Conflict Resolution & Negotiation Flashcards

Which conflict style from the Thomas-Kilmann model is most appropriate in a genuine emergency requiring immediate action?

Answer: Competing

Competing (assertive, uncooperative) fits crises where quick decisive action outweighs consensus.

What is the primary role of a mediator compared to an arbitrator?

Answer: A mediator facilitates agreement while an arbitrator imposes a binding decision

Mediators help parties reach their own agreement, whereas arbitrators decide the outcome.

A coaching client wants to open salary talks with an extreme lowball anchor. What key risk should the coach highlight?

Answer: An offensive anchor can damage trust and cause the other party to walk away

Anchors far outside a credible range can insult the counterpart and end the negotiation.

In team conflict, what distinguishes task conflict from relationship conflict?

Answer: Task conflict concerns ideas and work content; relationship conflict involves personal friction

Task conflict debates ideas and can improve decisions, while relationship conflict is personal and usually harmful.

What does 'expanding the pie' mean in integrative negotiation?

Answer: Creating additional value by discovering trades across parties' differing priorities

Expanding the pie means generating new value through creative trades rather than splitting a fixed amount.

A client complains their counterpart keeps saying 'That's my final offer' early in talks. What should a coach advise?

Answer: Test the commitment by exploring interests and proposing alternative packages

Premature 'final offers' are often tactical and can be tested by shifting to interests and options.

Which question best helps a coaching client prepare objective criteria for a negotiation?

Answer: "What independent standards, like market data or precedents, could both sides accept as fair?"

Objective criteria such as market rates or precedents anchor agreements in fairness rather than willpower.