Negotiation Skills

(HERS 3002)
Concept of conflict management, Nature & Source of
Conflict, Classification, Resolution of Conflict
 Conflict
• “Appearance of difference, difference of opinions or difference of interests.” Parker
Follett (1941)
• “Opposing interests involving scarce resources and goal divergence and frustration”
(Pondy, 1967).
• “Incompatible activities: one person's actions interfere, obstruct, or in some way get in
the way of another's action.” Deutsch (1973)
• “Conflict is a process that begin when one party perceives that another party has
negatively affected or is about to negatively affect something that other party cares
about” Stephen Robbins
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 Conflict Management
• “Conflict Management is the process of limiting negative aspects of
conflict while increasing the positive aspect of conflict”
• “Conflict management does not necessarily involve avoidance, reduction,
or termination of conflict. It involves designing effective strategies to
minimize the dysfunctions of conflict and to enhance the constructive
functions of conflict in order to improve team and organizational
effectiveness” (Rahim, 2002).

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 Conflict and Unit Performance

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 View of Conflict
• Traditional View of Conflict
• Interaction view of conflict

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 Traditional View of Conflict

• The belief that all conflicts are bad and must be avoided
• Conflicts are harmful, unnecessary and considered synonymous to
violence, destruction and irrational.
• Causes of conflict
• poor communication, lack of openness, lack of trust and failure of managers to be
responsive to the needs and aspirations of their employees

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 Interaction view of conflict

• Conflict is natural outcome in any group of people and that it can be helpful
and constructive.
• people differ in their attitudes, values and goals
• It is a positive force and absolutely necessary for a group to perform
effectively
• Minimum level of conflict is between the groups would increase
competitiveness.
• will lend itself to higher productivity and increased job satisfaction.
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 Functional & Dysfunction Conflict
• Functional
• Conflict that supports group goal and improves performance.
• Dysfunction Conflict
• Conflict that hinders group performance

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 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

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 Dysfunctional Outcomes from Conflict
• Development of discontent
• Reduced group effectiveness
• Retarded communication
• Reduced group cohesiveness
• Infighting among group members overcomes group goals

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 Sources of Conflict
• Differing goals
• Perception/ values/attitude
• Limited resources
• Miscommunication
• Personality clashes
• Power

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 Types of Conflict
• Task conflict
• Process conflict
• Relationship conflict
• Interpersonal conflict
• Intrapersonal Conflict
• Intragroup conflict
• Intergroup conflict
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 Conflict Resolution Strategies

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 Collaborating

• A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the
concerns of all parties

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 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
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 Compromising
• A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up
something

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 Use of 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
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 Competing
• A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the impact on the other
party to the conflict

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

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 Use of Accommodation
• When one finds one is 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
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 Avoiding
• The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict

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 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
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