Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Chapter 6
Communication, Conflict and Negotiation
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication
1. How does communication occur?2. Are there barriers to communication?3. How can communication be encouraged?4. What are the current issues in communication?5. What is conflict?6. What are the sources of conflict?7. How does a situation turn into a conflict?8. What is negotiation and how does it help?
Questions for ConsiderationQuestions for Consideration
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Problems
• People spend nearly 70 percent of their waking hours communicating—writing, reading, speaking, listening
• WorkCanada survey of 2039 Canadians in six industrial and service categories found – 61 percent of senior executives believed that they did a good job of
communicating with employees. – only 33 percent of the managers and department heads believed that
senior executives were effective communicators. – Only 22 percent of hourly workers, 27 percent of clerical employees,
and 22 percent of professional staff reported that senior executives did a good job of communicating with them.
• Canadians reported less favourable perceptions about their company’s communications than did Americans
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Terms
• Communication
• Sender
• Receiver
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Terms
• Message
• Encoding
• Channel
• Decoding
Exhibit 6-1 The Communication Process Model
Encodes themessage
Chooses thechannel
Choosesa message
Providesfeedback
Decodes themessage
Sender Receiver
Considers the receiver
Considers the sender
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Choosing Channels
• Channels differ in their capacity to convey information.
Exhibit 6-2 – Information Richness of Communication Channels
Source: Based on R. H. Lengel and R. L. Daft, “The Selection of Communication Media as an Executive Skill,” Academy of Management Executive, August 1988, pp. 225-232; and R. L. Daft and R. H. Lengel, “Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness, and Structural Design,” Managerial Science, May 1996, pp. 554-572. Reproduced from R. L. Daft and R. A. Noe, Organizational Behavior (Forth Worth, TX: Harcourt, 2001), p. 311.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Filtering
• Selective Perception
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Nonverbal Communication
• Messages conveyed through body movements, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the sender and the receiver– Kinesics– Proxemics
Silence as Communication
• Defined as an absence of speech or noise
• Not necessarily inaction
• Individuals should be aware of what silence might mean in any communication.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Barriers Between Men and
Women• Men use talk to emphasize status, women
use it to create connection
• Women and men tend to approach points of conflict differently
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Barriers Between Men and
Women• Men and women view directness and
indirectness differently
• Men criticize women for apologizing, but women say “I’m sorry” to express empathy
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Cross-Cultural Communication
Difficulties• Sources of barriers
– Semantics – Word connotations– Tonal differences
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Cross-Cultural Communications:
Helpful Rules• Assume differences until similarity is
proven.
• Emphasize description rather than interpretation or evaluation.
• Practise empathy.
• Treat your interpretations as a working hypothesis.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Effective Listening
• If you want to improve your listening skills, look to these behaviours as guides– Make eye contact– Exhibit affirmative head nods and appropriate facial
expressions.– Avoid distracting actions or gestures.– Ask questions.– Paraphrase.– Avoid interrupting the speaker.– Don’t over talk.– Make smooth transitions between the roles of speaker and
listener.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Conflict
• A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect something that the first party cares about.– Functional– Dysfunctional
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Types of Conflict
• Cognitive– Conflict related to differences in perspectives
and judgments
• Affective– Emotional conflict aimed at a person rather
than an issue
Exhibit 6-5Conflict Intensity Continuum
Annihilatoryconflict
Noconflict
Overt efforts to destroythe other party
Aggressive physical attacks
Threats and ultimatums
Assertive verbal attacks
Overt questioning orchallenging of others
Minor disagreements ormisunderstandings
Sources: Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 93-97; and F. Glasl, “The Process of Conflict Escalation and the Roles of Third Parties,” in Conflict Management and Industrial Relations, ed. G. B. J. Bomers and R. Peterson (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119-140).
