Sophia-Conflict Resolution- Unit 1 Milestone

Which of the following statements would best fit with an accommodating conflict style?

• "Can we just try to get along and deal with this situation another time?"

• "There has to be a way we can figure this out so we're both happy."

• "Can we make a deal here? Maybe split things down the middle?"

• "What you want is more important to you than what I want is to me."

CONCEPT

Accommodating

2

George and Jeff were in the middle of a heated argument when their supervisor, Dan, interrupted them.

"What's going on here? Let's take a step back and see if we can figure this out without yelling at each other in the middle of the office."

"Jeff is dragging his feet on his reports, so I've had to stay late everyday this week in order to submit mine. I'm tired of missing dinner with my family because he can't do his job!" replied George.

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Jeff. "I do my best to get them done as fast as I can, but policy says they have to be signed off on by every supervisor who was working that day. When we have a major project going on, like we do this week, it can take awhile to track everyone down and get their signature."

"Jeff is right, George," replied Dan. "Corporate says those reports need to be signed before you can submit them at the end of your shift."

Based on this conversation, it sounds as if the conflict is __________.

values-based

structural 

relationship-based 

interest-based 

CONCEPT

Types of Conflict

3

The stage of conflict in which an issue starts to develop between parties without their knowledge is called __________.

discomfort 

pre-conflict 

tension

crisis

CONCEPT

Pre-Conflict

4

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Style Assessment measures each conflict style according to which two elements?

Collaboration and independence 

Assertiveness and avoidance

Assertiveness and cooperativeness

Cooperativeness and competitiveness

CONCEPT

Overview of the Five Conflict Styles

5

Michael and Amelia disagreed about who should tend to the affairs and health care of their father, Raphael, who was elderly and no longer self-reliant. As the conflict escalated, Michael and Amelia's relationship deteriorated, and Raphael developed immediate health concerns that required decisions. Michael and Amelia, who live several hours from each other, sought help from a community mediation center, but both refused to meet with each other. The case worker at the center recommended that they participate in a conciliation process.

Which of the following best explains why the case worker recommended conciliation?

Conciliation is always faster than mediation.

Conciliation is the only appropriate process for dealing with elder care issues.

Because they live far from each other, it may be difficult or impossible for Michael and Amelia to meet together.

Conciliation will allow Michael and Amelia to have a decision made for them.

CONCEPT

Conciliation

6

When is conflict the easiest to resolve?

At the end of the conflict

At the earliest possible stage

When the parties request an intervention

Conflict is easy to resolve at any stage.

CONCEPT

Discomfort

7

In the aftermath of criminal activity, which parties does the restorative justice model bring together to address the offense?

Offenders, community leaders, and a mediator

Victims, community members, and police officers

Victims, offenders, and their lawyers

Victims, offenders, and a mediator

CONCEPT

Restorative Justice

8

Collaborative law is also known as __________ mediation.

legal

facilitative 

corporate

divorce

CONCEPT

Collaborative Law

9

At which stage of conflict do parties start to adopt negative views of each other?

Crisis

Incident

Misunderstanding

Pre-conflict

CONCEPT

Misunderstanding

10

In a conflict at the tension stage, which of the following behaviors would a mediator expect to see?

Unawareness of the parties' relationship to each other

Parties talking to others about the conflict in hopes of gaining allies

Members of the parties minimizing the significance of incidents between them

Active attempts between the parties to harm each other

CONCEPT

Tension

11

The collaborating conflict style places great emphasis on which of the following?

Keeping discussion focused on tangible solutions

Preventing negative outcomes

Encouraging both parties to make compromises

Allowing parties to vent their feelings

CONCEPT

Collaborating

12

Which of the following theories interprets human interactions as a set of strategies and actions intended to move individuals closer to attaining goals?

Rights-based theory

Power-based theory

Relationship-based theory

Game theory

CONCEPT

Game Theory

13

Which of the following theories sees conflict as a competition between the goals of different groups or individuals based on a perception of limited resources?

Realistic Conflict Theory 

Intercultural Styles Theory 

Thomas-Kilmann Theory 

Transpersonal Theory 

CONCEPT

Realistic Conflict Theory

14

Roommates Stan and Peter have been in a conflict since Stan accused Peter of stealing money from his wallet. This morning while Peter was in the bathroom, Stan took Peter's wallet from the kitchen table and hid it.

