Conflict

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Conflict Negotiation
Chapter 11
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For any organization to perform effectively,
interdependent individuals and groups must
establish working relationships across
organizational boundaries, between individuals,
and among groups. Such interdependence may foster
either cooperation or conflict.
What would Covey Say?
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A Contemporary Perspective

• Conflict is neither inherently good nor bad, but
  is inevitable
• In dealing with conflict the critical issue is
  how it is managed
• Conflict is defined in terms of the effect it has
  on the organization
• functional conflict
• dysfunctional conflict

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Functional Conflict (1 of 2)

• A confrontation between groups that enhances and
  benefits the organizations performance
• Without this type of conflict in organizations
• there would be little commitment to change
• most groups likely would become stagnant

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Functional Conflict (2 of 2)

• Functional conflict can
• lead to increased awareness of problems that need
  to be addressed
• result in broader and more productive searches
  for solutions
• generally facilitate positive change, adaptation,
  and innovation

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Dysfunctional Conflict

• Any confrontation or interaction between groups
  that harms the organization or hinders the
  achievement of organizational goals
• Management must seek to eliminate dysfunctional
  conflict

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Conflict Diagram
Low Performance High
Low Conflict
High
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What Causes Intergroup Conflict?

• Work Interdependence
• Pooled interdependence
• Sequential interdependence
• Reciprocal interdependence
• Goal Differences
• Mutually exclusive goals
• Perceptual Differences
• Status incongruency
• Inaccurate perceptions

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Group A
Types of Interdependence
POOLED
Goals
Group B
Group A
Group B
SEQUENTIAL
Goals
Group B
Group A
Goals
Goals
RECIPROCAL
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Problems Related to Goal Differences

• Groups with mutually exclusive goals can find
  themselves in conflict
• Allocating limited resources between groups
  increases mutual dependencies and differences in
  goals are more apparent
• Different time horizons needed by groups to
  achieve their goals can be a source of conflict

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Minimizing Perceptual Bases for Conflict

• Communicate effectively!
• Help develop a groups social sensitivity.
• Emphasize behavioral flexibility.
• Communicate effectively!
• Find points of agreement--Emphasize the
  overarching goal!

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Conflict-Resolution Grid
Accommodating or Smoothing
Problem Solving or Collaboration
Working together to solve problems
Allowing other group to win
HIGH
Compromising
Finding acceptable solution so everyone feels good
EXTERNAL FOCUS
Avoiding
Dominating
LOW
Ignoring or steering clear of other group
Working to dominate and control
HIGH
LOW
INTERNAL FOCUS
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Stimulating Constructive Intergroup Conflict

• Bringing outside individuals into the group
• Altering the organizations structure
• Stimulating competition
• Making use of programmed conflict

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Negotiations (1 of 2)

• Negotiations a process in which two or more
  parties attempt to reach acceptable agreement in
  a situation characterized by some level of
  disagreement

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Win-Lose Negotiating

• Classical view that negotiations are a form of a
  zero-sum game
• i.e., to whatever extent one party wins
  something, the other party loses
• Also known as distributive negotiating
• i.e., the process of distributing scarce
  resources

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Win-Win Negotiating

• A positive-sum approach
• i.e., situations where each party gains without a
  corresponding loss for the other party
• Does not mean that everyone gets everything they
  wanted
• An agreement has been achieved which leaves all
  parties better off than they were prior to the
  agreement

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Conflict Resolution

• Determine mutual goal
• Determine both parties needs and wants
• Area of conflict is often in the wants
• Understand why the other party wants something
  and determine another way of providing it (Find
  faulty assumption upon which the want is based)

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Conflict Resolution Diagram (collaborative)
Party A
Need
Want
Conflict
Objective
Need
Want
Party B
Find Faulty Assumption
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Conflict Resolution Diagram (collaborative)
Daughter
Need
Want
Loud music
Play radio at full volume
Conflict
Objective
Happy Family
Peace and quiet
Play radio at low volume
Need
Want
Parents
Faulty Assumption
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Conflict Resolution Diagram (collaborative)
Party A
Need
Want
Food that tastes good
Fresh Food
Conflict
Objective
Profit
Food purchased in econ qty
Frozen Food
Need
Want
Party B
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Conflict Resolution Diagram (collaborative)
Party A
Need
Want
Customers Enjoy Meal
Salad within 5 min.
Conflict
Objective
Profit
Minimum Wait Staff
Salad within 10 min.
Need
Want
Party B
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Negotiation Tactics
Concessions after the deal
Outrageous/Sane
Beware of this offer
Taking the biz someplace else
Creatively satisfy needs
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Variables That Affect Negotiations

• There is no one best way to negotiate
• The selection of specific negotiation strategies
  and tactics depends on
• 1. The nature of the issues being negotiated
• 2. The environment in which the negotiations take
  place
• 3. The nature of the outcomes desired from the
  negotiations

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Negotiations Desired Outcomes

• Substantive Outcomes
• Have to do with how the specific issue is settled
• To strive to end up with a bigger piece of the
  pie than the other party

• Relationship Outcomes
• To negotiate in a manner designed primarily to
  maintain good relations between the parties
• Desired irrespective of the substantive result

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Using Third-Party Negotiations
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Negotiating Globally

• Negotiating with individuals from different
  countries and cultures poses a number of issues
• Showing knowledge about a persons culture is one
  way to establish rapport and respect with another
  negotiator

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Negotiating Globally

• Rapidly increasing numbers of global negotiations
  occurring
• Require careful attention to cultures impact on
  style
• Researchers note some general characteristics and
  tendencies by culture
• Impacted as well by political systems, legal
  policies, ideology, and traditions

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Suggestions to Improve Negotiations(1 of 2)

• Begin the bargaining with a positive overture and
  then reciprocate the opponents concessions
• Concentrate on the negotiation issues and the
  situational factors, not on the opponent or his
  or her characteristics
• Look below the surface of your opponents
  bargaining and try to determine his or her
  strategy

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Suggestions to Improve Negotiations(2 of 2)

• Do not allow accountability to your constituents
  or surveillance by them to spawn competitive
  bargaining
• If you have power in a negotiation, use it to
  guide the opponent toward an agreement
• Be open to accepting third-party assistance
• In a negotiation, attend to the environment and
  be aware that the opponents behavior and power
  are altered by it