Conflict and negotiation in the workplace
72 important questions on Conflict and negotiation in the workplace
How do we call the process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party?
What are negative consequences of workplace conflict?
- lower performance
- higher stress, dissatisfaction, and turnover
- less information sharing and coordination
- increased organizational politics
- wasted resources
- weakened team cohesion (conflict within team)
What are positive consequences of workplace conflict?
- better decision making
- more responsive to changing environment through engaging in active thinking about consequences of actions
- stronger team cohesion (conflict between team, and outside opponents)
- Higher grades + faster learning
- Never study anything twice
- 100% sure, 100% understanding
One of the positive consequences of workplace conflict is better decision making; which two processes are involved in this?
- testing logic of each other's arguments
- questioning assumptions; critical thinking
How do we call a type of conflict in which people focus on characteristics of other individuals, rather than on the issues, as the source of conflict?
When does a relationship conflict occurs?
- when someone tries to dismiss an idea by questioning the competence of the people who introduce or support the idea
- when someone uses status to defend a position
- when someone shows behavior that demeans others
Why is relationship conflict dysfunctional?
- it threatens self-esteem
- threatens self-enhancement
- threatens self-verification
- triggers defense mechanisms
- triggers competitive orientation between parties
- reduces mutual trust because it emphasizes interpersonal differences which weakens bond
Why do relationship conflicts escalate more easily than task conflicts?
- parties become less motivated to communicate and share information
- making it difficult to find common ground, and resolve conflict
- rely increasingly on distorted perceptions and stereotypes which reinforce perceptions of threat.
What conditions minimize the level of relationship conflict during task conflict?
- emotional intelligence and emotional stability; emotions regulated more easily
- cohesive team; showing of emotions is less often perceived as personal attack
- supportive team norms; keeps coworker interactions in line
Of which components does the model of the conflict process consist?
- sources of conflict
- conflict perceptions and emotions
- manifest conflict
- conflict outcomes.
Which sources of conflict are there?
- incompatible goals
- differentiation
- interdependence
- scarce resources
- ambiguous rules
- poor communication
How do we call it when the goals of one person or department seem to interfere with another person's or department's goals
How do we call differences among people and work units regarding training, values, beliefs, and experiences?
How can interdependence be a source of conflict?
conflict arises when people perceive that their interests are being negatively affected by others
How can differentiation be a source of conflict?
- two parties may agree on a common goal, but disagree on how to reach that goal.
How does resource scarcity generate conflict?
How do ambiguous rules (or a lack of rules) generate conflict?
- uncertainty tends to increase the risk that one party intends to interfere with the other party's goals
- ambiguity encourages political tactics
- sometimes a free-for-all battle is entered to win discussions
In which ways do communication problems tend to generate conflict?
- lack of opportunity to communicate; tend to rely more on stereotypes, causes negative emotions
- lack of ability to communicate; lack of ability to communicate in a diplomatic nonconfrontational matter
- lack of motivation to communicate; less motivation to communicate with others in a disagreement, causes lack of information which escalates conflict perceptions
On which two dimensions can conflict-handling styles be rated?
- assertiveness
- cooperativeness
How do we call motivation to satisfy other party's interests?
Which conflict-handling style is described; finding a solution that is beneficial for both parties.
Which conflict-handling style is described; smooth over, or evade conflicts altogether.
Which avoidance conflict-handling style are there?
- steer clear of coworkers associated with the conflict
- minimize discussion of the sensitive topic
Which conflict-handling style is described; giving in to the other side, cooperating with little attention to your own interests.
Which conflict-handling style is described; looking for a position in which both party's losses are offset by equally valued gains.
How do we call the belief that conflicting parties will find a mutually beneficial solution to their disagreement?
How do we call the belief that conflicting parties are drawing from a fixed pie, the more one party receives, the less the other party will?
What conditions are necessary to be met to make problem solving the preferred conflict-handling style?
- when interests are not perfectly opposing
- when parties have trust, openness, and time to share information
- when issues are complex
What conditions are necessary to be met to make forcing the preferred conflict-handling style?
- when you have a deep conviction about your position
- when a quick solution is required
- when other parties would take advantage of more cooperative strategies
What conditions are necessary to be met to make avoiding the preferred conflict-handling style?
- when conflict has become emotionally charged
- when the costs of trying to resolve the conflict outweighs the benefits
What conditions are necessary to be met to make yielding the preferred conflict-handling style?
- when the other party has substantially more power
- when the issue is less important to you than to the other party
- when the value and logic of your position isn't clear
What conditions are necessary to be met to make compromising the preferred conflict-handling style?
- when parties have equal power
- when time pressure is present to resolve the conflict
- when parties lack trust/openness for problem solving
What are the problems with problem solving as a conflict-handling style?
What are the problems with forcing as a conflict-handling style?
- highest risk of relationship conflict
- may damage long-term relations, reducing future problem solving
What are the problems with avoiding as a conflict-handling style?
- doesn't usually resolve conflict
- may increase other party's frustration
What are the problems with yielding as a conflict-handling style?
- increases other party's expectations in future conflict episodes
What are the problems with compromising as a conflict-handling style?
