Which of the following is not one of the stages in Fishers four stage group decision making process?

1. Which of the following is a good reason to use a group for problem solving?
1. When you don’t want to do the job.
2. To make people feel really good about putting forth little effort to complete a simple task.
3. When the solution is clear cut and obvious.
4. When there is potential for disagreement.

Answer: D
Page: 11
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Problem Solving in Groups: When and Why
Inhaltsverzeichnis Show
• Concept description
• Which of the following is not one of the stages in Fisher's four stage group decision making process quizlet?
• Which of the following is a common question in job interviews and also one of the toughest to answer?
• What type of leader would alter their leadership style as circumstances change?
• When group members become familiar with one another's position and tentatively volunteer their own they are in the stage?
2. _______ is probably the most important ingredient in good personal relationships.
1. Mutual respect
2. Attraction
3. Similarity
4. Agreement

Answer: A
Page: 12
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Setting the Stage for Problem Solving
3. The degree to which members feel connected with and committed to the group is known as:
1. Communication
2. Interdependence
3. Cohesiveness
4. Group think

Answer: C
Page: 12
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Setting the Stage for Problem Solving
4. According to communication scholar Aubrey Fisher, at what stage of the group decision-making process are coalitions likely to form?
1. Orientation stage
2. Conflict stage
3. Emergence stage
4. Reinforcement stage

Answer: B
Page: 19
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Setting the Stage for Problem Solving
5. Which group problem-solving format works especially well when some members are more vocal than others?
1. Focus group
2. Problem Census
3. Parliamentary procedure
4. Panel discussion

Answer: B
Page: 21
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Group Problem-solving Strategies and Formats
6. According to your text, in which step of the Structured Problem-solving Model should groups identify their criteria for success?
1. Identify the problem
2. Analyze the problem
3. Evaluate the solutions
4. Implement the plan

Answer: B
Page: 29 & 32
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Approaches and Stages in Problem Solving
7. Which of the following is a rule for brainstorming?
1. Criticism is forbidden
2. Freewheeling is discouraged
3. Quality is not important
4. Piggybacking is discouraged

Answer: A
Page: 34
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Approaches and Stages in Problem Solving
8. Minority Control decision-making involves:
1. One group member who is recognized as an expert in that area making the decision for the group.
2. Most of the group members agreeing with the decision.
3. All group members support the decision.
4. A few members of the group make the decision.

Answer: D
Page: 39
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Approaches and Stages in Problem Solving
9. ________ occurs when the rate or complexity of material is too great to manage.
1. Information underload
2. Information overload
3. Social loafing
4. Groupthink

Answer: B
Page: 42
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Overcoming Dangers in Group Discussion
10. When a group’s collective striving for unanimity discourages realistic appraisal of alternatives to its chosen decision, it experiences:
1. Social loafing
2. Perception checking
3. Groupthink
4. Consensus

Answer: C
Page: 46
Bloom’s: Remembering
A-head: Overcoming Dangers in Group Discussion

Back to Test

… a core concept in Leadership Skills and Atlas 109

Concept description

In their 1983 classic, Getting to yes – Negotiating agreement without giving in, Roger Fisher and William Ury set out four principles of effective negotiation.

These principles are summarized by Nicole Cutts (reference below) as follows.

Because people tend to become personally involved with the issues and their respective position, they may feel resistance to their position as a personal attack. Separating yourself and your ego from the issues allows you to address the problem without damaging relationships. It will also allow you to get a more clear view of the substance of the conflict.

