1. Managing Conflict in Negotiations
Bargaining, Conflict and Negotiations in Organizational Settings

2. Conflict Defined
it’s pervasive, it’s inevitable, and it’s a process, not a product
Lulofs: “conflict occurs in situations in which (1) the people are interdependent, (2) they seek different outcomes or they favor different means to the same ends; and/or (3) the people perceive the other is interfering with their pursuit of scarce rewards or resources.”

3. Overview of Conflict in Organizations
The cultural “naturalness” of conflict
Legal system
Labor negotiations
Political system
The pervasiveness of conflict--20% of a managers time
Connection to management theories

4. Benefits of Organizational Conflict
Defuse potentially larger conflicts
Forces us to acquire new information
Inter-group conflict promotes intra-group cohesiveness
Provides a opportunity to measure power, strength, or ability

5. Disadvantages of Organizational Conflict
Leads to avoidance behavior
Leads to withholding of information
Threatens individuals
Causes cynicism and reduced communication

6. Tannen’s View of Organizational Conflict
Ritual Fighting
Ritual Fighting as a function of organizational culture
Gender differences

7. Kilmann Thomas Conflict Model
X=cooperativenss, Y=assertiveness
Avoidance (low coop, low assertiveness)
denial, underresponsiveness, shifting, semantic focus, postponement,
Advantage--takes out the heat of the moment
Disadvantage--conflict remains unresolved, may lead to larger outbreak

8. Kilmann-Thomas Model, cont.
Competition (low coop, high assertiveness)
presumptive attribution, prescription
Advantages--increased creativity and enthusiasm
Disadvantages--violence, driving opponent underground

9. Kilmann Thomas, cont. Compromise (moderate X and Y)
Advantages--often actually resolves the conflict
Disadvantage--may actually be bad policy or decision by not staying true to either set of goals

10. Kilmann Thomas cont. Accommodation (High coop, Low assert.)
appeasement, smoothing over
Advantage--often quickly leads to solution
Disadvantage-- may, in the long run, be detrimental, denies the legitimacy of the claims of one of the participants

11. Kilmann Thomas, cont. Collaboration (High coop, High assert.)
High levels of commitment and empathy are necessary
use description, qualification, accept responsibility, initiating problem solving
Advantage--truly worthy of humans
Disadvantage--difficult and many are not trained to do it very well

12. A Four Phase Model of Conflict Resolution
Introduction--brief statement reviewing procedures for conflict resolution
Explanation--each party discusses the source of the difficulty
Clarifying--develop a better understanding of all relevant issues (positions versus interests)
Problem Solving--brainstorms solutions, eliminate solutions, settle on a final solution

13. A Glossary of Negotiation Terms
Negotiation--Back and forth communication designed to reach an agreement when you and the other side have some interests that are shared and others that are opposed
Bargaining---trading of assets among parties to solve problems
Mediation-- a neutral 3rd party is introduced to work with two parties
Arbitration--like mediation, except that the third party has the authority to impose a binding decision

14. Bargaining at a glance Distributive bargaining (Win-lose)
Integrative bargaining
(Win-win)

15. Bargaining Strategies
Force the opposition to open the bidding
Frequent concessions
Reciprocity for good faith
Look for win-win solutions
expand the pie
joint brainstorming
try “bridging”