Conflict Management Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A team member repeatedly interrupts colleagues during meetings. Which conflict resolution approach addresses the behavior without attacking the person?
- Tell everyone to stop talking when they see it happen
- Address the pattern privately using specific behavioral observations (Correct answer)
- Ignore it to avoid creating a bigger conflict
- Report it immediately to HR
Correct answer: Address the pattern privately using specific behavioral observations
Addressing specific behaviors privately keeps the focus on change rather than shame, making resolution more likely.
Question 2: Two employees disagree over project ownership. Their manager uses interest-based negotiation. What does this primarily focus on?
- Determining who has seniority
- Splitting the project equally between them
- Understanding the underlying needs driving each position (Correct answer)
- Letting the team vote on who takes ownership
Correct answer: Understanding the underlying needs driving each position
Interest-based negotiation moves past stated positions to uncover the deeper needs and motivations of each party.
Question 3: Which scenario best illustrates a 'lose-lose' conflict outcome?
- Both parties compromise and each gets part of what they wanted
- One party gets everything and the other gets nothing
- Both parties walk away dissatisfied after neither concedes enough (Correct answer)
- A mediator imposes a solution both parties dislike equally
Correct answer: Both parties walk away dissatisfied after neither concedes enough
A lose-lose outcome occurs when neither party achieves their key interests, often from rigid positional bargaining.
Question 4: During conflict resolution, 'reframing' a statement means:
- Repeating the other party's words back verbatim
- Restating a negative or accusatory comment in neutral, constructive terms (Correct answer)
- Changing the subject to reduce tension
- Writing down all complaints before discussing them
Correct answer: Restating a negative or accusatory comment in neutral, constructive terms
Reframing transforms charged language into neutral terms, keeping dialogue productive and reducing defensiveness.
Question 5: A conflict has escalated beyond what the involved parties can resolve alone. The BEST next step is:
- Wait for one side to give up
- Bring in a neutral third-party mediator (Correct answer)
- Have the most senior person make a unilateral decision
- Separate the parties permanently
Correct answer: Bring in a neutral third-party mediator
A neutral mediator can restore communication and guide both parties toward a mutually acceptable solution.
Question 6: What is the primary risk of using avoidance as a long-term conflict management strategy?
- It resolves conflict too quickly without proper analysis
- It gives one party too much power
- Unresolved issues fester and can escalate into larger problems (Correct answer)
- It requires too many resources to maintain
Correct answer: Unresolved issues fester and can escalate into larger problems
Avoidance is a short-term tactic that does not address root causes, allowing resentment and tension to build over time.
Question 7: In the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, which style is high in both assertiveness and cooperativeness?
- Competing
- Avoiding
- Accommodating
- Collaborating (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Collaborating
Collaborating is the only TKI mode that fully pursues both parties' concerns, making it the most integrative style.
Conflict Management Practice 2
A team member repeatedly interrupts colleagues during meetings.
Which conflict resolution approach addresses the behavior without attacking the person?