Negotiation and Conflict

Conflict is a process that involves people disagreeing it is like the common cold. Everyone knows what it is, but understanding its causes and how to treat it is much more challenging. Conflict can range from minor disagreements to workplace violence. Negotiation is one of the most effective ways to decrease conflict. There are three types of conflict that can arise within organizations; Intrapersonal conflict, Interpersonal conflict and Intergroup conflict.

Major Causes of Conflict

Competition over scarce resources, time
Ambiguity over responsibility and authority
Differences in perceptions, work styles, attitudes, communication problems, individual differences
Increasing interdependence as boundaries between individuals and groups become increasingly blurred
Reward systems: we work in situations with complex and often contradictory incentive systems
Differentiation: division of labor which is the basis for any organization causes people and groups to see situations differently and have different goals
Equity vs. equality: continuous tension exists between equity (the belief that we should be rewarded relative to our relative contributions) and equality (belief that everyone should receive the same or similar outcomes

All of us engage in many negotiations during a week but that doesn’t mean we become better at it. To become better we need to become aware of the structure and dynamics of negotiation and we need to think systematically, objectively, and critically about our own negotiations. After engaging in a negotiation, reflect on what happened and figure out what you did effectively and what you need to do better.

Keys to successful conflict resolution

Bargain over interests, not predetermined positions
De-personalize the problem (separate the person from the problem)
Separate the problem definition from the search for solutions
Try to generate alternative solutions; try to use objective criteria as much as possible
reflect on your negotiations; learn from your successes and mistakes

Have unlimited patience. Never corner an opponent and always assist the other person to save his face. Put yourself in his shoes-so as to see things through his eyes. Avoid self-righteousness like the devil-nothing is so self-blinding.