What are the cultural and gender differences in conflict-handling styles?
- collectivists and women are more motivated to maintain relations with in-groups
- collectivists are more likely to avoid, or problem solve
- men are more likely to use forcing
- women are more likely to use avoidance, problem solving, compromising, and yielding
How do we call altering the underlying structural causes of potential conflict, in order to prevent conflict?
How do we call goals that the conflicting parties value and whose attainment requires joint resources and effort of those parties?
How do we call the conflict management approach that focusses on directing focus towards higher-order aspirations rather than individual specific objectives?
What are ways to reduce differentiation?
- rotate key staff to different departments or regions, this way experiences are gained more widely compared to in a narrow area
- have employees of different parts of the organization work together on projects, create new in-group
- build and maintain a strong organizational structure
How can conflicts be reduced through communication and mutual understanding?
- apply johari window, more disclosure of individuals about personal characteristics so others have a better understanding of causes of their behavior
- lunch and learn sessions; employees from different departments describe work and it's challenges to each other.
- apply the contact hypothesis
When should conflict the management strategy improving communication and mutual understanding be applied?
otherwise relationship conflict might escalate
What are the ways to reduce interdependence among employees and work units?
- create buffers
- use integrators
- combine jobs
How do we call any mechanism that loosens the connections between two parties?
How does a buffer reduce interdependence, and therefor conflict?
How do we call employees who coordinate the activities of work units toward the completion of a shared task or project?
How do integrators reduce interdependence and therefor conflict?
How does combining jobs reduce interdependence and therefor conflicts?
- combining jobs is a form of job enrichment, where at first two persons would be dependent on each other, now one person is responsible for the whole task.
Which third-party conflict resolution strategy is described; following previously agreed-upon rules of due process, listening to arguments of both parties. and then making a binding decision.
Which third-party conflict resolution strategy is described; determine how to resolve the conflict, control all discussion. decide which information is examined, and decide how the conflict resolution process will be handled. make a decision
Which third-party conflict resolution strategy is described; manage the process and context of interaction. let the parties make the final decision.
Why is inquisition the least effective third party resolving strategy?
- leaders in this role tend to collect limited information, so decision may produce inefficient solution
- employees less satisfied with outcome due to lack of control over the process and decision
Why is the mediation technique generally the best third-party resolution technique?
- gives employees more responsibility in solving the conflict, causes higher employee satisfaction
When is arbitration the best third party resolving technique?
- when mediation doesn't work
- predetermined rules of evidence and other processes create a higher sense of fairness
How do we call the process whereby two or more conflicting parties attempt to resolve their divergent goals by redefining terms of their independence?
Which approaches to negotiation are there?
- distributive approach
- integrative approach
How do we call the negotiation approach where the negotiator believes that the resources at stake are expandable, rather than set, if those involved in conflict work creatively together?
When do negotiators adopt a distributive approach, and when a integrative approach?
- distributive when the parties only have one item to resolve, or multiple items with the same value to both parties
- integrative when the parties have multiple items to resolve that each have different values to different parties.
What components of preparation do successful negotiators go through?
- develop goals, and reflect on the needs underlying these goals
- knowing their BATNA
How does developing goals and reflecting underlying needs work in preparation for negotiation?
- don't get locked into fixed goals; different goals can satisfy the same needs
- focus on needs enables negotiator to actively consider different proposals and opportunities
Which three key positions are identified with goal setting in the preparation for negotiation?
- initial reguest (initial point)
- achievement in the best possible situation (target point)
- minimal acceptable result (resistance point)
Which components are identified in the Bargaining zone model of negotiations?
- Initial point
- target pont
- resistance point
- opponents resistance point
- opponent target point
- opponents initial point
- area of potential agreement
How does your BATNA estimates your power in a negotiation?
What are the most important negotiation practices?
- gather information
- manage concessions (toegeving/toestemming)
- manage time
- build the relationship
What is important with information gathering in negotiations?
- gather more information than you give
- discover a party's hidden needs behind offers and goals
- test how wel you understand the other side's facts and position by summarizing and asking for clarity
What is important when managing concessions while negotiating?
- make fewer and smaller concessions
- give enough concessions to communicate sincerity and motivation to resolve the conflict
- discover and signal which issues are more and less important to your side
What is important with time managing in negotiation?
- more concessions are made when the dead line closes
- the more time someone has put in negotiation the more committed he will be to resolve the issue
- time limited offers increase chance of acceptance.
What is important in building relationships in negotiation?
- trust motivates them to return to negotiating, keeps parties focussed on the issue, encourages parties to engage in future negotiations, motivates to share information and look for mutual gains
- build trust through discover common backgrounds and interests, and signaling trustworhtiness
What are the key situational factors in negotiating?
- location; it's easier to negotiate on own turf
- physical setting; physical distance can influence orientation, sitting side to side causes win-win orientation, face to face win-lose orientation
- audience characteristics; when audience sees whole process, rather than just end-results; negotiators more competitive, more assertive, and less concessive.
Which structural approaches are there to conflict management?
- emphasizing superordinate goals
- reducing differentiation
- improving communication and mutual understanding
- reducing interdependence
- increasing resources
- clarifying rules and procedures
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