Chapter 12Nelson & Quick

Conflict and Negotiation

Copyright ©2005 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved.

Nature of Organizational Conflict

Conflict - any situation in which incompatible goals, attitudes, emotions, or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between two or more parties

Functional Conflict - a healthy, constructive disagreement between two or more people

Dysfunctional Conflict - an unhealthy, destructive disagreement between two or more people

Consequences of Conflict

Positive

Consequences

Negative

Consequences

Leads to new ideas Diverts energy from work

Stimulates creativity Threatens psychological well-being

Motivates change Wastes resources

Promotes organizational vitality

Creates a negative climate

Helps individuals & groups establish identities

Breaks down group cohesion

Serves as a safety valve to indicate problems

Can increase hostility & aggressive behaviors

Causes of Conflict in Organizations

Personal Factors• Skills & abilities• Personalities• Perceptions• Values & ethics• Emotions• Communication barriers• Cultural differences

Structural Factors• Specialization• Interdependence• Common resources• Goal differences• Authority relationships• Status inconsistencies• Jurisdictional ambiguities

Globalization & Conflict

Cultural differences & individual differences increase the potential for conflict

Individualism/

Collectivism

Masculinity/

FemininityUncertainty/

Avoidance

Long-term/Short-termorientation

PowerDistance

Forms of Conflict in Organizations

Interorganizational Conflict - conflict that occurs between two or more organizations

Intergroup Conflict - conflict that occurs between groups or teams in an organization

Interpersonal Conflict - conflict that occurs between two or more individuals

Intrapersonal Conflict - conflict that occurs within an individual

Forms of Conflict in Organizations

Interrole Conflict - a person’s experience of conflict among the multiple roles in his/her life

Intrarole Conflict - conflict that occurs within a single role, such as when a person receives conflicting messages from role senders about how to perform a certain role

Person–role Conflict - conflict that occurs when an individual is expected to perform behaviors in a certain role that conflict with his/her personal values

An Organizational Member’s Role Set

Inside the organization

Focal Role

Ou

tsid

e th

e o

rga

niz

atio

n

Employee1

Employee2

Employee3

Potentialemployee

Employee’scolleagues

Client Supervisor

ColleagueSupplier

SuperiorSuperior

rolesenders

Peerrole

senders

Employeerole

sendersBoundary of the organization

SOURCE: J. C. Quick, J. D. Quick, D. L. Nelson, & J. J. Hurrell, Jr. Preventative Stress Management in Organizations, 1997. Copyright © 1997 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission.

Power Relationships in OrganizationsTypes of

Power Relationships

Behavioral Tendencies &

Problems

Examples of Interventions

Equal vs. equal Suboptimization Competition Covert fighting Constant friction

Define demarcation lines Integrate units Teach negotiating skills

High vs. low Control vs. autonomy Resistance to change Motivation problems

Bureaucratize power through rules

Use a different leadership style

High vs. middle vs. low

Role conflict, role ambiguity, stress

Concessions Doubletalk Use of sanctions and

rewards

Improve communication Clarify tasks Teach power strategies

SOURCE: W. F. G. Mastenbroek, Conflict Management and Organizational Development, 1987. Copyright John Wiley & Sons Limited. Reproduced with permission.

Defense Mechanisms

Aggressive Mechanisms

Fixation - an individual keeps up a dysfunctional behavior that obviously will not solve the conflict

Displacement - an individual directs his or her anger toward someone who is not the source of the conflict

Negativism - a person responds with pessimism to any attempt at solving a problem

Defense Mechanisms

Compromise Mechanisms

Compensation - an individual attempts to make up for a negative situation by devoting himself/herself to another pursuit with increased vigor

Identification - an individual patterns his or her behavior after another’s

Rationalization - a compromise mechanism characterized by trying to justify one’s behavior by constructing bogus reasons for it

Defense Mechanisms

Withdrawal Mechanisms

Flight/Withdrawal - entails physically escaping a conflict (flight) or psychologically escaping (withdrawal)

Conversion - emotional conflicts are expressed in physical symptoms

Fantasy - provides an escape from a conflict through daydreaming

Win–Lose versus Win–Win Strategies

Strategy Dept. A Dept. B Organization

Competitive Lose Lose LoseLose Win LoseWin Lose Lose

Cooperative Win– Win– Win

Ineffective Techniques forDealing with Conflict

Nonaction

Character Assassination

Due process Nonaction Administrative

Orbiting

Secrecy

ConflictConflict

Effective Techniques forDealing with Conflict

Superordinate Goals

Confronting&

Negotiating

Changing Structure

Changing Personnel

Expanding ResourcesConflictConflict

Approaches to Negotiation

Distributive Bargaining - the goals of the parties are in conflict, and each party

seeks to maximize its resources

Approaches to Negotiation

Integrative Negotiation - focuses on the merits of the issues and seeks a win–win

solution

Conflict Management Styles

Avoiding - deliberate decision to take no action on a conflict or to stay out of a conflict

Accommodating - concern that the other party’s goals be met but relatively unconcerned with getting own way

Competing - satisfying own interests; willing to do so at other party’s expense

Conflict Management Styles

Compromising - each party gives up something to reach a solution

Collaborating - arriving at a solution agreeable to all through open & thorough discussion

Conflict Management Styles

Cooperativeness(Desire to satisfy another’s concerns)

Assertiveness(Desire to satisfy

one’s own concerns)

Competing Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding Accommodating

Uncooperative Cooperative

Assertive

Unassertive

SOURCE: K. W. Thomas, “Conflict and Conflict Management,” in M. D. Dunnette, Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976), 900. Used with permission of M. D. Dunnette.

Creating a Conflict-Positive Organization

ConflictPositive

Value diversity and confront differences

Seek mutual benefits, and unite

behind cooperative goals

Empower employees to feel confident

and skillful

Take stock to reward success and learn from

mistakes

3 Organization Views of Conflict

Suspect

Belittledifferences

Blame

Seekwin–losesituation

Competitiveconflict

SOURCE: The Conflict-Positive Organization by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.

3 Organization Views of Conflict

Evadedifferences

Withdraw

ReducerisksDespair

Avoidance ofconflict

SOURCE: The Conflict-Positive Organization by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.

3 Organization Views of Conflict

Valuediversity

Empower

Seekmutualbenefit

Takestock

Positiveconflict

SOURCE: The Conflict-Positive Organization by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.