"Now we'll see how he likes it when something important to him goes missing," Stan said as he left.

Later that morning, Peter was frantically searching for his wallet. "I thought I left it on the kitchen table! All of my IDs and money are in my wallet. If I can't find it soon, I'll have no way to get to class on time, and I have a major presentation to give today!"

Which stage of conflict are Stan and Peter in?

Post-conflict 

Discomfort 

Misunderstanding 

Crisis 

CONCEPT

Crisis

15

Competing is a conflict style that can be described as which of the following?

Low in both assertiveness and cooperativeness

Low in assertiveness and high in cooperativeness

High in both assertiveness and cooperativeness

High in assertiveness and low in cooperativeness

CONCEPT

Competing

16

Assad and his brother, Hasim, live in the United States but were raised in another culture. Hasim frequently puts Assad down, borrows money from him without repaying it, and inconveniences him in other ways. Assad's wife, who is not from the same culture as her husband and his brother, became angry at Assad and said, "Why do you put up with that from Hasim? You wouldn't let anyone else treat you like that!"
 
Assad replied, "You're right, I wouldn't. But he's my brother, and I have to take care of him. It's our way."
 
Which of the following indicates a likely source of Assad's willingness to "put up with" his brother's actions? 

Data

Resources 

Compromise

Identity

CONCEPT

Identity and Conflict

17

Conflicts often move from one stage to another. This can be described as which of the following? 

Intensifying or de-intensifying

Escalating or de-escalating

Rising or falling

Progressing or going backward

CONCEPT

Resolution and Post-Conflict

18

Parties using the compromising style of conflict resolution will seek to do which of the following?

Assert their needs and goals over the needs and goals of the other party 

Meet some of their own needs and some of the other party's needs when they are in conflict

Accommodate others' needs at the expense of their own in order to resolve the conflict

Avoid dealing with conflict when the stakes are too high

CONCEPT

Compromising

19

Which one of the following conflict resolution processes is most appropriate when parties are unable or unwilling to meet together?

Arbitration

Restorative justice

Conciliation

Transformative mediation

CONCEPT

Resolution Processes Overview

20

Franklin was involved in a long-standing conflict with his neighbors over the condition of his house, which was very run-down. Although he had the money to fix it, Franklin refused to do so. The conflict recently became very intense, and a local reporter wrote a story about it.

During the interview with Franklin, the reporter asked how the conflict affected Franklin.

"Well," Franklin replied, "it's hard having people not talk to me or complain about me. But at least I'm finally getting some recognition in this community. Nobody paid any attention to me before, and now I'm on the news!"

In Franklin's point of view, what is the advantage of this conflict?

Being talked about by his neighbors

Not spending money

Acting on values

Being interviewed

CONCEPT

Advantages and Disadvantages of Conflict

21

Stages of conflict represent varying degrees of which of the following?

Reconciliation

Advantages

Anger

Intensity

CONCEPT

Incident

22

Which style of mediation can involve a mediator stepping out of his or her role as a neutral party to decide an outcome?

Facilitative mediation

Evaluative mediation

Mediation-arbitration 

Transformative mediation

CONCEPT

Different Styles of Mediation

23

Which of the following is a result of the growth of ADR?

Development of PhD-level programs focused on ADR techniques

Less jail time for people who commit felony offenses

More focus on the emotional aspects of a conflict

Lower rate of divorce among married couples

CONCEPT

History of ADR and Conflict Resolution

24

The avoiding conflict style can best be defined as a style in which a party __________.

does not make any attempt to address or resolve the conflict

disengages from conflict when the other party engages in loud, demonstrative, or physically threatening behavior

makes only half-hearted attempts to challenge the other party

does not speak up because he or she is afraid for his or her own safety

              

Sophia-Conflict Resolution - Unit 3 Challenge 3 SCORE 100 PERCENT

Question 1

Most of the 10 employees at the coffee shop We Know Beans were local college students who worked part-time, which made creating the weekly schedule a headache for Kaitlin, the manager. One day, Kaitlin put up a note telling her employees that she would make a single schedule at the start of each semester. Workers' hours and shifts would only change when a new semester started. A week later, Cody, one of the employees, spoke with Kaitlin about the new policy.

