Respect for Colleagues Conflict Management

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Respect for Colleagues - Conflict Management

• Hannah R. Rothstein
• Professor of Management
• IRB Chair, Baruch College

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The Chinese View

• Conflict danger opportunity

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The tricky part is

• To see the opportunity

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Todays goals

• To help you view conflicts as opportunities
  rather than threats
• To provide some tools for managing conflicts
  related to your IRB

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Decisions of IRBs

• Involve
• Value judgments as well as facts
• Trade-offs
• Affect
• Real people (both researchers and participants)
• Real lives

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Common IRB Conflicts

• External
• Researchers submitting protocols
• University or Government Administrators
• Internal
• IRB members
• IRB staff

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Some Sources of Conflict Differences in

• Values and beliefs
• Roles
• Perceptions
• Goals, objectives or priorities
• Status or identity
• Race, ethnicity, or gender
• Personalities

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Conflict Management

• Managing conflict constructively depends in large
  measure on clear, open, and honest communication

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What not to do

• Making it all about YOU
• Name calling
• Sarcasm/Ridicule
• Insulting
• Threatening
• Blaming
• Digging in to your position
• Defensive body posturing/language

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You Do Have Shared Goals

• Move from face to face or head to head
  confrontation
• To side by side facing the problem together

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5 Part Collaborative Approach

• Separate the people from the problem
• Focus on interests rather than positions
• Determine the facts
• Restate the others issues and requests
• Generate multiple alternative solutions

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Separate the people from the problem

• Dont view the other partys positions or
  concerns as a personal attack
• Try to see things from the other partys
  perspective
• Work to defuse strong emotions

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Focus on interests rather than positions

• Look beneath the conflict to the needs, values
  and beliefs of each party (including yourself)
• By focusing on interests and needs rather than
  positions, it is often possible to find
  solutions that offer benefits to both parties.

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Determine the Facts

• Conflicts are often generated by a misperception
  or misunderstanding of the facts involved.
• All the facts have to be on the table to reach a
  comprehensive solution.
• You may find some common ground.

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Restate the others issues and requests

• Also called ACTIVE LISTENING
• It helps you make sure you understood.
• You may draw out draw further information.
• You allow the other party to know that you have
  heard them and are interested in what they have
  to say.
• It allows the other party an opportunity to
  correct any misunderstanding immediately.

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5 Part Collaborative Approach

• Generate multiple alternative solutions
• Identify the criteria that must be satisfied by
  any solution for it to be acceptable to all
  parties.
• Know what option you will fall back on, if you
  cant reach an agreement (BATNA)
• IRB does have legitimate authority and power,
  but you need to know when and how to use it