Slide OB 13e chapter 015 conflict and negotiation

Robbins & Judge

Organizational Behavior
13th Edition

Chapter 15: Conflict and Negotiation
Student Study Slideshow
Bob Stretch
Southwestern College

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15-1


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
• Functional Conflict
– Conflict that supports the goals of the group and
improves its performance

• Dysfunctional Conflict

– Conflict that hinders group performance

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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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15-7


The Conflict Process
• 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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Exhibit 15-1
15-8


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’s
concerns

– Assertiveness

• Attempting to satisfy
one’s own concerns

Exhibit 15-2

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Stage IV: Behavior
• Conflict Management
– The use of resolution and stimulation techniques
to achieve the desired level of conflict

• Conflict-Intensity Continuum

Exhibit 15-3
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Conflict Resolution Techniques
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Problem solving
Superordinate goals
Expansion of resources
Avoidance
Smoothing
Compromise
Authoritative command
Altering the human
variable
– Altering the structural
variables
– Communication
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– Bringing in outsiders
– Restructuring the
organization
– Appointing a devil’s
advocate

Exhibit 15-4
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Stage V: Outcomes
• Functional

• Dysfunctional

– Increased group performance

– Development of discontent

– Improved quality of decisions

– Reduced group effectiveness

– Stimulation of creativity and
innovation

– Retarded communication

– Encouragement of interest
and curiosity
– Provision of a medium for
problem-solving
– Creation of an environment
for self-evaluation and
change
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– 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

Exhibit 15-5

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15-15


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
Exhibit 15-6
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15-16


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

Exhibit 15-7

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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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15-18

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
Exhibit 15-8
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15-21


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