Communication, Conflict

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Chapter 17

• Communication, Conflict Negotiation

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Planning Ahead Chapter 17

• What is the communication process?
• How can communication be improved?
• How can we deal positively with conflict?
• How can we negotiate successful agreements?

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What is the Communication Process?

• Communication.
• An interpersonal process of sending and receiving
  symbols with messages attached to them.
• Key elements of the communication process
• Sender.
• Message.
• Communication channel.
• Receiver.
• Interpreted meaning.
• Feedback.

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What is the Communication Process?

• Sources of noise in communication
• Poor choice of channels.
• Poor written or oral expression.
• Failure to recognize nonverbal signals.
• Physical distractions.
• Status effects.

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Figure 17.1 The interactive two-way process of
interpersonal communication.
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What is the Communication Process?

• Poor choice of channels.
• Choose the channel that works best.
• Written channels work for messages that
• Are simple and easy to convey.
• Require extensive dissemination quickly.
• Convey formal policy or authoritative directives.
• Spoken channels work best for messages that
• Are complex or difficult to convey where
  immediate feedback is needed.
• Attempt to create a supportive, even
  inspirational, climate.

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What is the Communication Process?

• Effective and efficient communication
• Effective communication
• Occurs when the intended meaning of the sender is
  identical to the interpreted meaning of the
  receiver.
• Efficient communication
• Occurs at a minimum resource cost.
• Potential trade-offs between effectiveness and
  efficiency must be recognized.

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What is the Communication Process?

• Persuasion and credibility in communication.
• Communication is used for sharing information and
  influencing other people.
• Persuasion is getting someone else to support the
  message being presented.
• Horizontal structures and empowerment are
  important contexts for persuasion.

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What is the Communication Process?

• Persuasion and credibility in communication
  (cont.).
• Expert power and referent power are essential for
  persuasion.
• Credibility involves trust, respect, and
  integrity in the eyes of others.
• Credibility can be built through expertise and
  relationships.

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Improving Communications

• Active listening.
• The process of taking action to help someone say
  exactly what he or she really means.
• Rules for active listening
• Listen for message content.
• Listen for feelings.
• Respond to feelings.
• Note all cues, verbal and nonverbal.
• Paraphrase and restate.

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Improving Communication

• Feedback.
• The process of telling others how you feel about
  something they did or said, or about the
  situation in general.
• Constructive feedback guidelines
• Give it directly.
• Make it specific.
• Give it when the receiver is willing/able to
  accept it.
• Make sure it is valid.
• Give it in small doses.

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Figure 17.2 Channel richness and the use of
communication media.
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How can Communication be improved?

• Ways to keep communication channels open through
  interactive management.
• Management by wandering around (MBWA).
• Open office hours.
• Regular employee group meetings.
• Computer-mediated meetings and video conferences.
• Employee advisory councils.
• Communication consultants.
• 360-degree feedback.

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How can Communication be improved?

• Proxemics and space design.
• Proxemics is the use of interpersonal space.
• Interpersonal space is an important nonverbal
  cue.
• Workspace layout is often overlooked as a form of
  nonverbal communication but is being increasingly
  recognized for its impact on communication and
  behavior.

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How can Communication be improved?

• Technology utilization.
• Information technologies facilitate
  communication.
• The electronic grapevine speeds messages and
  information from person to person.
• Functional if information is accurate and useful.
• Dysfunctional if information is false, distorted,
  or based on rumor.
• E-mail privacy.
• Employers policy on personal e-mail.
• Dont assume that e-mail privacy exists at work.

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Conflict Communication

• Conflict.
• A disagreement between people on
• Substantive issues.
• Emotional issues
• Conflict that is well managed can help promote
  creativity and high performance.

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Conflict Communication

• Functional conflict.
• Moderately intense conflict.
• Constructive and stimulates people toward greater
  work efforts, cooperation, and creativity.
• Dysfunctional conflict.
• Low-intensity and very high-intensity conflict.
• Destructive and hurts task performance.

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Figure 17.3 The relationship between conflict and
performance.
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Conflict Communication

• Causes of conflict
• Role ambiguities.
• Resource scarcities.
• Task interdependencies.
• Competing objectives.
• Structural differentiation.
• Unresolved prior conflicts.

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How can we deal positively with Conflict?

• Structural approaches for resolving conflicts
• Appealing to superordinate goals.
• Making more resources available.
• Changing the people.
• Altering the physical environment.

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How can we deal positively with Conflict?

• Integrative devices for resolving conflicts
• Using liaison personnel, special task forces,
  cross-functional teams, or a matrix organization.
• Changing reward systems.
• Changing policies and procedures.
• Training in interpersonal skills.

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How can we deal positively with Conflict?

• Peoples conflict management styles reflect
  different combinations of cooperative and
  assertive behavior.
• Cooperativeness is the desire to satisfy the
  other partys needs and concerns.
• Assertiveness is the desire to satisfy ones own
  needs and concerns.

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Conflict Management Styles

• Avoidance (withdrawal).
• Uncooperative and unassertive.
• Accommodation (smoothing).
• Cooperative and assertive.
• Competition (authoritative command).
• Uncooperative and assertive.
• Compromise.
• Moderately cooperative and assertive.
• Collaboration (problem solving).
• Cooperative and assertive.

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Figure 17.4 Alternative conflict management
styles.
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Conflict Communication

• Conflict management styles
• Lose-lose conflict.
• Management by avoidance or accommodation.
• Win-lose conflict.
• Management by competition and compromise.
• Win-win conflict.
• Management by collaboration.

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Negotiation

• Negotiation is the process
• of making joint decisions
• when the parties involved
• have different preferences.
• All negotiation situations are susceptible to
  conflict
• and require exceptional communication and
  interpersonal skills.

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How can we negotiate successful agreements?

• Negotiation goals and approaches
• Substance goals.
• Concerned with outcomes.
• Tied to the content issues of negotiation.
• Relationship goals.
• Concerned with processes.
• Tied to the way people work together.
• Effective negotiations occur when
• Issues of substance are resolved.
• Working relationships are maintained or improved.

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Criteria for Effective Negotiation

• Quality.
• Negotiating a wise agreement that is truly
  satisfactory to all sides.
• Cost.
• Negotiating efficiently, using minimum resources
  and time.
• Harmony.
• Negotiating in a way that fosters interpersonal
  relationships.

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Negotiation

• Gaining agreements
• Separate the people from the problem.
• Focus on interests, not on positions.
• Generate many alternatives before deciding what
  to do.
• Insist that results are based on some objective
  standard.

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Figure 17.6 The bargaining zone in classic
two-party negotiation.
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How can we negotiate successful agreements?

• Common negotiation pitfalls
• Falling prey to the myth of the fixed pie.
• Nonrational escalation of conflict.
• Overconfidence and ignoring others needs.
• Too much telling and too little hearing.

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Approaches to avoiding Negotiation Pitfalls

• Mediation
• Involves a neutral third party who tries to
  improve communication between negotiating parties
  and keep them focused on relevant issues.
• Arbitration
• Involves a neutral third party who acts as a
  judge and issues a binding decision.

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How can we negotiate successful agreements?

• Ethical issues in negotiation
• High ethical standards should be maintained.
• Profit motive and the competitive desire to win
  sometimes lead to unethical behavior.
• Unethical negotiating behavior can lead to
  short-term gains but long-term losses.

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Chapter 17 Review

• What is the communication process?
• How can communication be improved?
• How can we deal positively with conflict?
• How can we negotiate successful agreements?