Conflict and Negotiations exclusive.

This type of conflict

can arise if you’re the head of
Conflict is a process that one team but also a member of
involves people disagreeing. It another team.
can range from minor
disagreements to workplace Another type of intrapersonal
violence. conflict involves role ambiguity.
Perhaps you’ve been given the
Types of Conflict task of finding a trainer for a
1. Intrapersonal conflict company’s business writing
training program. You may feel
2. Interpersonal conflict unsure about what kind of
person to hire—a well-known
3. Intergroup conflict but expensive trainer or a local,
unknown but low-priced trainer.
Intrapersonal conflict If you haven’t been given
Intrapersonal conflict arises guidelines about what’s
within a person. For example, expected, you may be wrestling
when you’re uncertain about with several options.
what is expected or wanted, or
you have a sense of being Interpersonal conflict
inadequate to perform a task, Interpersonal conflict is among
you are experiencing individuals such as coworkers, a
intrapersonal conflict. It can manager and an employee, or
arise because of differences in CEOs and their staff.
roles. A manager may want to Interpersonal conflict often
oversee a subordinate’s work, arises because of competition or
believing that such oversight is a because of personality or values
necessary part of the job. The differences. For example, one
subordinate, on the other hand, person’s style may be to “go
may consider such extensive with the gut” on decisions, while
oversight to be another person wants to make
micromanagement or evidence decisions based on facts. Those
of a lack of trust. differences will lead to conflict if
the individuals reach different
Role conflict, another type of conclusions.
intrapersonal conflict, includes Many companies suffer because
having two different job of interpersonal conflicts.
descriptions that seem mutually Keeping conflicts centered
around ideas rather than Surprisingly, a moderate amount
individual differences is of conflict can actually be a
important in avoiding a conflict healthy (and necessary) part of
escalation. organizational life.
To understand how to get to a
Intergroup conflict is conflict positive level of conflict, we
that takes place among different need to understand its root
groups. Types of groups may causes, consequences, and
include different departments or tools to help manage it. The
divisions in a company, and impact of too much or too little
employee union and conflict can disrupt performance.
management, or competing If conflict is too low, then
companies that supply the same performance is low. If conflict is
customers. Departments may too high, then performance also
conflict over budget allocations; tends to be low. The goal is to
unions and management may hold conflict levels in the middle
disagree over work rules; of this range. While it might
suppliers may conflict with each seem strange to want a
other on the quality of parts. particular level of conflict, a
medium level of task-related
For example, merging two conflict is often viewed as
groups together can lead to optimal, because it represents a
friction between the groups— situation in which a healthy
especially if there are scarce debate of ideas takes place.
resources to be divided among
the group. Causes of conflict

Is Conflict Always Bad?

Conflict can be dysfunctional

if:
1. it paralyzes an
organization
2. leads to less than
optimal performance,
3. in the worst case, leads 1. Organizational structure
to workplace violence. For example, if a company uses
a matrix structure as its
organizational form, it will have
decisional conflict built in, the creative team to design the
because the structure specifies words and layout, the
that each manager report to two photographer or videographer to
bosses. create the visuals, the media
buyer to purchase the
2. Limited Resources advertising space, and so on.
For example, cutting-edge The completion of your goal
laptops and gadgets such as a (airing or publishing your ad) is
BlackBerry or iPhone are dependent on others.
expensive resources that may
be allocated to employees on a 4. Incompatible Goals
need-to-have basis in some Conflict arises when two parties
companies. When a group of think that their goals are
employees have access to such mutually exclusive – meaning
resources while others do not, both cannot exist, be true or
conflict may arise among happen at the same time.
employees or between
employees and management. 5. Personality Differences
While technical employees may By understanding some
feel that these devices are fundamental differences among
crucial to their productivity, the way people think and act,
employees with customer we can better understand how
contact such as sales others see the world. Knowing
representatives may make the that these differences are
point that these devices are natural and normal lets us
important for them to make a anticipate and mitigate
good impression to clients. interpersonal conflict—it’s often
Because important resources not about “you” but simply a
are often limited, this is one different way of seeing and
source of conflict many behaving. For example, Type A
companies have to live with. individuals have been found to
have more conflicts with their
3. Task Interdependence coworkers than Type B
When accomplishment of your individuals
goal requires reliance on others
to perform their tasks. For 6. Communication Problems
example, if you’re tasked with Sometimes conflict arises simply
creating advertising for your out of a small, unintentional
product, you’re dependent on communication problem, such
as lost e-mails or dealing with increase
people who don’t return phone turnover
calls. Giving feedback is also a 3. A climate of mistrust,
case in which the best intentions which hinders the
can quickly escalate into a teamwork and
conflict situation. When cooperation necessary to
communicating, be sure to focus get work done
on behavior and its effects, not
on the person. Conflict Management

