Organizational Behavior: Conflict and Negotiation

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Organizational BehaviorConflict and Negotiation
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Conflict
Conflict The process in which one party
perceives that its interests are being opposed or
negatively affected by another party.

• Functional (Constructive) conflict serves the
  organizations interests while
• dysfunctional conflict threatens the
  organizations interests.

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Browns Conflict Continuum
Positive
Appropriate Conflict
Neutral
Outcomes
Too Much Conflict
Too Little Conflict
Negative
Moderate
Low
Highe
Intensity
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Traditional
Transitions in Conflict Thought
Human Relations
Interactionist
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The Conflict Process
Sources of Conflict
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A Conflict Model (Figure 10-8)
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A Conflict Model

• Latent Conflict. Latent conflict is essentially
  conflict waiting to happen.
• Felt Conflict. Felt conflict is experienced as
  discomfort and tension.
• Perceived Conflict. Perceived conflict is the
  awareness that we are in a conflict situation.
• Manifest Conflict. After conflict is perceived
  and felt, it may or may not become open, or
  manifest.
• Conflict Aftermath. Conflict is likely to breed
  more conflict and, when it does, that conflict is
  likely to take on a life of its own.

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Desired Outcomes of Conflict

• Agreement Strive for equitable and fair
  agreements that last.
• Stronger relationships Build bridges of goodwill
  and trust for the future.
• Learning Greater self-awareness and creative
  problem solving.

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Types of Conflict

• Line Staff Conflict
• Intrapersonal Conflict
• Approach-Approach
• Approach - Avoidance
• Avoidance Avoidance
• Interpersonal Conflict
• Intergroup Conflict
• Cross Cultural Conflict
• Task Conflict

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Antecedents of Conflict

• Incompatible personalities or value systems.
• Overlapping or unclear job boundaries.
• Competition for limited resources.
• Interdepartment /intergroup competition.
• Inadequate communication.
• Interdependent tasks.
• Organizational complexity.
• Unreasonable or unclear policies, standards, or
  rules.
• Unreasonable deadlines or extreme time pressure.
• Collective decision making.
• Decision making by consensus.
• Unmet expectations.
• Unresolved or suppressed conflict.

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Sources of Conflict

• Goals conflict with goals of others

Goal Incompatibility
Different Values and Beliefs

• Different beliefs due to unique background,
  experience, training
• Caused by specialized tasks, careers
• Explains misunderstanding in cross-cultural and
  merger relations

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Sources of Conflict
Goal Incompatibility
Three levels of interdependence
Different Values and Beliefs
Task Interdependence
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Sources of Conflict
Goal Incompatibility
Different Values and Beliefs
Task Interdependence
Scarce Resources

• Increases competition for resources to fulfill
  goals

Ambiguity

• Lack of rules guiding relations
• Encourages political tactics

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Sources of Conflict
Goal Incompatibility
Different Values and Beliefs
Task Interdependence
Lack of opportunity --reliance on
stereotypes Lack of ability -- arrogant
communication heightens conflict perception Lack
of motivation -- conflict causes lower
motivation to communicate, increases stereotyping
Scarce Resources
Ambiguity
Communication Problems
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Conflict Management Styles Orientations

• Win-win orientation
• You believe parties will find a mutually
  beneficial solution to their disagreement
• Win-lose orientation
• You believe that the more one party receives, the
  less the other receives
• Tends to escalate conflict, use of power/politics

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Tips for Managers Whose Employees Are Having a
Personality Conflict

1. Follow company policies for diversity,
   anti-discrimination, and sexual harassment.
2. Investigate and document conflict.
3. If appropriate, take corrective action (e.g.,
   feedback or B Mod).
4. If necessary, attempt informal dispute
   resolution.
5. Refer difficult conflicts to human resource
   specialists or hired counselors for formal
   resolution attempts and other interventions.

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Minimizing Inter-group Conflict An Updated
Contact Model
Level of perceived Inter-group conflict tendsto
increase when
Recommended actions

• Work to eliminate specific negative
  interactions between groups (and members).
• Conduct team building to reduce intragroup
  conflict and prepare employees for
  cross-functional teamwork.
• Encourage personal friendships and good
  working relationships across groups and
  departments.
• Foster positive attitudes toward members of
  other groups (empathy, compassion, sympathy).
• Avoid or neutralize negative gossip across
  groups or departments.

• Conflict within the group is high
• There are negative interactions between
  groups (or between members of those
  groups)
• Influential third-party gossip about other
  group is negative

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Skills and Best Practices How to Build
Cross-Cultural Relationships

• Behavior Rank
• Be a good listener 1
• Be sensitive to the needs of others 2
• Be cooperative, rather than overly competitive
  2
• Advocate inclusive (participative) leadership
  3
• Compromise rather than dominate 4
• Build rapport through conversations 5
• Be compassionate and understanding 6
• Avoid conflict by emphasizing harmony 7
• Nurture others (develop and mentor) 8

Tie
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Stimulating Functional Conflict
Devil,s Advocacy

• Dialectic Method

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Conflict Management Styles
Integrating
Obliging
High
Compromising
Concern for Others
Dominating
Avoiding
Low
High
Low
Concern for Self
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Conflict Management Styles

• Competing. Involves trying to win at the other
  partys expense. Generally leads to antagonism
  and festering resentment.
• Avoiding. Attempts to avoid or smooth over
  conflict situations. Generally unproductive.
• Accommodating. Involves acceding completely to
  the other partys wishes or at least cooperating
  with little or no attention to ones own
  interests.
• Compromising. Involves an attempt to find a
  satisfactory middle ground (split the
  difference)
• Collaborating. This problem-solving style is
  mutually beneficial. Requires trust, open
  sharing of information, and creativity.

