Conflict Resolution & Negotiation Flashcards

A marketing officer is asked to resolve a dispute between an agency and a client where both parties agreed to binding third-party resolution. This process is called:

Answer: Arbitration

Arbitration involves a neutral third party who hears both sides and makes a binding decision, unlike mediation where parties retain decision authority.

Which de-escalation technique involves acknowledging the other party's feelings before presenting your own perspective during a heated marketing conflict?

Answer: Empathic acknowledgment

Empathic acknowledgment validates the other party's emotions, reducing defensiveness and creating psychological safety for productive dialogue.

In a salary negotiation with a marketing hire, the candidate uses the tactic of staying silent after presenting their number. What is the strategic purpose of this silence?

Answer: To create discomfort and pressure the other party to respond or concede

Strategic silence after an offer creates psychological pressure, often prompting the other party to fill the silence with a concession or counter-offer.

A marketing team conflict escalates from a task disagreement to personal attacks. This shift is best described as moving from:

Answer: Cognitive to affective conflict

Cognitive (task-focused) conflict becomes affective (emotion-driven) conflict when disputes shift from ideas to personal criticism, damaging relationships.

When negotiating marketing software contracts, a vendor uses 'good cop/bad cop.' The marketing officer's best counter-strategy is to:

Answer: Recognize the tactic, name it diplomatically, and refocus on objective criteria

Naming a manipulation tactic neutralizes its effect and signals sophistication, allowing both parties to return to principled, objective negotiation.

Which conflict resolution outcome is considered most sustainable long-term in marketing partnership disputes?

Answer: Win-win, where both parties' core interests are satisfied

Win-win outcomes preserve relationships, build trust, and create durable agreements because both parties feel their needs were genuinely addressed.

A marketing officer uses 'objective criteria' during a budget negotiation. Examples of objective criteria include:

Answer: Market benchmarks, industry data, and precedent agreements

Objective criteria such as market benchmarks, industry standards, and precedent agreements ground negotiations in facts rather than subjective preferences.