Role Negotiation Technique

The process of role negotiation was originally described by Harrison. This technique is a real-world
oriented one which can lead to a workable solution in cases involving competition, coercion and
power struggles. What is the exact process in which role negotiation occurs? It provides a method for
one person or group to negotiate and structure the role, or working arrangements, with respect to the
other. It may include the nature of the activities that one expects out of the other, the reporting
relationships, rules for escalation, who is responsible for what decisions, which will carry them out,
the consequences for non-performance, etc. This process can prove useful in most situations involving
competition, power, control and influence.

The fundamental assumption of Role negotiation is that reasonable people prefer a state of negotiated
settlement to one of ongoing unresolved conflict. Most people prefer to invest their time in an activity
that will result in a more stable and predictable situation rather than an unpredictable one.

Advantages--The most significant advantage of Role Negotiation is that is makes things explicit. The
facilitator helps everyone understand that each participant has some degree of power, from the
positive, rewarding good behavior in others during the contracting process. So that others don’t need
to keep guessing it is preferable that the expectations are clarified and defined. They understand the
relationship with greater certainty than would be the case if things were still covert or underground.
With this process, people better understand how to influence others in the group.

Negotiation

After each person has clarified the messages he or she has received, issues are selected for
negotiation. The facilitator needs to re-emphasize certain things so that there is no point in proceeding
with the discussion on any particular item. In simple words, everyone must be prepared to make some
sort of changes to get what he or she wants. If the behavior doesn’t change on both sides, the status
quo will prevail. By an iterative process, each person selects and communicates his or her most
important issues and eventually the group comes to a consensus about which ones will be dealt with at
this point.

After this when all parties (two or more) are satisfied that an appropriate agreement has been reached,
the participants write down the agreement to formalize it as a contract. Several negotiations may take
place simultaneously, depending on the number of people or groups involved. All agreements are
published for everyone to see and are discussed openly in the group (public commitment increases the
chances for compliance).

No doubt that there might be chances or possibility one or more people negotiating in bad faith. So the
facilitator must be skilled enough to realize that certain things can’t be changed by these techniques
and should hence avoid pushing the group into unproductive or politically dangerous territory.

 Dynamics of Role Negotiation--This process focuses on the working relationships between people,
not their feelings about one another.  As such, it is less threatening to most groups and more
accessible than other techniques that place greater emphasis on interpersonal dynamics. People tend to
be more at home discussing issues of power and influence on the job, rather than those involving
feeling and emotion.

People may resist writing down the changes they would like to see from others. There is often an extra
level of threat perceived in putting one’s commitments to change on paper.We are naturally inclined
towards resisting a process of change because it implies only loss. Role negotiation addresses these
issues directly and helps identify opportunities for mutual advantage. These opportunities are
undoubtedly considerably greater than what we realize or expect at an open process of behavioral
negotiation.

Gestalt Orientation to Team Building

The Gestalt Theory: Gestalt psychology rose as the study of human perception and learning during
the early and mid-Twentieth Century. Gestalt principles subsequently were applied in the therapeutic
setting and were focused specifically on the processes by which people develop an awareness and
perception of their environments at any given moment in time. When Gestalt principles are applied
within an organizational-consulting situation, perception and awareness become focal points.

Sensation – Human experience begins with sensory arousal that is brought about by one or more of
the five senses (touch, smell, sight, hearing, and taste). This arousal stems from elements in the
environment and leads to an awareness of figures.

Awareness – Awareness occurs when figures emerge from sensations. Awareness focuses attention
on important elements (figures) within the environment (ground) so that important elements emerge
as clearly differentiated figures. Awareness is continuous and ongoing.

Energy Mobilization – Energy is the potential or capability to do work. Awareness brings about an
awakening of internal energy, which produces the additional strength necessary to bring important
background elements into focus (make figural). In the Gestalt sense, energy mobilization refers to the
work that takes place in order to produce a clearly differentiated figure and ground.

Action – Action adds a behavioral component to the awareness of an emerged figure. The first three
stages of the Gestalt cycle of experience refer to increased sensory awareness of self and/or
environment. Thus, action is the joining of awareness, energy, and overt motor behavior in a manner
that produces some appropriate action.

Contact – Contact is the synthesis of sensory awareness and overt behavior, and pertains to what
Nevis (1987) concludes is an “aggressive response to a figure of interest.” Contact is active
participation with the figure in order to learn about and to unite the desired goal with what is possible.
The meaning derived from our experiences is generated through contact.

Resolution – Resolution is the acknowledgment of completeness. Through resolution, the meaning of

contact is assimilated, and learning occurs. Gestalt uses the term closure to signify this completion.

Withdrawal of Attention – As closure takes place, attention to the figure declines, and the figure
recedes into the background. Work is completed; what has been learned remains available in the
background for later use;

The Nature of Planned Change

The pace of global, economic, and technological development makes change an inevitable feature of
organizational life. However, change that happens to an organization can be distinguished from
change that is planned by its members. Here, the term change will refer to planned change.
Organization development is directed at bringing about planned change to increase an organization's
effectiveness. It is generally initiated and implemented by managers, often with the help of an OD
practitioner either from inside or outside of the organization. Organizations can use planned change to
solve problems, to learn from experience, to reframe shared perceptions, to adapt to external
environmental changes, to improve performance, and to influence future changes. All approaches to
OD rely on some theory about planned change. The theories describe the different stages through
which planned change may be effected in organizations and explain the process of applying OD
methods to help organization members manage change.