Outcomes of Conflict Ways to management conflicts

Positive outcomes include the 1. Change the Structure

following: 2. Change the Composition of
1. Consideration of a broader the Team
range of ideas, resulting in a 3. Create a Common Opposing
better, stronger idea Force
2. Surfacing of assumptions 4. Consider Majority Rule
that may be inaccurate 5. Problem Solve
3. Increased participation and
creativity Conflict-Handling Styles
4. Clarification of individual
views that build learning

Negative outcomes include

the following

1. Increased stress and

anxiety among
individuals, which
Avoidance\
decreases productivity The avoiding style is
and satisfaction uncooperative and unassertive.
2. Feelings of being People exhibiting this style seek
defeated and demeaned, to avoid conflict altogether by
which lowers individuals’ denying that it is there. They are
morale and may prone to postponing any
decisions in which a conflict may
arise. People using this style
may say things such as, “I don’t Competing
really care if we work this out,”
or “I don’t think there’s any People exhibiting a competing
problem. I feel fine about how style want to reach their goal or
things are.” get their solution adopted
regardless of what others say or
Accommodation how they feel. They are more
The accommodating style is interested in getting the
cooperative and unassertive. In outcome they want as opposed
this style, the person gives in to to keeping the other party
what the other side wants, even happy, and they push for the
if it means giving up one’s deal they are interested in
personal goals. People who use making. Competition may lead
this style may fear speaking up to poor relationships with others
for themselves or they may if one is always seeking to
place a higher value on the maximize their own outcomes at
relationship, believing that the expense of others’ well-
disagreeing with an idea might being. This approach may be
be hurtful to the other person. effective if one has strong moral
They will say things such as, objections to the alternatives or
“Let’s do it your way” or “If it’s if the alternatives one is
important to you, I can go along opposing are unethical or
with it.” harmful.

Compromise Collaboration
The compromising style is a The collaborating style is high
middle-ground style, in which on both assertiveness and
individuals have some desire to cooperation. This is a strategy to
express their own concerns and use for achieving the best
get their way but still respect the outcome from conflict—both
other person’s goals. The sides argue for their position,
compromiser may say things supporting it with facts and
such as, “Perhaps I ought to rationale while listening
reconsider my initial position” or attentively to the other side. The
“Maybe we can both agree to objective is to find a win–win
give in a little.” In a compromise, solution to the problem in which
each person sacrifices both parties get what they want.
something valuable to them. They’ll challenge points but not
each other. They’ll emphasize task, the outcome may be
problem solving and integration surprising, and it allows for more
of each other’s goals. healthy disagreements along the
way.
How Can You Stimulate
Conflict? Negotiation

Encourage people to raise Negotiation is a process

issues and disagree with you whereby two or more parties
or the status quo without fear work toward an agreement.
of reprisal. An issue festering There are five phases of
beneath the surface, when negotiation, namely:
brought out into the open, may
turn out to be a minor issue that Five phases of negotiation
can be easily addressed and
resolved.

Assign a devil’s advocate to

stimulate alternative
viewpoints. If a business unit is
getting stagnant, bring in new
people to “shake things up.”