"About half of us are getting ready to quit over this, Kaitlin," he said. "This new schedule is a huge problem. I can't get to the extra study sessions for my hardest class because of it. We're missing school events, professors' office hours, and advisor meetings. We're even having to work when our families visit. You have to go back to a weekly schedule!"

Kaitlin was both surprised and a little upset; she couldn't think of what to say. Fortunately, she'd learned conflict resolution in business school, so she quickly thought back to what she'd learned. I'm supposed to use active listening in this situation, which means summarizing, paraphrasing, and reflecting.

Select the response that demonstrates paraphrasing. 

"So you're saying that the new schedule makes the staff miss school-related activities."

• "So this situation is making half of you want to quit— is that correct?"

• "I hear you, but I'm not sure what I can do to change the situation."

• "I really see how frustrated you are feeling about this."

 

Question 2

After Kaitlin made sure she really understood the complaint Cody was presenting her with, she thought about the situation. She felt like she couldn't win.

"I understand a weekly schedule is nicer for all of you," Kaitlin finally said, "but it just takes too much time out of my schedule to make it."

"Well, you expect us to work hard," Cody retorted, "so why can't you? We put in way more effort than you do!"

Kaitlin felt her face get hot. How could he think she didn't work hard? Again, she thought back to her training in conflict resolution to help figure out what to say next. Instead of blowing up, she carefully replied, "Cody, when you suggest that I don't work hard for my staff, it makes me really angry because I do more around here than you can imagine. It hurts a lot to hear you say that."

Kaitlin knew that using an I-statement like this was less likely to escalate the situation than a you-statement. Hopefully, she thought, Cody recognizes that, too.

Which of the following responses effectively rephrases Cody's you-statement as an I-statement?

• "When you say that the schedule takes too much time to prepare, it makes us feel unappreciated because we all do things here that take a lot of our time."

• "By saying that the scheduling takes up too much of your time, it feels like you're saying that we aren't worth your time."

• "When you won't put in the time we need to be satisfied, you're implying that your time is more valuable than ours."

• "When you say that you don't want to spend time on the schedule we prefer, it seems like you think we're replaceable."

 

 

Question 3

Cody apologized to Kaitlin for saying that she did not work hard to support her staff at We Know Beans. 

Kaitlin replied, "It's okay. I can understand where you're coming from— I've had lots of students work for me over the years, so I'm used to occasional conflict. But here's the problem from my perspective: making a new schedule each week takes too long, so it's costing the store money. I need people to plan ahead based on when their classes are, or else I can't get everything else done."

Cody said, "But a semester schedule keeps people from doing things that aren't set way in advance. We can plan for our class times at the start of the semester, but very little else. Most stuff doesn't get scheduled that far in advance! If we don't go back to the weekly schedule, people can't work here and do well in school."

Kaitlin replied, "I get that there may be things you need to do that you can't plan on at the beginning of a semester. But when I have to account for all of that week by week to make a weekly schedule, I don't have enough time to do all the other things I need to do. We all want to have the time we need to do the things we have to do. If there was a way I could have that time and keep the flexibility for the staff, I'd be happy to do it."

Cody and Kaitlin were both explaining their interests and positions in this situation. Identify the interest that Cody and Kaitlin share.

Having a weekly schedule instead of a semester schedule

Ensuring enough flexibility for the staff

Hiring more dedicated employees

Having a semester schedule instead of a weekly schedule

 

Question 4

After talking with Cody, Kaitlin met with the whole staff to discuss their issues with the schedule at We Know Beans. "I understand you want more flexibility," she explained, "but with all the variability in everyone's schedules, making a weekly schedule just takes too long. Does anyone have any suggestions for how we can resolve this issue?"

Haleigh said, "Well, this isn't a suggestion, but it's another piece of the problem you need to know about. On the new schedule, you have me working on Saturday mornings. I've had to trade that shift since I'm Jewish and I keep the Sabbath. I'm not supposed to work Saturday until sundown. Whatever we decide on, there has to be a way that I don't work Saturdays."

Kaitlin made note of that, and let Haleigh know that respecting her religious needs was very important. Haleigh's interests were based on her values, which Kaitlin knew meant that her needs weren't negotiable.

