COOP Conflict Resolution & Mediation Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In interest-based negotiation, a BATNA refers to:
- A binding arbitration timeline for negotiated agreements
- The Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement, defining a party's walk-away point (Correct answer)
- A behavioral assessment tool for tracking negotiation attitudes
- A baseline agreement template used in all mediations
Correct answer: The Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement, defining a party's walk-away point
BATNA, coined by Fisher and Ury, defines what a party will do if negotiations fail, giving them a rational basis for evaluating proposed solutions.
Question 2: Which conflict resolution mode in the Thomas-Kilmann model involves low assertiveness and high cooperativeness?
- Competing
- Avoiding
- Accommodating (Correct answer)
- Collaborating
Correct answer: Accommodating
Accommodating involves yielding to the other party's needs, reflecting high cooperation but low assertiveness.
Question 3: An ombuds working with a cross-cultural conflict notices that one party interprets silence as agreement while the other uses silence to signal disagreement. The ombuds should:
- Ignore the cultural difference and focus on documented facts
- Surface the differing communication norms and help both parties develop shared understanding (Correct answer)
- Advise the party whose norm is less common to adapt to the dominant culture
- Bring in an external cultural expert to adjudicate the misunderstanding
Correct answer: Surface the differing communication norms and help both parties develop shared understanding
Effective ombuds practice requires surfacing implicit cultural differences in communication norms so that misinterpretations do not derail resolution.
Question 4: The 'ladder of inference' is a concept MOST useful in conflict resolution for helping parties:
- Rank their priorities in order of importance during negotiation
- Understand how they move from raw data to conclusions and actions, often skipping steps (Correct answer)
- Structure their opening statements in mediation
- Identify the formal chain of command in organizational disputes
Correct answer: Understand how they move from raw data to conclusions and actions, often skipping steps
The ladder of inference (Argyris) helps parties see how they select data, add meaning, make assumptions, and reach conclusions—often unconsciously—leading to miscommunication.
Question 5: When an ombuds identifies that a conflict involves an unequal power dynamic, the MOST appropriate response is to:
- Align with the less powerful party to counterbalance the dynamic
- Refuse to facilitate until power is equalized
- Acknowledge the dynamic and use process design to create conditions for equitable participation (Correct answer)
- Refer the case directly to HR or legal as outside the ombuds scope
Correct answer: Acknowledge the dynamic and use process design to create conditions for equitable participation
The ombuds remains neutral but can design the process—timing, format, private sessions—to ensure all voices are heard despite power imbalances.
Question 6: A key distinction between facilitation and mediation in an organizational ombuds context is:
- Facilitation requires a formal agreement while mediation is informal
- Mediation focuses on resolving a specific dispute between identified parties; facilitation focuses on improving group processes and communication (Correct answer)
- Facilitation is binding and mediation is non-binding
- Mediation is only used in legal disputes while facilitation applies to interpersonal conflicts
Correct answer: Mediation focuses on resolving a specific dispute between identified parties; facilitation focuses on improving group processes and communication
Mediation targets resolution of a defined conflict between specific parties, while facilitation broadly improves communication and decision-making processes within groups.
Question 7: During a conflict coaching session, the ombuds asks: 'What outcome would tell you this situation has been resolved?' This question is PRIMARILY intended to:
- Establish a timeline for the ombuds investigation
- Help the visitor clarify their own desired outcome and interests (Correct answer)
- Determine whether the visitor's expectations are realistic
- Document the visitor's formal complaint for the record
Correct answer: Help the visitor clarify their own desired outcome and interests
This forward-focused question helps the visitor define success for themselves, shifting from a problem orientation to a resolution orientation.
COOP Conflict Resolution & Mediation Techniques 3
In interest-based negotiation, a BATNA refers to: