Team

Conflicts and
Negotiation
Langyuan, Kang Ngee, Dave,
Aishwarya, Dasco
 Overarching Theme

1 What is Conflict?

2 How does Negotiation come into play?

3 How can I Negotiate better to resolve

Conflicts?
Topics

What is Conflict? 1
Conflict and Management 2
Case Study Analysis 3
Tips for Negotiation 4
Negotiation and Culture 5
Sources of Conflict in Software Engineering?
 Yet Another Pull Request...

actix-web 12.1k 🌟
Open-source Software marketing itself as a powerful, pragmatic, and extremely fast web framework for Rust
 Here’s the Scenario

Contributor Founder/Maintainer
AARON
VS NIKOLAY
 Here’s the Scenario

AARON NIKOLAY
“What’s even the point of this
“Why can’t he just merge this
pull request? Why do I need to
pull request? It’s perfect!”
merge it?”
 Definition of Conflict
Conflict exists when one person has a need of another and
that need is not being met.

Pathway to resolution!

1 Identify the need that is not met

2 Find a way for the need to be met

Why did the conflict happen?
Unmet need: Not
being allowed to
contribute to the
project

Unmet need: Not

enough
justification for the
pull request
 Conflict Management Styles

Accommodating Collaborating
Minimize differences, Aims to meet needs of
concerned with all parties and values
maintaining a good team relationship
rapport, and is
cooperative.

Competing Compromising
Assertive, Splits the difference,
self-confident, and Avoiding exchange concessions,
focused on the deal and and seeks a quick
Avoids stepping into or
results. middle-ground solution
creating tension. Stays
neutral, objective or
removed from the situation
So which is the best conflict management style?
Accommodating Avoiding Collaborating
Competing Compromising

There is no best style. It really depends.

 Yet Another Pull Request...

AARON NIKOLAY
 Yet Another Pull Request...

AARON NIKOLAY
 Yet Another Pull Request...

!? ✖ Avoidance

AARON NIKOLAY
 Yet Another Pull Request...

✔ Communicating reason

AARON NIKOLAY
 Yet Another Pull Request...

✔ Setting expectations, explains situation

AARON NIKOLAY
 Yet Another Pull Request...

✔ Expressing Demands Clearly

AARON NIKOLAY
 Yet Another Pull Request...

✔ Both parties’ needs are met = Conflict resolved!

AARON NIKOLAY
 Tips for better negotiation

Coming Prepared Minding your

language

Regulating your emotions Listening actively

 Coming Prepared

1 Know your goals and mandates

What do you want from the negotiation?

Understand the other party

2 What are their needs? What pressures do
they feel? What options do they have?

Know your BATNA

3 What is your Best Alternative To a
Negotiated Agreement?
What happened here?

Unable to regulate
emotions
 Managing your emotions
Understand
your
counterpart’s
emotions
Manage your
anger

Avoid anxiety
 Minding your language

1 Shift the focus from me to you

2 Have a positive tone

Are preparation, regulation of emotions, and use of
appropriate language enough for a successful
negotiation?
 Listening actively

✖ Just nodding your head 1 Ask questions

✖ The occasional “uh huh”

2 Paraphrase

3 Provide feedback and

acknowledgement
Influence of
Culture in
Negotiation
 Cultural Barrier
Different cultures have different social norms, which
can lead to differences in interpretation

1 Body language

2 Language

3 Values and beliefs

 Cultural Barrier
If one does not aware of this, can lead to fatal
consequences:

1 Losing credibility in workplace

2 Unintentionally offend colleagues,

supervisors, or even bosses

3 Missing golden opportunity

 Cultural Barrier
Therefore, we can overcome it with the following
ways:

1 Learn the culture

2 Show respect

3 Maintain open communication

Conclusion
QnA