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Conflict Management

Conflict process, management, Negotiation

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The Conflict Process

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Antecedent/Aftermath conflict

Latent conflict

Suppression and attentionfocus mechanism Perceived conflict Felt conflict

Conflict resolutionmechanism

Manifest conflictStrategic conditions

Environmental effects

Orgz tensions

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Stage I: Potential Opposition orIncompatibility

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

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Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

Positive FeelingsNegative Emotions

Conflict Definition

Perceived ConflictAwareness by one or moreparties of the existence ofconditions that createopportunities for conflict to

arise.

Felt ConflictEmotional involvement in aconflict creating anxiety,tenseness, frustration, orhostility.

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Stage III: Intentions

Cooperativeness:

Attempting to satisfy the other partysconcerns.

Assertiveness: Attempting to satisfy ones own concerns.

Intentions

Decisions to act in a given way.

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Dimensions of Conflict-HandlingIntentions

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Stage III: Intentions (contd)

Competing

A desire to satisfy ones interests, regardless of theimpact on the other party to the conflict.

Collaborating

A situation in which the parties to a conflict eachdesire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties.

Avoiding

The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.

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Stage III: Intentions (contd)

Accommodating

The willingness of one party in a conflict to place theopponents interests above his or her own.

Compromising

A situation in which each party to a conflict iswilling to give up something.

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Stage IV: Behavior

Conflict ManagementThe use of resolution and stimulation techniques toachieve the desired level of conflict.

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Conflict Management Techniques

Conflict Resolution Techniques

Problem solving

Superordinate goals

Expansion of resources Avoidance

Smoothing

Compromise

Authoritative command

Altering the human variable

Altering the structural variables

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Conflict Management

Techniques

Conflict Resolution Techniques

Communication

Bringing in outsiders

Restructuring the organization Appointing a devils advocate

E X H I B I T 144 (contd)Source:Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional

Approach(Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 5989

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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.

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Stage V: Outcomes

Dysfunctional Outcomes from Conflict

Development of discontent

Reduced group effectiveness Retarded communication

Reduced group cohesiveness

Infighting among group members overcomesgroup goals

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Negotiation

Compromise is most successful and widely acceptedtechnique

Negotiation process is employed

Defn: Negotiation is a process where 2 parties attempt tomake an agreement on issues where they havedifferences.

It may not be necessary that issue is resolved after thisprocess

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Negotiation

NegotiationA process in which two or more parties exchangegoods or services and attempt to agree on theexchange rate for them.

BATNA

The Best Alternative To aN

egotiatedA

greement; thelowest acceptable value(outcome) to an individualfor a negotiated agreement.

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Staking Out the Bargaining Zone

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Bargaining Strategies

Distributive BargainingNegotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amountof resources; a win-lose situation.

Integrative Bargaining

Negotiation that seeks one or more settlements thatcan create a win-win solution.

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Types of negotiation methods:

Distributive bargaining:

Loose win situation

Major issues are salary, wages

High point and low points in negotiationBreak off negotiationleast favorable

Area b/w 2 is aspiration range

Integrative bargaining/Collective bargaining:Builds long term relations

Empathetic

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Distributive Versus

Integrative Bargaining

E X H I B I T 145

Bargaining Distributive IntegrativeCharacteristic Characteristic Characteristic

Available resources Fixed amount of Variable amount ofresources to be divided resources to be divided

Primary motivations I win, you lose I win, you win

Primary interests Opposed to each other Convergent or congruentwith each other

Focus of relationships Short term Long term

Source:Based on R. J. Lewicki and J. A. Litterer, Negotiation(Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1985), p. 280.

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The Negotiation Process

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Third-Party Negotiations

Mediator

A neutral third party who facilitates a negotiatedsolution by using reasoning, persuasion, andsuggestions for alternatives.

Arbitrator

A third party to a negotiationwho has the authority todictate an agreement.

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Third-Party Negotiations

(contd)

Consultant

An impartial third party, skilledin conflict management, who

attempts to facilitate creativeproblem solving throughcommunication and analysis.

ConciliatorA trusted third party who provides an informalcommunication link between the negotiator and theopponent.

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E X H I B I T 149

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Conflict management

Purpose: maximization of HR and minimize conflicts.

Preventive measuresProactive

Curative measures Reactive

Preventive modify situational variables

effective leadership

participative decision making

proper communication

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Conflict management steps

1. Establishing super-ordinate goals:o Common goals

o Re-establish by valid communication

o Win-win situation must be there

2. Changing structural arrangements:o Reduction in interdependence: pooled, sequential,reciprocal

o Reduction in shared resources

o Exchange of personnel's

o Creation of special integratorso Reference to superiors authority

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Conflict resolution:

Conflict resolution actions must be taken.

1.Problem solving

positive technique

common interest of both partiesbest in case of misunderstanding

2. Avoidance : withdrawal or conceal

3. Smoothing : cutting conflicts, similarities are enhanced.

4. Compromise5. confrontation

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Conflict-Handling Intention: Competition

When quick, decisive action is vital (in emergencies); onimportant issues.

Where unpopular actions need implementing (in costcutting, enforcing unpopular rules, discipline).

On issues vital to the organizations welfare.

When you know youre right.

Against people who take advantage of noncompetitive

behavior.

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Conflict-Handling Intention:

Collaboration

To find an integrative solution when both sets ofconcerns are too important to be compromised.

When your objective is to learn.

To merge insights from people with differentperspectives.

To gain commitment by incorporating concerns into aconsensus.

To work through feelings that have interfered with arelationship.

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Conflict-Handling Intention: Avoidance

When an issue is trivial, or more important issues arepressing.

When you perceive no chance of satisfying yourconcerns.

When potential disruption outweighs the benefits ofresolution.

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 otherissues.

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Conflict-Handling Intention:

Accommodation

When you find youre wrong and to allow a betterposition 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 frommistakes.

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Conflict-Handling Intention: Compromise

When goals are important but not worth the effort ofpotential disruption of more assertive approaches.

When opponents with equal power are committed tomutually exclusive goals.

To achieve temporary settlements to complex issues. To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure.

As a backup when collaboration or competition isunsuccessful.

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Conflict resolution matrix

A/B Win Loose

WinWinWin

(Compromise)

Win-Loose

Loose Loose-WinLoose-Loose(Avoidance)

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HighA Competition CollaborationS (Win-loose) (win-win)

SERT

I CompromiseVE

N Avoidance AccommodationE (Loose-loose) (Loose-win)

SS

Low Cooperativeness

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BASICALLY CONFLICT IS AN ISSUE OF PERCEPTION.

3 MAIN COMPONENTS TO CONFLICT

PERCIEVED INCOMPATIBITY OF INTERESTS

SOME INTERDEPENDENCE OF THEPARTIES/GROUPS

SOME FORM OF INTERACTION

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IPC HELPS IN PREVENTING CONFLICT

TO PREVENT CONFLICT FROM HAPPENING INTHE FIRST PLACE, IDENTIFY THE WAYS INWHICH WE CONTRIBUTE TO DISAGREEMENT INCERTAIN COMMUNICATION PATTERNS.

IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC, RECENT CONFLICTINGSITUATION, RECALL WHAT YOU SAID, THINKSPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW YOU COULD HAVEUSED MORE EFFECTIVE VERBAL SKILLS

THINK ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH YOURCOMMUNICATION HAD SET A MORE TRUSTFULTONE OR OFFENSIVE TONE