Inadequate physical workspace
Correct answer: Organizational culture clash
Post-merger conflicts frequently arise from organizational culture clashes when two companies with different values, norms, and practices are combined.
Question 3: Which leadership style is MOST likely to reduce dysfunctional conflict in a high-stress, rapidly changing work environment?
- Laissez-faire leadership
- Transformational leadership (Correct answer)
- Autocratic leadership
- Transactional leadership
Correct answer: Transformational leadership
Transformational leaders inspire shared vision and build trust, which reduces dysfunctional conflict during periods of rapid organizational change.
Question 4: A team experiences moderate task conflict about how to approach a new project. Research suggests this level of conflict is MOST likely to:
- Reduce team performance significantly
- Have no effect on team performance
- Enhance decision quality and innovation (Correct answer)
- Lead to immediate team dissolution
Correct answer: Enhance decision quality and innovation
Moderate task conflict is associated with improved decision quality and creative problem-solving because it encourages diverse viewpoints.
Question 5: Which organizational factor MOST directly contributes to latent conflict becoming manifest conflict?
- A triggering event or perceived injustice (Correct answer)
- Increased salary levels
- Employee recognition programs
- Reduced workloads
Correct answer: A triggering event or perceived injustice
Latent conflict becomes manifest when a triggering event or perceived injustice causes parties to act on previously unaddressed tensions.
Question 6: An organization's conflict climate is BEST measured by assessing:
- The number of formal grievances filed annually
- Employee perceptions of safety to raise disagreements and how disputes are typically handled (Correct answer)
- The ratio of managers to employees
- Annual revenue growth metrics
Correct answer: Employee perceptions of safety to raise disagreements and how disputes are typically handled
Conflict climate reflects shared perceptions of psychological safety to voice disagreement and norms around how conflicts are managed.
Question 7: When task interdependence is HIGH between departments, which conflict management strategy is MOST critical to implement proactively?
- Physical separation of departments
- Clear escalation procedures and joint coordination mechanisms (Correct answer)
- Individual performance bonuses
- Reducing shared project assignments
Correct answer: Clear escalation procedures and joint coordination mechanisms
High task interdependence increases conflict risk; proactive coordination mechanisms and clear escalation paths help manage inevitable friction.
CCM Workplace Conflict and Organizational Dynamics 3
Which concept describes the tendency of groups to suppress dissent in order to maintain cohesion, which can escalate unaddressed conflict?