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-4 How Conflict Builds
• Functional:increased
performance• Dysfunctional:
decreased groupperformance
Behaviour
Outcomes
• Competing• Collaborating• Compromising• Avoiding• Accommodating
Conflict-handling Intentions
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Conflict handling intentions
• Two Dimensions– Cooperativeness
– Assertiveness
Exhibit 6-6 Conflict-Handling Strategies and Accompanying Behaviours
Uncooperative Cooperative
COOPERATIVENESS
Trying to satisfy the other person’s concerns
Forcing
Satisfying one’s own interestswithout concern for the other’s
interests • Make threats and bluffs • Make persuasive arguments • Make positional commitments
Problem solving
Clarifying differences to findmutually beneficial outcomes • Exchange information about priorities and preferences • Show insights
• Make trade-offs between important and unimportant issues
Compromisingr
Giving up something to reach anoutcome (done by both parties) • Match other’s concessions • Make conditional promises and threats
• Search for a middle ground
Avoiding
Withdrawing from or ignoringconflict
• Don’t think about the issues
Yielding
Placing the other’s interests aboveone’s own
• Make unilateral concessions • Make unconditional promises • Offer help
AS
SER
TIV
EN
ES
S
Try
ing
to s
ati
sfy o
ne’s
ow
n c
on
cern
s’
Un
ass
ert
ive
Ass
ert
ive
Sources: Based on K. W. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, vol. 3, 2nd ed., ed. M. D. Dunnette and L. M. Hough (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668; C. K. W. De Dreu, A. Evers, B. Beersma, E. S. Kluwer, and A. Nauta, “A Theory-Based Measure of Conflict Management Strategies in the Workplace,” Journal of Organizational Behavior 22, no. 6 (September 2001), pp. 645-668; and D. G. Pruitt and J. Rubin, Social Conflict: Escalation, Stalemate and Settlement (New York: Random House, 1986).
Factors That Lead to Personality Conflicts
• Misunderstandings
• Intolerance
• Perceived inequalities
• Falsehoods
• Blaming
Tips for Employees Having a Personality Conflict
• Communicate directly with the other person to resolve the perceived conflict.
• Avoid dragging co-workers into the conflict.
• If necessary, seek help from direct supervisors or human resource specialists.
Source: R. Kreitner and A. Kinicki, Organizational Behavior, 6th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004), p. 492, Table 14-1. Reprinted by permission of McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Conflict Outcomes
• Functional (supports the goals of the group and improves performance)
• Dysfunctional (hinders group performance)
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Negotiation
• A process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree upon the exchange rate for them
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Issues, Positions and Interests
• Individuals have issues, positions, and interests – Issues are items that are specifically placed on the
bargaining table for discussion– Positions are the individual’s stand on the issue – Interests are the underlying concerns that are
affected by the negotiation resolution
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Types of Bargaining
• Distributive bargaining
• Integrative bargaining
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Bargaining Distributive IntegrativeCharacteristic Bargaining Bargaining
Available resources
Primary motivations
Primary interests
Focus of relationships
Fixed amount of resources to be divided
I win, you lose
Opposed to each other
Short term
Variable amount of resources to be divided
I win, you win
Convergent or congruent with each other
Long term
Exhibit 6-9 Distributive versus
Integrative Bargaining
How to Negotiate
• Five steps to negotiation:– Developing a strategy.– Definition of ground rules.– Clarification and justification.– Bargaining and problem solving.– Closure and implementation.
• Identify BATNA:– Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement.
Exhibit 6-8 The Negotiation Process
Developing a strategy
Defining ground rules
Clarification andjustification
Bargaining andproblem solving
Closure andimplementation
Source: This model is based on R. J. Lewicki, “Bargaining and Negotiation,” Exchange: The Organizational BehaviorTeaching Journal 6, no. 2 (1981), pp. 39-40.
Exhibit 6-9 Staking Out the Bargaining Zone
Buyer’s aspiration rangeSeller’s aspiration range
BargainingZone
Buyer’stargetpoint
Seller’s resistance
point
Buyer’sresistance
point
Seller’stargetpoint
$400 $475 $525 $600
Getting to Yes
• Separate the people from the problem.
• Focus on interests, not positions.
• Look for ways to achieve mutual gains.
• Use objective criteria to achieve a fair solution.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Summary and Implications:
Communication• A common theme regarding the relationship between
communication and employee satisfaction• Less distortion in communication equals:• Ambiguity between verbal and nonverbal communiqués
increase uncertainty and reduce satisfaction• The goal of perfect communication is unattainable• The issue of communication is critical to motivation
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Summary and Implications
• Conflict can be either constructive or destructive to the functioning of a group.
• An optimal level of conflict:• Inadequate or excessive levels of conflict can
hinder group effectiveness.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Summary and Implications
• Don’t assume there's one conflict-handling intention that is always best.
• Negotiation is an ongoing activity in groups
• Intergroup conflicts can also affect an organization’s performance.