Conflict Management..... few Questions and answer.

We often see many situational questions on conflict management in PMP exam. Conflict management is a key knowledge area, which is very important in our day-to-day life not just in project management. We often have conflict with our co-worker, boss, subordinate, and friends and even with spouse. So it’s very important to understand the key concept behind conflict management. Instead of going into details on conflict management (which is available in all preparation books) I am sharing few questions, which will be useful to sharpen your preparation for exam .

1) Which of the below is true regarding conflict
a. Conflict is always destructive
b. Conflict can be constructive
c. Schedule is never an important reason for conflict
d. Personality conflict is the most common type of conflict

2) You work in a balanced matrix organization. You are having severe conflict with your fellow resource manager (who has same status in the organization) over few resources that were promised earlier but now he wants to move them to another project that has a lot of higher management interest. You have arranged a meeting with the manager to resolve the issue. What is the best approach of handling such conflict
a. Confronting
b. Soothing
c. Withdraw
d. Compromise

3) There is a conflict between two of your most critical staff. You decided to investigate the issues with both of them in order to find solutions that are mutually acceptable. What kind of conflict management style you are using here
a. Soothing
b. Compromise
c. Collaborating
d. Avoid

4) Settling on a solution that gives each person part of what he or she wanted; no one gets everything and no one loses completely is known as
a. Smoothing
b. Dispute handling
c. Mutual understanding
d. Compromise

5) What are the four most common reasons for conflict
a. Schedule, personality conflict, cost & resource
b. Resource, project priority, schedule & technical opinions
c. Personality conflict, cost, resource, project priority
d. Cost, resource, schedule & admin decisions

6) Which of the below is not true about conflict resolution
a. Focus should be on past events
b. Conflict is a team issue
c. Openness resolve conflict
d. Conflict forces a search for alternative

7) Conflict management is a critical responsibility of Project Manager because
a. Successful conflict management results in completion of work in time
b. Successful conflict management results in greater productivity and positive working relationship
c. Successful conflict management results in good work environment
d. Successful conflict management results in completion of project as per scope with in budget and agreed schedule


8) Project Manager face schedule conflict mostly with
a. Functional Manager
b. Project team
c. Project Sponsor
d. Other Project Manager

9) Which type of conflict resolution style is strongly unfavorable for Project manager when he is having the conflict with his supervisor
a. Forcing
b. Withdrawal
c. Compromise
d. Confrontation

10) Few of your team members appear to have personality clashes and most of the times avoid working together. In team meeting they always have opposite point to each other’s idea and solution for every issue. Project is at few days from implementation and you cannot take any risk as a project manager. All of them need to work round the clock as a team to implement all assembly packages. What is the best conflict resolution mode at this situation?
a. Forcing
b. Withdrawl
c. Compromise
d. Confrontation







1) b
2) d
3) c
4) d
5) b
6) a
7) b
8) a
9) d
10) a