Fisher and Ury identify three basic sorts of people problems: (1) different perceptions among the parties; (2) emotions such as fear and anger; and (3) communication problems. Cutts says that running from these very human issues will not help overcome them. Instead, one should:

• Try to understand the other person’s viewpoint by putting yourself in the other’s place.
• Do not assume that your worst fears will become the actions of the other party.
• Do not blame or attack the other party for the problem.
• Try to create proposals which should be appealing to the other party.
• Acknowledge emotions and try to understand their source (understand that all feelings are valid even if you do not agree or understand them).
• Allow the other side to express their emotions.
• Try not to react emotionally to another’s emotional outbursts.
• Symbolic gestures such as apologies or expressions of sympathy can help to defuse strong emotions.
• Actively listen to the other party (give the speaker your full attention, occasionally summarizing the speaker’s points to confirm your understanding).
• When speaking direct your speech toward the other party and keep focused on what you are trying to communicate.
• You should avoid blaming or attacking the other person, speaking only about yourself.
• Try using “I” statements, such as “I feel” or “I think.”
• Think of each other as partners in negotiation rather than as adversaries.

When a problem is defined in terms of the parties’ underlying interests it is often possible to find a solution which satisfies both parties’ interests. All people will share certain basic interests or needs, such as the need for security and economic well-being. To identify, understand, and deal with both parties’ underlying interests you must:

• Ask why the party holds the positions she or he does, and consider why the party does not hold some other possible position.
• Explain your interests clearly.
• Discuss these interests together looking forward to the desired solution, rather than focusing on past events.
• Focus clearly on your interests, but remain open to different proposals and positions.

This is captured by the following image from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, adapted from Grzybowski and Morris (at http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/a0032e/a0032e09.htm, accessed 25 March 2016):

Fisher and Ury identify four obstacles to generating creative problem solving options: (1) deciding prematurely on an option and thereby failing to consider alternatives; (2) being too intent on narrowing options to find the single answer; (3) defining the problem in win-lose terms; or (4) thinking that it is up to the other side to come up with a solution to the party’s problem.

They suggest ways to overcome these obstacles and generate creative options:

• Separate the process of inventing options from the act of judging them.
• Broaden the options on the table by brainstorming for all possible solutions to the problem.
• Search for mutual gains by focusing on shared interests, and when the parties’ interests differ, seek options whereby those differences can be made compatible or even complementary.
• Evaluate the ideas only after a variety of proposals have been made and start evaluations with the most promising proposals, refining and improving proposals at this point.
• Make proposals that are appealing to the other side and with which the other side would ultimately find ease in agreement.
• Identify the decision makers and target proposals directly toward them.

According to Fisher and Ury, when interests are directly opposed, the parties should use objective criteria to resolve their differences. Allowing differences to spark a battle of egos and thus wills is inefficient, destroys relationships, and is unlikely to produce wise agreements. The remedy is to negotiate a solution based on objective criteria, independent of the will of either side.

Parties must first develop objective criteria that both parties agree to. Criteria should be both legitimate and practical, such as scientific findings, professional standards, or legal precedent. To test for objectivity, ask if both sides would agree to be bound by those standards.

Cutts summarizes the points to keep in mind when using objective criteria:

• Frame each issue as a joint search for objective criteria. Ask for the reasoning behind the other party’s suggestions.
• Reason as to which standards are most appropriate and how they should be applied. Keep an open mind.
• Never yield to pressure, threats, or bribes – only to principles. When the other party stubbornly refuses to be reasonable, shift the discussion from a search for substantive criteria to a search for procedural criteria.

R. Nicole Cutts, Conflict Management – Using Principled Negotiation to Resolve Workplace Issues, at http://nl.walterkaitz.org/rnicolecutts_principlednegotiation.pdf, accessed 25 March 2016. Cutts references Fisher, R., Ury, W. & Patton, B. (1991). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. New York: Penguin Books.

For another good book summary, see Tanya Glaser, Book Summary – Getting to Yes, Conflict Research Consortium, at http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm, accessed 25 March 2016.

Atlas topic and subject

Negotiating (core topic) in Leadership Skills.

Page created by: Ian Clark, last modified on 25 March 2016.

Image: Amazon.ca, at https://www.amazon.ca/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-Without/dp/0140157352/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=, accessed 25 March 2016.

Which of the following is not one of the stages in Fisher's four stage group decision making process quizlet?

Which of the following is a common question in job interviews and also one of the toughest to answer?

What type of leader would alter their leadership style as circumstances change?

When group members become familiar with one another's position and tentatively volunteer their own they are in the stage?