Conflict and

Negotiation
Conflict
 Conflict Defined
– A process that begins when one party perceives that
another party has negatively affected, or is about to
negatively affect, something that the first party cares
about.
• Is that point in an ongoing activity when an interaction
“crosses over” to become an interparty conflict.
– Encompasses a wide range of conflicts that people
experience in organizations
• Incompatibility of goals
• Differences over interpretations of facts
• Disagreements based on behavioral expectations
Transitions in Conflict Thought

Traditional View of Conflict

The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be
avoided.

Causes:
• Poor communication
• Lack of openness
• Failure to respond to
employee needs
Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)

Human Relations View of Conflict

The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable
outcome in any group.

Interactionist View of Conflict

The belief that conflict is not only
a positive force in a group but that
it is absolutely necessary for a
group to perform effectively.
Functional versus Dysfunctional Conflict
(Positive)
Functional Conflict
Conflict that supports the goals
of the group and improves its
performance.

Dysfunctional Conflict
Conflict that hinders
(Negative) group performance.
Types of Conflict

Task Conflict
Conflicts over content and
goals of the work.

Relationship Conflict
Conflict based on
interpersonal relationships.

Process Conflict
Conflict over how work gets done.
The Conflict Process
Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
 Communication
– Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and “noise”
 Structure
– Size and specialization of jobs
– Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity
– Member/goal incompatibility
– Leadership styles (close or participative)
– Reward systems (win-lose)
– Dependence/interdependence of groups
 Personal Variables
– Differing individual value systems
– Personality types
Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

Perceived Conflict Felt Conflict

Awareness by one or more Emotional involvement in a
parties of the existence of conflict creating anxiety,
conditions that create tenseness, frustration, or
opportunities for conflict to hostility.
arise.

Conflict Definition

Negative Emotions Positive Feelings

Stage III: Intentions

Intentions
Decisions to act in a given way.

Cooperativeness:
•Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns.
Assertiveness:
• Attempting to satisfy one’s own concerns.
 Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions

Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette

and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3
(Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
Stage III: Intentions (cont’d)

Competing
A desire to satisfy one’s interests, 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.
Stage III: Intentions (cont’d)

Accommodating
The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the
opponent’s interests above his or her own.

Compromising
A situation in which each party to a conflict is
willing to give up something.
Stage IV: Behavior

Conflict Management
The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to
achieve the desired level of conflict.
 Conflict-Intensity Continuum

Source: Based on S.P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach

(Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 93–97; and F. Glasi, “The Process of Conflict
Escalation and the Roles of Third Parties,” in G.B.J. Bomers and R. Peterson (eds.), Conflict
Management and Industrial Relations (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119–40.
Conflict Management Techniques

Conflict Resolution Techniques

• Problem solving
• Superordinate goals
• Expansion of resources
• Avoidance
• smoothing
• Compromise
• Authoritative command
• Altering the human variable
Source: Based on S. P. Robbins,
Managing Organizational Conflict:
A Nontraditional Approach (Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall,

• Altering the structural variables 1974), pp. 59–89

 Conflict Management Techniques

Conflict Resolution Techniques

• Communication
• Bringing in outsiders
• Restructuring the organization
• Appointing a devil’s advocate

Source: Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional

Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 59–89
Stage V: Outcomes
 Functional Outcomes from Conflict
– Increased group performance
– Improved quality of decisions
– Stimulation of creativity and innovation
– Encouragement of interest and curiosity
– Provision of a medium for problem-solving
– Creation of an environment for self-evaluation and
change
 Creating Functional Conflict
– Reward dissent and punish conflict avoiders
Stage V: Outcomes
 Dysfunctional Outcomes from Conflict
– Development of discontent
– Reduced group effectiveness
– Retarded communication
– Reduced group cohesiveness
– Infighting among group members overcomes group
goals
Negotiation

Negotiation
A process in which two or more parties exchange
goods or services and attempt to agree on the
exchange rate for them.

BATNA
The Best Alternative To a
Negotiated Agreement; the
lowest acceptable value
(outcome) to an individual
for a negotiated agreement.
Bargaining Strategies

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

Integrative Bargaining
Negotiation that seeks one or more settlements that
can create a win-win solution.
 Distributive Versus Integrative Bargaining

Bargaining Distributive Integrative

Characteristic Bargaining Bargaining

Goal Get as much of pie Expand the pie

as possible
Motivation Win-Lose Win-Win
Focus Positions Interests
Information Low High
Sharing

Duration of Short term Long term

relationships

Source: Based on R. J. Lewicki and J. A. Litterer, Negotiation (Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1985), p. 280.
Staking Out the Bargaining Zone
 The
Negotiation
Process

