Question

Consider the scenario below, and answer the questions that follow.

  Mark’s career at the marketing firm Omnicom is off to a good start. After a year as a rookie account representative, he was promoted to his first management position, supervising a team of reps. His group is mostly terrific; they work hard, get along well, and help one another. This is especially good news for Mark, because his immediate compensation and his future at the firm depend on the team generating a significant number of billable
hours.

Mark’s only serious problem is with Kate. She was hired in an entry-level position with great expectations for growth. But after a few months on the job, Kate’s performance has slipped dramatically. She missed two important deadlines, and now some of the account reps are starting to complain about having to pick up her slack. She comes in late to the office, and she makes what are obviously social phone calls during work. Yesterday, Mark saw her checking Facebook several times. Mark knows he can’t ignore the situation any more. He has to confront Kate and get her to improve her performance, or else. Fortunately, Kate’s upcoming performance review offers a good chance to discuss the problems.

Kate sees the situation very differently. After taking the job with great enthusiasm, she has come to believe that her contributions don’t count for anything. “I suggest ideas,” she says, “and they all get shot down.” She feels overqualified for the job. “I’m ready to do serious work, but all they want me to do is take notes at meetings, make coffee, and run errands.” Kate is also discouraged on the relational front. “I try to reach out to the rest of the team, but they’re all men, and I just don’t fit in. In fact, some of their little jokes about women make me feel really uncomfortable. If I wanted, I could probably file a sexual harassment complaint.” She has just about given up hope about things getting better. “If that’s the way they want it, fine. I’ll do my job, collect my pay, and look for a better place to work.”

Kate decided to give Mark an ultimatum. She confronted Mark and told him she was tired of being treated like everyone's assistant, that she is overqualified for the work she has been doing, and she wants some serious work. She threatened to quit if she did not get what she wanted. Mark decided to fire her. What kind of outcome was this?

Multiple Choice

• win-lose

• win-win

• lose-lose

Mark decides to give Kate an ultimatum: She needs to shape up and improve her performance, or she will be fired. Which
negotiating strategy is Mark adopting?

Multiple Choice

• win-lose

• win-win

• lose-lose

• compromise

Into which category of conflict does Kate's feeling overqualified for her job fall?

Multiple Choice

• topic at hand

• process

• relational

• ego/identity

Kate is late to work because she decides she cannot get through the morning without a triple latte. She is waiting
in line at the coffee shop when Mark calls. She lets it go straight to voice mail. Which approach to conflict is this?

Multiple Choice

• avoiding

• accommodating

• competing

• collaborating

Kate has had enough of her job. She decides to have some fun and stage her own form of protest by secretly
tormenting some of her coworkers. Since she is the person who is tasked with taking meeting notes, making
coffee, and running errands, she decides to make burned or weak coffee and also let the pot burn dry from time
to time. Which form of bullying is this?

Multiple Choice

• aggression

• criticism

• deviousness

• gatekeeping