Michael Glenn Kho 10689818 Human Process Interventions: Third-party Interventions

What is it about? Third-party intermediaries are people, organizations, or even

nations (in an international perspective) who enter a conflict to try to help the
parties de-escalate or resolve it (Burgess, 2004). Formal intermediaries are
people who are professional conflict resolvers and who are hired specifically to
do that job. They may be professional mediators, arbitrators, facilitators, or
judges, who work privately or with a government agency. Informal intermediaries
are people who find themselves in an intermediary role, but it is not something
they usually do as a profession. Conflict Conflict is inherent in groups and in
organizations. It can arise from a variety of sources (Cummings, T. &Worley, C.,
2001): • • • • Personality Task orientation Perceptions among group members
Competition over scarce resources.

Yet despite the existence of conflicts in the various levels of interactions, it

is important to note that conflict is neither good nor bad. Conflict can: •
Enhance motivation • Enhance innovation • Lead to better understanding of ideas
and views

On the other hand, conflict can: • Prevent people from working together
constructively • Destroy necessary task interactions among group members Conflict
styles
Episodic model of conflict: • Occurs in cyclical stages, identified as episodes.
What organizational issues and concerns are being addressed by third-party
interventions? Conflict can arise over substantiative issues or from interpersonal
issues: • Substantiative issues • Work methods • Pay rates • Conditions of
employment • Interpersonal issues • Personality conflicts • Misperceptions What
specific objective third-party interventions aim to achieve? Third parties can: •
Provide breathing space (i.e. reduce tension) • Re-establish communication between
two parties • Refocus on substantiative issues • Repair stained relationships •
Recommend time limits • Salvage sunk costs of stalled negotiations • Increase
level of negotiator satisfaction So, when do you need third-party intervention? •
Deadlock or impasse between two-parties • Unproductive tension and hostility •
Anger and resentment overwhelm negotiators • Mistrust and suspicion are high
Intermediary roles? There are a number of intermediary roles that individuals
play. Bill Ury (2000), identifies ten (10) such roles: • Provider (of needed
resources) • Teacher (to give new ideas for how to resolve conflict, or at least
for new ways to approach it) • Bridge-builder (brings people together where they
can get to know each other better)
• • • • • • •

Mediators (helps parties work out their problems themselves) Arbitrators (listen
to both sides then make a decision about what should happen) Equalizers (empowers
the lower power group(s), so that they can negotiate more effectively with the
other party) Healers (help parties apologize, forgive, and become reconciled)
Witnesses (who observe what is going on and call attention to injustice) Referees
(who try to keep both sides to “fighting fairly”) Peacemakers (keep the parties
apart so they don’t fight (at least physically) at all

Formal or informal, the most visible and recognized intermediary roles are
mediators and arbitrators. • • Mediators influence process Arbitrators determine
outcome

Mediator vs. Arbitrators:

• •

Mediators seek to have the parties themselves develop and endorse the agreement.
Arbitrators are most interested in outcomes and have the power to render a binding
decision.

What are the basic steps to third-party intervention? BASIC STEPS OF THIRD PARTY
INTERVENTION Models Episodic model of conflict Preventing ignition of conflict by
arriving at a clear understanding of the triggering factors Setting limits on the
form of the conflict Helping the parties cope differently with the consequences of
the conflict Attempting to eliminate or resolve the basic issues causing the
conflict Mediation Identifying the issues Negotiation breakdowns Reducing tension
Escalation model Discussion

Uncovering underlying interests and outcomes Setting agendas Packaging,

sequencing, and prioritizing agenda items

Improving communication

polarization

Controlling issues

Segregation

Establish commonalities

Destruction
Making suggestions for possible settlements

Make preferred option desirable

Actual sample use of the intervention:

Sources: Burgess, H. (2004). Intermediaries. http://www.beyondintractability.org

Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2001). Essentials of Organization Development and
Change. Fisher, R. (2001). Methods of Third Party Intervention Harvey, D.F., &
Brown, D.R. (2006). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development.
London: Prentice Hall. MIT Open Courseware: Power and Negotiation.
http://ocw.mit.edu Thompson, L., & Lewicki, R.J. (1999, 2001). Five cures for
negotiation breakdowns. Ury, W. (2000). The Third Side. New York: Penguin Books.