Select another example of an interest that is based on values. 

• "I think it's unethical to throw away so much garbage, so I'm only going to purchase biodegradable coffee cups."

• "I don't think we charge enough for our large coffee, so I don't want to fill the cup all the way to the brim."

• "I really like my tattoos and don't want to cover them up, even though our dress code says I should."

• "Whenever we host open mic events at the café, I end up staying late to deal with the mess, so I don't want to work those shifts anymore."

 

Question 5

During the staff meeting, Kaitlin heard from just about all of her employees about their concerns with the semester-long schedule. The very last person to speak was Mason, who everyone knew was something of a hothead. Right away, it was clear that he was angry.

Mason said, "I really can't believe you thought this kind of schedule could work for students. You've had mostly students working for you for years. Haven't you been paying attention when people talk about how busy they are and how hard it can be to find ways to work while people are in school? It's frustrating to think that you don't hear your staff or care that they have things to do outside of the shop."

As he spoke, his voice got louder and his gestures bigger. By the end of his speech, he was practically shouting.

Though Kaitlin felt angry, hurt, and defensive after Mason's commentary, she got control of herself before she replied. Using her experience in conflict resolution, she decided to refocus the conversation on the issues at hand instead of making it personal.

Which of the following would be an effective response for Kaitlin to give Mason in order focus their conversation on the problem rather than the people involved?

• "Why doesn't anyone see how hard these schedules are? I doubt any of you would be willing to do this work."

• "Your feelings are valid, so let's try to come up with some concrete solutions to this issue."

• "That hurts my feelings— you should know that I care about making a good schedule for all of my employees!"

• "I don't appreciate being spoken to in that manner."

 

Question 6

After Mason's blowup, everyone seemed a little unsure what to do next. After a tense moment, Haleigh said, "Guys, I don't know if this problem can be solved."

"Yeah," Mason said. "Kaitlin wants a semester-long schedule and the rest of us want a weekly schedule. Obviously, we can't do both, and somebody is going to be unhappy. If Kaitlin gets her way, we can't get ours."

"I understand that you guys don't think that a semester-long schedule works," said Kaitlin. "And I think you hear me when I say that a weekly schedule just takes too long for me to make up each week. Why don't we meet again next week, and everyone can bring their ideas or suggestions about how we can handle scheduling differently? I trust that at least one of us can find a way to make a more flexible schedule system that doesn't require me to spend a lot of time managing it. Deal?"

"We'd all really like that," Cody said, shooting a frustrated glance at Mason. "No matter what anyone says, this is a great job and we'd all like to keep it." 

The staff agreed to come up with ideas and meet the next week.

Some members of the group are engaging in win-win thinking, some in zero-sum thinking, and some believe that the group is at an impasse. Select the group members who are engaged in win-win thinking.

• Mason and Cody

• Haleigh and Kaitlin

• Mason and Haleigh 

• Kaitlin and Cody

 

Question 7

After the coffee shop staff meeting, Mason approached his friend and co-worker, Cody, and asked to speak with him privately.

"I feel badly about attacking Kaitlin like that," Mason confided. "I didn't want to say this in front of everyone, but the reason I've been getting upset about the schedule is that I've been sick lately, and my doctor wants to run a lot of tests to see if I have a condition that runs in my family. Depending on how the tests come out, I might have to base all of my schedule around doctor's visits, and I won't have a lot of time or ability to plan ahead. I need Kaitlin to understand that, but I don't want everyone to know I might be really sick. I know everyone probably just thinks I'm kind of hotheaded, but I'm actually just really scared and trying to keep this all private."

Cody replied, "I understand. And I won't tell anyone. But you might have to tell Kaitlin so that she can factor that in to everyone's schedule ideas. Otherwise she might decide on a solution that won't work for you." 

Mason agreed, so he scheduled a meeting with Kaitlin. As soon as he started talking, she realized that this needed to be a formal private meeting, where Mason could be certain that everything would be kept confidential. By the time they were finished talking, they both felt a lot better.

Formal private meetings are important for keeping information confidential. Which of the following circumstances also indicates the need for a formal private meeting?

• Two sisters are fighting with each other over the use of their mother's car. One sister told her mom privately that the other doesn't ever fill the gas tank after driving the car.