BATNA
The Best Alternative To a
Negotiated Agreement; the
lowest acceptable value
(outcome) to an individual
for a negotiated agreement.
Issues in Negotiation
 The Role of Mood & Personality Traits in
Negotiation
– Positive moods positively affect negotiations
– Traits do not appear to have a significantly direct effect
on the outcomes of either bargaining or negotiating
processes (except extraversion, which is bad for
negotiation effectiveness)
 Gender Differences in Negotiations
– Women negotiate no differently from men, although
men apparently negotiate slightly better outcomes.
– Men and women with similar power bases use the
same negotiating styles.
– Women’s attitudes toward negotiation and their
success as negotiators are less favorable than men’s.
 Why American Managers Might Have Trouble in Cross-
Cultural Negotiations

 Italians, Germans, and French don’t soften up executives with

praise before they criticize. Americans do, and to many
Europeans this seems manipulative. Israelis, accustomed to
fast-paced meetings, have no patience for American small talk.
 British executives often complain that their U.S. counterparts
chatter too much. Indian executives are used to interrupting one
another. When Americans listen without asking for clarification
or posing questions, Indians can feel the Americans aren’t
paying attention.
 Americans often mix their business and personal lives. They
think nothing, for instance, about asking a colleague a question
like, “How was your weekend?” In many cultures such a
question is seen as intrusive because business and private lives
are totally compartmentalized.

Source: Adapted from L. Khosla, “You Say Tomato,” Forbes, May 21, 2001, p. 36.
Third-Party Negotiations

Mediator
A neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated
solution by using reasoning, persuasion, and
suggestions for alternatives.

Arbitrator
A third party to a negotiation
who has the authority to
dictate an agreement.
Third-Party Negotiations (cont’d)

Conciliator
A trusted third party who provides an
informal communication link between
the negotiator and the opponent.

Consultant
An impartial third party, skilled in
conflict management, who
attempts to facilitate creative
problem solving through
communication and analysis.
 Conflict
and Unit
Performance
USE….Competition
 When quick, decisive action is vital (in
emergencies); on important issues.
 Where unpopular actions need implementing (in
cost cutting, enforcing unpopular rules,
discipline).
 On issues vital to the organization’s welfare.
 When you know you’re right.
 Against people who take advantage of
noncompetitive behavior.
USE …..Collaboration
 To find an integrative solution when both sets of
concerns are too important to be compromised.
 When your objective is to learn.
 To merge insights from people with different
perspectives.
 To gain commitment by incorporating concerns
into a consensus.
 To work through feelings that have interfered
with a relationship.
USE….Avoidance
 When an issue is trivial, or more important issues
are pressing.
 When you perceive no chance of satisfying your
concerns.
 When potential disruption outweighs the benefits
of resolution.
 To let people cool down and regain perspective.
 When gathering information supersedes
immediate decision.
 When others can resolve the conflict effectively.
 When issues seem tangential or symptomatic of
other issues.
USE….Accommodation
 When you find you’re wrong and to allow a better
position to be heard.
 To learn, and to show your reasonableness.
 When issues are more important to others than to
yourself and to satisfy others and maintain
cooperation.
 To build social credits for later issues.
 To minimize loss when outmatched and losing.
 When harmony and stability are especially
important.
 To allow employees to develop by learning from
mistakes.
USE…Compromise
 When goals are important but not worth the effort
of potential disruption of more assertive
approaches.
 When opponents with equal power are committed
to mutually exclusive goals.
 To achieve temporary settlements to complex
issues.
 To arrive at expedient solutions under time
pressure.
 As a backup when collaboration or competition is
unsuccessful.
 Chapter Check-Up: Conflict
By standing on the printer, what
conflict resolution technique might
this man (Tom Alexander) be
employing?
Authoritative Command
Superordinate goal
Expansion of resources
Compromise

By shifting the focus of the meeting to the overall organizational

competitiveness being threatened because of the excess
strength being built into the printers, he directed the attendees
to a superordinate goal of the organization remaining
competitive.
 Chapter Check-Up: Conflict
Suppose you are a staunch Democrat and your
uncle is a Republican. Every time he sees you, he
tries to pick a fight about politics and “those stupid
liberals.” According to this chapter, what conflict
handling intention should you use in dealing with
him?
Competing
Collaborating
Accommodating
Avoidance
Discuss with your neighbor under what circumstances (if any) you
should shift to an accommodating intention (when talking with
your uncle).
Chapter Check-Up: Negotiation

Discuss the concepts of

BATNA and resistance point
with your neighbor. What
similarities are there between
the two? Differences?