Conflict and Negotiation

Conflict and Negotiation
Let us never negotiate out of fear

But let us never fear to negotiate
-John F. Kennedy
Conflict is process that begins when one party receives another party or has or is about to negatively
affect something the first party cares about.
Traditional view of conflict - The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided
Interactionist view of conflict – The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but also an
absolute necessity for a group to perform effectively
Functional Conflict – Conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance
Dysfunctional Conflict : conflict that hinders group performance is a destructive conflict
Task conflict relates to the content and goals of the work

Relationship conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships
Process conflict relates to how work gets done
Resolution-focused view of conflict :
Conflict Process has five stages : Potential Opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization,
intentions, behaviour, and outcomes. The process is diagrammed.
Stage 1: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
The first step in the conflict process is the appearance of conditions that create opportunities for conflict
to arise. These conditions need not lead directly to conflict, but one of them is necessary if conflict is to
surface. For simplicity’s sake, we group the condition into three general categories: communication,
structure and personal variables.
Stage II: Cognition & Personalization
Perceived conflict: Awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create
opportunities for conflict to arise
“A may be aware that B and A are in serious disagreement…but it may not make A tense or anxious, and
it may have no effect whatsoever on A’s affection toward B.”
Felt conflict – felt when individuals become emotionally involved that they experience anxiety, tension,
frustration, or hostility.
Keep in mind two points.

Stage II is important because it’s where conflict issues tend to be defined, where the parties decidewhat
the conflict is about.
Emotions play a major role in shaping perception. Negative emotions allow us to oversimplify issues,
lose trust, and put negative interpretations on the party’s behaviour.
Stage III: Intentions
Intervene between people’s perceptions and emotions and their overt behaviour. They are decisions to
act in a given away.
Competing – A desire to satisfy one’s interests, interest, regardless of the impact on the other party to
the conflict.
Collaborating – A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all
parties.
Avoiding – The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict
Accommodating – The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s interests above his
or her own.
Conflict Resolution Techniques
Problem Solving : Face to face meeting of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying
the problem and resolving it through open discussion
Superordinate goals : Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of
each of the conflicting parties.
Expansion of resources: When a conflict is caused by the scarcity of a resource
Avoidance : Withdrawal from or suppression of the conflict
Smoothing : Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between

conflicting parties
Compromise : Each party to the conflict gives up something of value
Compromising – A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something
Authoritative command : Management uses its formal authority to resolve the conflict and then
communicates its desires to the parties involved
Altering the human variable : Using behavioural change techniques such as human relations training to
alter attitudes and behaviors that cause conflict
Altering the structural variable : Changing the formal organization structure and the interaction patterns
of conflicting parties through job redesign, transfers, creation of coordinating
positions and the like.
Conflict-Stimulation Techniques:
Communication Using ambiguous or threatening messages to increase conflict level
Bringing in outsiders Adding employees to a group whose backgrounds, values, attitudes or

managerial styles differ from those of present members.
Restructuring the organization Realigning work groups, altering rules and regulations, increasing
interdependence, and making similar structural changes to disrupt the status
quo
Appointing a devil’s advocate Designating a critic to purposely argue against the majority positions held
by the group
Stage IV : Behavior
The behaviour stage includes the statements, actions, and actions, and reactions made by the conflicting
parties, usually as overt attempts to implement their own intentions.
When conflict is dysfunctional
Conflict Management : The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of
conflict
Stage V: Outcome
The action-reaction interplay between conflicting parties results in consequences.

Conflict is constructive when it improves the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and innovation,
encourage interest and curiosity among group members.
NEGOTIATION
Negotiation is a process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree
on the exchange rate for them
Distributive bargaining
Negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources; a win-lose situation
Fixed pie: The belief that there is only a set amount of goods or services to be divided up between the
parties
Integrative bargaining: Negotiation that seeks one or more settlements that can create a win-win
solution
THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS
Preparation and Planning.

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Conflict and Negotiation

Let us never negotiate out of fear

Dysfunctional Conflict : conflict that hinders group performance is a destructive conflict

Task conflict relates to the content and goals of the work

Resolution-focused view of conflict :

Stage 1: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility

Stage II: Cognition & Personalization

Keep in mind two points.

Stage III: Intentions

Avoiding – The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict

Conflict Resolution Techniques

Expansion of resources: When a conflict is caused by the scarcity of a resource

Avoidance : Withdrawal from or suppression of the conflict

Smoothing : Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between

Compromise : Each party to the conflict gives up something of value

Compromising – A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something

Communication Using ambiguous or threatening messages to increase conflict level

Bringing in outsiders Adding employees to a group whose backgrounds, values, attitudes or

When conflict is dysfunctional

The action-reaction interplay between conflicting parties results in consequences.

Negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources; a win-lose situation

THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS

Preparation and Planning.

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