• Two neighbors disagree over the placement of a boundary fence between their properties, and one has accused the other of breaking municipal code when he built an addition to the house.

• At work, Jill is refusing to work in a group with Scott, and the rest of the group is complaining. She tells her boss that she feels uncomfortable with Scott because he criticizes her work too aggressively, which makes her feel like the group is disparaging her.

• A small local book club has broken into factions, each side advocating for their chosen book to be read next. Stuck in the middle, Philip realizes that the two sides disagree about what kind of books they should be reading in the club

 

Question 8

During the week between staff meetings, employees at We Know Beans developed a proposal to make a weekly schedule themselves so that Kaitlin would not have to spend time scheduling. All staff members gave their schedule requests to Haleigh and Cody, and allowed the two of them to make a sample schedule to show Kaitlin that they could take on the task.

They had almost completed the schedule when they realized that no one on the staff was available to work Saturday morning. 

Cody said, "My parents are in town this weekend, so I really can't put myself in for that shift."

"Well, I keep the Jewish Sabbath, so I can't work that day either," replied Haleigh. "Do you think we could ask Kaitlin to cover that day herself?"

"I don't think she'd want to, especially if her concern is working less time on schedule-related issues. And after doing the schedule ourselves, I can see why. Scheduling can be such a long process! I hope someone has a better idea than ours."

By noting that Kaitlin's interests and the employees interests are equally important, Cody is using win-win thinking. Select one important aspect of win-win thinking.

• Sharing joint responsibility to solve the problem

• Determining which party "wins" the debate

• Assigning blame to one party

• Prioritizing one party's interests

 

Question 9

At the second staff meeting, Kaitlin was ready: she had a giant marker and a big piece of paper taped to the wall. To start the meeting, she asked her employees if any of them had a proposal for a new scheduling system. All 10 employees put their hands up.

Kaitlin said, "Well, I'm glad to see so much enthusiasm! Let's get all these options on the table." 

Before she could start writing, however, Cody piped up. "I tried putting together a weekly schedule and failed, so we shouldn't put that on the board."

"You know, maybe just hearing what we've all thought about will help us find a new idea in this meeting. So to save time, let's not criticize anyone's idea until we have all the ideas explained."

"I've got an idea," said Gustavo from the back of the group. "How about doing a biweekly schedule for every two weeks?" After that, ideas came in from all sides.

"What about taking turns with the scheduling responsibility?" suggested Haleigh.

As the sheet of paper started to fill up, Mason said, "Can we organize these ideas a little? I can't tell which ones are keepers and which ones we should ignore."

Generating options and evaluating options are two separate processes. Select the statement that is an example of evaluating options.

• "What about taking turns with the scheduling responsibility?" 

• "Let's get all these options on the table." 

• "Can we organize these ideas a little? I can't tell which ones are keepers and which ones we should ignore."

• "How about doing a biweekly schedule for every two weeks?"

 

Question 10

By the end of the meeting, the coffee shop employees had come up with five options:

1. Kaitlin could work shifts that staff need to miss because of unscheduled events.
2. Kaitlin could make a biweekly schedule.
3. Kaitlin could teach staff members how to draft a schedule and only review the schedule each week.
4. Staff could work longer shifts but fewer of them.
5. Staff could start a phone tree to make it easier to trade shifts if a scheduling conflict occurred.

Finally, Cody stood up and said, "I know that we all want everyone to get as many needs met as possible, and it's clear that none of these solutions are perfect. But I also know that the most important thing for all of us is to feel like we're working together. So I say we combine options 2 and 5."

"You're right," said Haleigh. "I liked options 2 and 5 best, and it seems like Kaitlin likes options 1 and 4 the least. So this seems like a good solution."

There was a spontaneous cheer as everyone agreed. Kaitlin wrote down their plan and posted it by the scheduling board. Looking around the room, she felt proud and touched that all of her employees had worked so hard to solve this problem.

In order to come to a satisfactory solution, it's usually necessary to generate, prioritize options, and interlink options. Select the true statement about interlinking options.

• Interlinking options should be done as a last resort if an agreement cannot be reached.

• Interlinking options should be stated in vague terms to leave the door open for new suggestions.

• Interlinking options should communicate how the parties' joint interests are being met.

• Interlinking options should written in a formal, legally-binding agreement.