Organizational Behavior: An Experiential Approach 8/E

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Chapter 13 Conflict and Negotiation
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Objectives

• Describe behaviors that characterize group
  conflict
• Identify common sources of conflict
• Explain the five conflict-handling modes
• Understand the functional and dysfunctional
  nature of conflict

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Objectives

• Differentiate between distributive and
  integrative bargaining
• Explain principled negotiation
• Describe how culture influences conflict

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Characteristics Of Conflict
Stereotyping
Overvaluation of ones own group
Devaluation of the other group
Polarization on issues
Distortion of perceptions
Escalation
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Common Sources Of Conflict

• We-they attitudes of reference groups
• Competition for scarce resources
• Ambiguous authority
• Interdependence

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Common Sources Of Conflict

• Deficient information
• Differences in values, interests, personalities
• Differences in education, culture, perceptions
• Different goals and
• expectations

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Conflict

• Dysfunctional Aspects
• Reduced productivity
• Siphons attention from
• organizational goals
• Decreases morale
• Reduces job satisfaction
• Causes heightened anxiety
• Causes absenteeism
• Increases turnover

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Conflict

• Functional Aspects
• Forces articulation of views
• Results in greater understanding
• Makes values and belief system more visible
• Helps set organizational priorities
• Serves as a safety valve
• Increases cohesiveness
• Spurs creativity

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Levels of Conflict

• Intrapersonal
• Interpersonal
• Intragroup
• Intergroup
• Intraorganizational
• Interorganizational

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Five Conflict-Handling Orientations
assertive
Competition
Collaboration
AssertivenessPartys desire to satisfy own
concern
Compromise
unassertive
Accommodation
Avoidance
uncooperative
cooperative
CooperativenessPartys desire to satisfy others
concern
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Preventing Conflict

• Emphasize organizational effectiveness and common
  goals
• Ensure frequent communication and interaction
• Rotate members among conflicting parties
• Avoid win-lose situations

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Distributive and Integrative Bargaining

• Distributive
• Win-lose approach
• Fixed amount of resources
• Short-term focus on relationship

• Integrative
• Win-win approach
• Not a zero-sum game
• Long-term focus on relationship

More
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Discovered
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Principled Negotiation

• Separate the people from the problem
• Focus on interests, not positions
• Invent options for mutual gain
• Insist on objective criteria

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Separate the People from the Problem

• Be soft on people, hard on the problem
• Maintain the relationship
• Recognize people problems in perception, emotion,
  communication
• Put yourself in their shoes
• See yourself as a partner working with the other
  side to solve the problem

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Focus on Interests, not Positions

• Whats behind the positions of the other side?
• Identify shared, opposed, and different interests
• Be assertive about presenting your interests

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Invent Options for Mutual Gain

• Avoid the following
• Premature judgment
• Searching for the single answer
• Assumption of a fixed pie
• The problem is theirs, not ours
• Brainstorm options
• Look for mutual gain

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Insist on Objective Criteria

• Fair standards or fair procedures
• Frame each issue as a joint search for objective
  criteria
• Reason and be open to reason
• Never yield to pressure, only to principle

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BATNA

• Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
• Determine your BATNA and that of the other party
  beforehand
• Compare offers to your BATNA during the
  negotiation

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Effects of Emotion on Negotiations
Negotiating Feature Effects of Negative Emotions Effects of Positive Emotions
Parties relationship Tension and distrust Cooperation and collaboration
Communication Restricted Open, two-way
Interests Focus on own interests Open to others interests
Options Focus on two options ours and theirs Attempt to invent multiple options for mutual gain
BATNA May reject agreement even if above BATNA Commitment to getting best option as long as it exceeds BATNA
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Emotional Approaches to Negotiation
Controlling and suppressing emotions
Rational
Expressing positive emotions and engendering them
in others
Positive
Expressing negative emotions such as anger and
rage
Negative
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Managing Emotions during Negotiations

• Five concerns
• Appreciation
• Affiliation
• Autonomy
• Status
• Fulfilling roles and responsibilities

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Cultural Influences on Conflict

• Importance of saving face
• Low- or high-context communication
• Individualism-collectivism

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High-Context Communication

• Most information in physical context or
• internalized in the person

• Listeners are expected to fill in the blanks
  with their own knowledge

• Found predominantly in collectivist cultures

• More ambiguous and indirect

• Less self-disclosure

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Low-Context Communication
Mass of information embedded in explicit,
transmitted message
Found predominantly in individualistic cultures
Direct and unambiguous
More self-disclosure
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• The Japanese probably never will become gabby.
  Were a homogeneous people and dont have to
  speak as much as you do in the United States.
  When we say one word, we understand 10, but in
  the United States, you have to say 10 to
  understand one.

Japanese Manager
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Conflict in Low-Context Cultures
Instrumental
Linear, logical approach
Issues separate from people
Viewed as less threatening
More direct, disclosing
Face-threatening messages
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Conflict in Individualistic Cultures
Concerned with self and families
Focus on personal rights
Strong assertions of personal opinion
Individual accountability for problems
Concerns violations of individual expectations
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Conflict in Collectivist Cultures
Personal interests subordinated for the good of
the group
Indirect approach
Face-saving measures
Use of third-party mediators
Group accountability for problems
Concerns violations of group norms or expectations
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Keys to Negotiating Cross-Culturally

• Choose a representative with an appropriate level
  of power and status
• Understand the network of relationships
• Provide face-saving mechanisms
• Understand how and when to show respect
• Understand the communication style
• Understand how integrative bargaining is viewed
  in the culture