Bob StretchSouthwestern College
Robbins & Judge
Organizational Behavior13th Edition
Conflict and Negotiation
15-1© 2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.
Chapter Learning Objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
– Define conflict.– Differentiate between the traditional, human relations, and
interactionist views of conflict.– Outline the conflict process.– Define negotiation.– Contrast distributive and integrative bargaining.– Apply the five steps in the negotiation process.– Show how individual differences influence negotiations.– Assess the roles and functions of third-party negotiations.– Describe cultural differences in negotiations.
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Conflict Defined 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– That point in an ongoing activity when an interaction
“crosses over” to become an interparty conflict Encompasses a wide range of conflicts that people
experience in organizations– Incompatibility of goals– Differences over interpretations of facts– Disagreements based on behavioral expectations
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Transitions in Conflict Thought Traditional View of Conflict
– The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided
– Prevalent view in the 1930s-1940s
Conflict resulted from:– Poor communication
– Lack of openness
– Failure to respond to employee needs
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Continued Transitions in Conflict Thought Human Relations View of Conflict
– The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group
– Prevalent from the late 1940s through mid-1970s Interactionist View of Conflict
– The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively
– Current view
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Forms of Interactionist Conflict
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Types of Interactionist Conflict Task Conflict
– Conflicts over content and goals of the work– Low-to-moderate levels of this type are
FUNCTIONAL
Relationship Conflict– Conflict based on interpersonal relationships– Almost always DYSFUNCTIONAL
Process Conflict– Conflict over how work gets done– Low levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL
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The Conflict Process We will focus on each step in a moment…
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E X H I B I T 15-1
Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
Communication– Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and “noise”
Structure– Size and specialization of jobs– Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity– Member/goal incompatibility– Leadership styles (close or participative)– Reward systems (win-lose)– Dependence/interdependence of groups
Personal Variables– Differing individual value systems– Personality types
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Stage II: Cognition and Personalization Important stage for two reasons:
1. Conflict is defined • Perceived Conflict
– Awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise
2. Emotions are expressed that have a strong impact on the eventual outcome• Felt Conflict
– Emotional involvement in a conflict creating anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or hostility
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Stage III: Intentions Intentions
– Decisions to act in a given way– Note: behavior does not always accurate reflect intent
Dimensions of conflict-handling intentions:– Cooperativeness
• Attempting to satisfy the other party’sconcerns
– Assertiveness• Attempting to satisfy
one’s own concerns
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E X H I B I T 15-2
Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
Stage IV: Behavior Conflict Management
– The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict
Conflict-Intensity Continuum
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E X H I B I T 15-3
Source: Based on S.P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 93–97; and F. Glasi, “The Process of Conflict Escalation and the Roles of Third Parties,” in G.B.J. Bomers and R. Peterson (eds.), Conflict Management and Industrial Relations (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119–40.
Conflict Resolution Techniques– Problem solving– Superordinate goals– Expansion of resources– Avoidance– Smoothing– Compromise– Authoritative command– Altering the human
variable– Altering the structural
variables– Communication
– Bringing in outsiders– Restructuring the
organization– Appointing a devil’s
advocate
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E X H I B I T 15-4
Source: Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 59–89
Stage V: Outcomes Functional
– 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
Dysfunctional– Development of discontent– Reduced group
effectiveness– Retarded communication– Reduced group
cohesiveness– Infighting among group
members overcomes group goals
Creating Functional Conflict– Reward dissent and punish
conflict avoiders
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Negotiation Negotiation (Bargaining)
– A process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree on the exchange rate for them
Two General Approaches:– Distributive Bargaining
• Negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources; a win-lose situation
– Integrative Bargaining• Negotiation that seeks one or more settlements that can create
a win-win solution
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Distributive versus Integrative Bargaining
Bargaining Characteristic Distributive Bargaining Integrative Bargaining
Goal Get all the pie you can Expand the pie
Motivation Win-Lose Win-Win
Focus Positions Interests
Information Sharing Low High
Duration of Relationships Short-Term Long-Term
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E X H I B I T 15-5
Distributive
Integrative
Source: Based on R. J. Lewicki and J. A. Litterer, Negotiation (Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1985), p. 280.
Bargaining Tactics and the Bargaining Zone
Distributive Tactics– Make an aggressive
first offer– Reveal a deadline
Integrative Tactics– Bargain in teams– Put more issues on the
table– Don’t compromise
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E X H I B I T 15-6
The Negotiation Process
BATNA– The Best Alternative
To a Negotiated Agreement
– The lowest acceptable value (outcome) to an individual for a negotiated agreement
The “Bottom Line” for negotiations
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E X H I B I T 15-7
Individual Differences in Negotiation Effectiveness
Personality Traits– Extroverts and agreeable people weaker at distributive
negotiation – disagreeable introvert is best– Intelligence is a weak indicator of effectiveness
Mood and Emotion– Ability to show anger helps in distributive bargaining– Positive moods and emotions help integrative bargaining
Gender– Men and women negotiate the same way, but may
experience different outcomes– Women and men take on gender stereotypes in negotiations:
tender and tough– Women are less likely to negotiate
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Third-Party Negotiations Four Basic Third-Party Roles
– Mediator• A neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using
reasoning, persuasion, and suggestions for alternatives– Arbitrator
• A third party to a negotiation who has the authority to dictate an agreement.
– Conciliator• A trusted third party who provides an informal communication
link between the negotiator and the opponent– Consultant
• An impartial third party, skilled in conflict management, who attempts to facilitate creative problem solving through communication and analysis
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Global Implications Conflict and Culture
– Japanese and U.S. managers view conflict differently– U.S. managers more likely to use competing tactics while
Japanese managers are likely to use compromise and avoidance
Cultural Differences in Negotiations– Multiple cross-cultural studies on negotiation styles, for
instance:• American negotiators are more likely than Japanese bargainers
to make a first offer• North Americans use facts to persuade, Arabs use emotion, and
Russians used asserted ideals• Brazilians say “no” more often than Americans or Japanese
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Summary and Managerial Implications Conflict can be
constructive or destructive
Reduce excessive conflict by using:– Competition– Collaboration– Avoidance– Accommodation– Compromise
Integrative negotiation is a better long-term method
15-22© 2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.
E X H I B I T 15-8