Conflict And Negotiation. Amr2

CONFLICT AND NEGOTIATION AMRUTA. A PGDM 09-11 DCSMAT

CONFLICT 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.  

Existence of conflict is a perception issue. Include- 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. Outcome of poor communication,  a lack of openness and trust between people, and  failure of managers to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of their employees.

The human relations view of conflicts. Argued that conflict was a natural occurrence in all groups and organizations. The interactionist view of conflict. The conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is also an absolute necessity for a group to perform effectively.  Encourages managers to keep a minimum level of conflict- to keep group viable, self critical and creative.

The interactionist view of conflict. Functional and Dysfunctional conflict Functional- conflicts that support the goals of the group and improve its performance. Dysfunctional- conflicts that hinder group performance.

Types of Conflict Task conflict - Conflict over content and goals of the work. (Functional) Relationship conflict - Conflict based on interpersonal relationships. (Dysfunctional) Process conflict - Conflict over how work gets done. (Functional)

The Conflict Process

stephen p. robbins

Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibilty. Communication- Potential for conflict increases when either too little or too much communication takes place. Barriers semantic difficulties, misunderstandings and noise. Structure- includes variables like size, degree of specialization in tasks, jurisdictional clarity, membergoal compatibility, leadership styles, reward system and degree of dependence between groups. Personal variables- include personality types, emotions and values.

Stage II- Cognition and Personalization. Perceived conflict- Awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise. Felt conflict- Emotional involvement in a conflict that creates anxiety, tenseness, frustration or hostility.  The conflict tends to be defined in this stage, what the conflict is about.  The emotions play a major role in shaping perceptions.

Stage III- Intensions

Decisions to act in a given way. Dimensions Cooperativeness- the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the other party’s concern. Assertiveness- the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy his own concerns.

Conflict handing intentions Competing- A desire to satisfy one’s 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. Compromising- A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something.

Stage IV- Behavior This is where conflicts become visible. It includes- statements, actions, and reactions made by the conflicting parties. Conflict management- The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict.

Stage V- Outcomes 

Functional Outcomes

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Dysfunctional Outcomes

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

Bargaining Strategies Distributive Strategies 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.

The Negotiation Process.

stephen p. robbins

Individual Differences in Negotiation Effectiveness Personality- personality and intelligence do appear to have some influence on negotiation but its not a strong effect. Moods/Emotions- differs according to the type of negotiation. Gender Differences- men have been found to negotiate better outcomes than women. Women have negative feeling towards negotiations.

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. 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.