Soft Skills Conflict Resolution and Negotiation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes arbitration from mediation?
- Arbitration is informal; mediation is legally binding
- An arbitrator imposes a binding decision; a mediator helps parties reach their own (Correct answer)
- Mediation is used only in legal disputes; arbitration is for workplace issues
- Arbitration is always voluntary; mediation is mandatory
Correct answer: An arbitrator imposes a binding decision; a mediator helps parties reach their own
In arbitration, a neutral third party makes a binding decision, whereas mediators only facilitate the parties' own agreement.
Question 2: A team member consistently takes credit for group work. The best first step in resolving this conflict is to:
- Confront them publicly in front of the team
- Speak privately with the individual about the specific behavior and its impact (Correct answer)
- Report the behavior to HR without speaking to the person first
- Exclude them from future projects
Correct answer: Speak privately with the individual about the specific behavior and its impact
Addressing behavior privately and specifically is more likely to produce change and preserve the working relationship.
Question 3: Which negotiation tactic involves making a very small initial request to gain agreement before escalating to the real ask?
- Door-in-the-face
- Good cop/bad cop
- Foot-in-the-door (Correct answer)
- Nibbling
Correct answer: Foot-in-the-door
Foot-in-the-door works by securing small commitments first, leveraging consistency bias to gain larger ones later.
Question 4: When parties in a conflict have fundamentally different core values, which approach is most realistic?
- Insist one party adopt the other's values
- Find a workable behavioral agreement that respects both sets of values (Correct answer)
- Avoid the topic and focus only on tasks
- Escalate the matter to legal counsel
Correct answer: Find a workable behavioral agreement that respects both sets of values
Core values rarely change through negotiation, so focusing on mutually acceptable behaviors is more achievable.
Question 5: What is 'logrolling' in the context of negotiation?
- Deliberately slowing negotiations to wear the other party down
- Trading concessions on issues each party values differently (Correct answer)
- Rolling back previous offers to reset the discussion
- Using humor to reduce tension during difficult talks
Correct answer: Trading concessions on issues each party values differently
Logrolling means conceding on issues that matter less to you in exchange for gains on issues that matter more, creating mutual value.
Question 6: Active listening during conflict resolution is best demonstrated by:
- Preparing your rebuttal while the other person speaks
- Reflecting back the speaker's key points before responding (Correct answer)
- Keeping eye contact without responding verbally
- Asking yes/no questions to move the conversation forward
Correct answer: Reflecting back the speaker's key points before responding
Reflecting back demonstrates comprehension and signals respect, which reduces defensiveness and opens dialogue.
Question 7: A negotiator uses silence after making an offer. What is typically the purpose of this tactic?
- To signal they are no longer interested in the deal
- To create pressure that prompts the other party to fill the silence with concessions (Correct answer)
- To allow time for a legal review of the offer
- To express displeasure nonverbally
Correct answer: To create pressure that prompts the other party to fill the silence with concessions
Strategic silence creates psychological discomfort, often causing the other party to concede or reveal their position.
Soft Skills Conflict Resolution and Negotiation 4
What distinguishes arbitration from mediation?