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Fitting Conflict Style to the Situation
Conflict Style Appropriate Situation
Competing Time is short and we're sure we're correct. The other party would take advantage of a collaborative approach.
Avoiding The conflict is trivial. We need a temporary, cooling-off tactic.
Accommodating The other party has great power. The issue isn't important to us.
Compromising There is little chance of agreement, both parties have equal power, and there are time constraints.
Collaborating This is the "ideal" style to be sought unless the parties to conflict have perfectly opposing interests.


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View of Ethics in Conflict Management

• Utilitarian
• Golden Rule
• Kantian/ Rights
• Enlightened Self Interest
• Justice Approach

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Conflict Premises

• Conflict and disagreement are normal in human
  relationships.
• Conflict may be good.
• The way in which conflict is framed may influence
  its nature and outcomes.
• Relationship/task
• Emotional/intellectual
• Cooperate/win
• A mutually acceptable solution can often be
  found.
• Any of the parties to conflict can contribute to
  its resolution by taking personal responsibility
  and initiating communications.
• Trusting behavior can evoke trusting behavior.
• Consensus and synergy are likely only when people
  choose to cooperate in a win-win relationship
  rather than compete.
• Some conflicts may never be resolved because of
  fear, rigidity, intolerance, paranoia, or other
  emotional impairment.

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Approaches to Conflict Resolution
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Communication Guidelines to Build More Productive
Relationships

1. Be honest say whats on your mind now. Be open.
2. Be specific provide examples.
3. Dont use the words never and always.
4. Listen in depth reflect and paraphrase what you
   hear.
5. Ask questions to clarify the meaning of what the
   other person is saying.
6. Focus on behavior that the other person controls.
7. Maintain good eye contact.
8. Focus on only one specific issue or behavior at a
   time.
9. Dont interrupt.
10. Stay there. Dont walk away mentally,
    emotionally, physically, or psychologically.
11. Be direct and tactful.
12. Use I statements rather than you statements
    (e.g., When this happens, I feel rather than
    When you do this, it makes me feel ).
13. Dont attack the other person by ridiculing,
    taunting, or otherwise being rude and hostile.
14. Dont defend yourself by blaming others,
    avoiding, or withdrawing.

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Negotiating
Negotiation A give-and-take decision-making
process involving interdependent parties with
different preferences.

• Distributive negotiation Single issue
  fixed-pie win-lose.
• Integrative negotiation More than one issue
  win-win.

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The Two Types ofBargaining Strategies
Integrative Bargaining
Distributive Bargaining
Bargaining Characteristics

• Available Resources
• Primary Motivations
• Primary Interests
• Focus of Relationships

• Fixed Amount
• I Win, You Lose
• Opposed
• Short-Term

• Variable Amount
• I Win, You Win
• Congruent
• Long-Term

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An Integrative Approach Added-Value Negotiation

• Clarify interests.
• Identify options.
• Design alternative deal packages.
• Select a deal.
• Perfect the deal.

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Situational Influences on Negotiation

• Location
• Physical Setting
• Time Investment and Deadlines
• Audience

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Bargaining Zone Model
Your Positions
Area of Potential Agreement
Opponents Positions
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Decision-Making Biases That Impede Negotiations

• Escalation of commitment
• The mythical fixed pie
• Anchoring and adjustments
• Framing negotiations
• Availability of information
• The winners curse
• Overconfidence

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Effective Negotiator Behaviours

• Plan and Set Goals
• Gather Information
• Communicate Effectively
• Make Appropriate Concessions

..
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Improving Negotiation Skills

• Research your opponent
• Begin with a positive overture
• Address problems, not personalities
• Pay little attention to initial offers
• Emphasize win-win solutions
• Create an open, trusting climate

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Third Party Negotiations

• Mediator
• Arbitrator
• Conciliator
• Consultant

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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Techniques

• Facilitation Third party gets disputants to deal
  directly and constructively with each other.
• Conciliation Neutral third party acts as
  communication link between disputants.
• Peer review Impartial co-workers hear both sides
  and render decision that may or may not be
  binding.
• Ombudsman Respected and trusted member of the
  organization hears grievances confidentially.
• Mediation Trained third-party guides disputants
  toward their own solution.
• Arbitration Neutral third-party hears both sides
  in a court-like setting and renders a binding
  decision.

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Unethical Negotiating Tactics

• Lies
• Puffery
• Deception
• Weakening The Opponent
• Strengthening Ones Own Position
• Information Exploitation
• Nondisclosure
• Change of Mind
• Distraction
• Maximization