Create a competition among

teams, offering a bonus to the
team that comes up with the
best solution to a problem.
For example, have two product
development teams compete on
designing a new product. Or,
reward the team that has the
fewest customer complaints or 1. The first step in
achieves the highest customer negotiation is the
satisfaction rating. investigation, or
information gathering
Build some ambiguity into the stage.
process. When individuals are
free to come up with their own
ideas about how to complete a
 2. Determining your 4. Bargaining
BATNA - “best During this phase, phase, each
alternative to a party discusses their goals and
negotiated agreement.” seeks to get an agreement. A
natural part of this process is
Thinking through your BATNA is making concessions, namely,
important to helping you decide giving up one thing to get
whether to accept an offer you something else in return. Making
receive during the negotiation. a concession is not a sign of
You need to know what your weakness—parties expect to
alternatives are. If you have give up some of their goals.
various alternatives, you can Rather, concessions
look at the proposed deal more demonstrate cooperativeness
critically. Could you get a better and help move the negotiation
outcome than the proposed toward its conclusion. Making
deal? Your BATNA will help you concessions is particularly
reject an unfavorable deal. On important in tense union-
the other hand, if the deal is management disputes, which
better than another outcome you can get bogged down by old
could get (that is, better than issues. Making a concession
your BATNA), then you should shows forward movement and
accept it. process, and it allays concerns
about rigidity or closed-
3. Presentation. In this mindedness. What would a
phase, you assemble the typical concession be?
information you’ve Concessions are often in the
gathered in a way that areas of money, time,
supports your position. In resources, responsibilities, or
a job hiring or salary autonomy. When negotiating for
negotiation situation, for the purchase of products, for
instance, you can example, you might agree to
present facts that show pay a higher price in exchange
what you’ve contributed for getting the products sooner.
to the organization in the Alternatively, you could ask to
past (or in a previous pay a lower price in exchange
position), which in turn for giving the manufacturer more
demonstrates your time or flexibility in when they
value. deliver the product.
5.Closure is an important part best recourse is to agree that
of negotiations. At the close of a you disagree on those topics
negotiation, you and the other and then focus only on the ones
party have either come to an that you can reach an
agreement on the terms, or one agreement on. Summarize what
party has decided that the final you’ve agreed on, so that
offer is unacceptable and everyone feels like they’re
therefore must be walked away agreeing, and leave out the
from. Most negotiators assume points you don’t agree on. Then
that if their best offer has been take up those issues again in a
rejected, there’s nothing left to different context, such as over
do. You made your best offer dinner or coffee. Dealing with
and that’s the best you can do. those issues separately may
The savviest of negotiators, help the negotiation process.
however, see the rejection as an
opportunity to learn. “What Be patient. If you don’t have a
would it have taken for us to deadline by which an agreement
reach an agreement?” needs to be reached, use that
flexibility to your advantage. The
Avoiding Common Mistakes other party may be forced by
in Negotiations circumstances to agree to your
terms, so if you can be patient
1. Failing to you may be able to get the best
Negotiate/Accepting the First deal.
Offer
2. Letting Your Ego Get in the Whose reality?
Way Deadlines. Research shows
3. Having Unrealistic that negotiators are more likely
Expectations to strike a deal by making more
4. Getting Overly Emotional concessions and thinking more
5. Letting Past Negative creatively as deadlines loom
Outcomes Affect the Present than at any other time in the
Ones negotiation process.

Tips for Negotiation Success Be comfortable with silence.

After you have made an offer,
Focus on agreement first. If allow the other party to respond.
you reach an impasse during Many people become
negotiations, sometimes the uncomfortable with silence and
feel they need to say something. Step 5. Begin assertively.
Wait and listen instead. Step 6. Don’t make the first
offer.
When All Else Fails: Third- Step 7. Listen more than talk.
Party Negotiations

1. Mediation - an outside third

party (the mediator) enters the
situation with the goal of
assisting the parties in reaching
an agreement. The mediator
can facilitate, suggest, and
recommend. The mediator
works with both parties to reach
a solution but does not
represent either side.

2. Arbitration - In contrast to
mediation, in which parties work
with the mediator to arrive at a
solution, in arbitration the parties
submit the dispute to the third-
party arbitrator. It is the
arbitrator who makes the final
decision. The arbitrator is a
neutral third party, but the
decision made by the arbitrator
is final (the decision is called the
“award”). Awards are made in
writing and are binding to the
parties involved in the case

Seven Steps to Negotiating a

Higher Salary

Step 1. Overcome your fear.

Step 2. Get the facts.
Step 3. Build your case
Step 4. Know what you want.