Conflict, Cooperation and

Negotiation
 Conflict
&
Collaboration
What is Conflict?

• Disagreements/ Discord
• Feelings of adversity
• Frictions
• Emotional antagonism
 The Conflict Process

Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV Stage V

Potential Cognition & Intentions Behavior Outcomes
Opposition & Personalization
Incompatibility

Perceived Increased
Conflict Performance

Antecedent Conflict – handling Manifest

Intentions Conflict
Conditions
Felt Conflict Decreased
Performance
 Stage I
Potential Opposition/Incompatibility
• Communication:
• Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings etc
• Structure:
• Size and specialization of jobs
• Role clarity/ambiguity
• Leadership styles (close or participative)
• Reward systems
• Dependence/interdependence of groups
• Personal Variables:
• Differing individual value systems
• Personality types
 Stage II
Cognition & Personalization

• Perceived Conflict: Awareness by one or

more parties of the existence of conditions
that create opportunities for conflict to arise.

• Felt Conflict: Emotional involvement in a

conflict creating anxiety, tension, frustration,
or hostility.
Stage III Conflict Handling Intentions

High
Accommodating Collaborating
(Problem Solver)
Concern for Others

(Friendly Helper)
(Cooperativeness)

Compromising
(Maneuvering
Conciliator)

Avoiding
Competitive
(Impersonal Complier) (Tough Battler)

Low

Low Concern for Self High

(Assertiveness)
 Specific Intentions

• Competing
• A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the
impact on the other parties.
• Collaborating
• A situation where the parties to a conflict each desire
to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties
• Avoiding
• The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.
• Accommodating
• The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the
opponent’s interests above his or her own
• Compromising
• A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing
to give up something
 Stage IV: Behavior
• Conflict Intensity Outcome:

Annihilatory Overt efforts to destroy

conflict the other party

Aggressive physical attacks

Threats and ultimatums

Assertive verbal attacks

Overt questioning or
challenging of others

Minor disagreements or
No
misunderstandings
conflict
 Individual Level Group Level Organisational
conflict Conflict Level Conflict

Intra-Group Inter-
Intra- Inter- conflict Group
Individual Individual Conflict Intra- Inter-
Conflict Conflict Organ. Organ.
Conflict Conflict
 Types

• Approach- Approach
• Approach – Avoidance
• Avoidance - Avoidance
 Personality Clashes
Organisational
Change
Threats to Status
Different Sets of
Values
Lack of
Contrasting Perceptions Trust

Interdepartmental Job Related Issues

Wrangles

Other
Agendas
 Conflict Management

• Conflict Management
The use of resolution and stimulation
techniques to achieve the desired level of
conflict.
 Conflict Resolution techniques

• Problem Solving
• Superordinate goals
• Expansion of Resources
• Authoritative Command
• Altering the Human Variable
• Altering the Structural Variable
Conflict Stimulation Techniques

• Communication
• Bringing in Outsiders
• Restructuring the Organization
• Appointing a devil’s advocate
 Outcomes of Conflict

• Conflicts can result in two

types of outcomes
• Functional: Supports
the goals of the group
and improves its
performance
• Dysfunctional: Hinders
group performance
 Conflict & Performance

High
Performance

A B C
Unit

Low Level of Conflict High

Situation Conflict Level Conflict Type Internal Characteristics Outcomes

A Low or none Dysfunctional Apathetic, stagnant Low

B Optimal Functional Viable, innovative High
C High Dysfunctional Disruptive, chaotic Low

Prentice Hall, 2001 17

 Negotiation

“A process in which two or more parties attempt

to reach acceptable agreement in a situation
characterized by some level of disagreement.”

“A give-and-take decision-making process

involving interdependent parties with different
preferences.”
 Distributive Bargaining

• Classical view that negotiations are a form of a

zero-sum game

• to whatever extent one party wins something, the

other party loses

• the process of “distributing” scarce resources

• Deal Focused

• Win – Lose Negotiation

 Integrative Bargaining

• A positive-sum approach
• Situations where each party gains without a
corresponding loss for the other party
• Does not mean that everyone gets everything
they wanted
• An agreement has been achieved which leaves
all parties better off than they were prior to the
agreement
• Relationship focused
• Win- win Negotiation
RADPAC Model of Negotiation

R - Rapport
A - Analysis
D - Debate
P - Propose
A - Agreement
C - Close
 BARGAINING

• Bargaining is about focusing on who is right.

It is competitive and win-lose. Negotiation is about
focusing on what is right. It is cooperative and win-
win.
The Negotiation Process

Preparation & Planning

Defining Rules

Clarification & Justification

Bargaining & Problem Solving

Closure & Implementation

 Third-Party Negotiations

• 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.
Third-Party Negotiations (cont’d)

• 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.