Download File: ch01, Chapter 1: Projects in Contemporary Organizations

Chapter: Chapter04: Conflict and Negotiation
Revised by Dwayne Whitten - July, 2008
Multiple Choice
1. In a conflict scenario between two parties, when the level of frustration for the first
party has been lowered to the point where no action against the second party is
contemplated, the first party will usually be
a) Totally demoralized by the second party’s domination
b) Satisfied with the outcome
c) Plotting future revenge against the second party
d) Dissatisfied with the outcome
Ans: b
Feedback: Refer to chapter 4, introduction.
Level: easy
2. Property rights and contractual obligations provide a major source of conflicts that
involve the organization and ________.
a) Functional managers
b) Project team members
c) Outsiders
d) Internal customers
Ans: c
Feedback: Refer to section 4.1.
Level: easy
3. Within the organization, conflicts are viewed as
a) Conflicts between opponents
b) Conflicts between allies
c) Trivial matters caused by personality differences
d) Important differences that should be suppressed
Ans: b
Feedback: Refer to section 4.1.
Level: easy
4. If a resource conflict arises between two high-priority projects, precedence is typically
given to the project with the
a) Earliest due date
b) Fastest completion time
c) Biggest revenue stream
d) Lowest cost to complete
Ans: a
Feedback: Refer to section 4.2, scope change.
Level: intermediate
5. Pressure to complete the project and anxiety about leaving the project will often
generate ________ conflicts during project phaseout.
a) Technical
b) Administrative
c) Cost
d) Personality
Ans: d
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, project phaseout.
Level: easy
6. ________ has been described as the process which begins when one party perceives
that the other has been frustrated, or is about to frustrate, some concern of his.
a) negotiation
b) conflict
c) management
d) scope
Ans: b
Feedback: Refer to introduction
Level: easy
7. Which of the following is the correct list of reasons why firms might contract with one
another in a partnership?
a) avoid litigation, shorten the duration of the project, avoid capital investment, and
reduce political risk
b) increase capital investment, avoid litigation, shorten the duration of the project, and
reduce political risk
c) increase political risk, avoid litigation, shorten the duration of the project, and avoid
capital investment
d) avoid litigation, increase the duration of the project, avoid capital investment, and
reduce political risk
Ans: a
Feedback: Refer to section 4.2 partnering
Level: intermediate
8. During the early phases of the project, the highest level of conflict comes from _____.
a) labor
b) priorities
c) cost
d) technical
Ans: b
Feedback: Refer to Figure 4-1
Level: intermediate
Short Answer
9. During project formation, lack of ________ about the relative
power/influence/authority of the PM and the functional managers is a major component
of all conflicts involving technical decisions, resource allocation, and scheduling.
Ans: clarity.
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, project formation.
Level: intermediate
10. The project should move from a general concept to a highly detailed set of plans
during the project ________ phase.
Ans: buildup.
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, project buildup.
Level: intermediate
11. During project buildup, the project manager seeks a commitment of people from the
functional departments when the ________ matrix organizational structure is used to
manage the project.
Ans: strong.
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, project buildup.
Level: intermediate
12. During project build-up, the project manager seeks a commitment of work from the
functional departments when the ________ matrix organizational structure is used to
manage the project.
Ans: weak.
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, project buildup.
Level: intermediate
13. The need to manage technical interfaces and to correct incompatibilities is likely to
create technical conflicts during the __________ phase of the project lifecycle.
Ans: Main program
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, main program.
Level: intermediate
True/False
14. Technical problems are comparatively rare during project phaseout because most
have been solved or bypassed earlier.
Ans: True
Feedback: Refer to section 4.3, project phaseout.
Level: easy
15. Most conflicts arising in projects have to do with whether or not the project will be
done.
Ans: False
Feedback: Refer to section 4.4. (most conflicts are the result of uncertainty)
Level: intermediate
16. Negotiation is the process through which two or more parties seek an acceptable rate
of exchange for items they own or control.
Ans: True
Feedback: Refer to section 4.1
Level: easy
17. The general objective of a Pareto-optimal solution to conflict is to find a solution
such that one party can be made better off by making another party worse off by the same
amount or more.
Ans: False
Feedback: Refer to section 4.1. (Pareto-optimal finds a solution such that no party can be
made better off without making another party worse off….)
Level: intermediate
18. The total level of conflict in the project lifecycle is the highest during the project
buildup stage.
Ans: True
Feedback: Refer to the summary.
Level: intermediate
19. The key to conflict resolution is negotiating a win-win solution.
Ans: True
Feedback: Refer to section 4.4
Level: easy
20. The key to finding negotiators interests and concerns is to ask “How?” when he or
she states a position.
Ans: False
Feedback: Refer to section 4.4 (the key is to ask “Why?”)
Level: intermediate