Michael Glenn Kho

10689818

Human Process Interventions: Third-party Interventions

What is it about?

Third-party intermediaries are people, organizations, or even nations (in an international perspective) who
enter a conflict to try to help the parties de-escalate or resolve it (Burgess, 2004). Formal intermediaries
are people who are professional conflict resolvers and who are hired specifically to do that job. They may
be professional mediators, arbitrators, facilitators, or judges, who work privately or with a government
agency.

Informal intermediaries are people who find themselves in an intermediary role, but it is not something
they usually do as a profession.

Conflict

Conflict is inherent in groups and in organizations. It can arise from a variety of sources (Cummings, T.
&Worley, C., 2001):

• Personality
• Task orientation
• Perceptions among group members
• Competition over scarce resources.

Yet despite the existence of conflicts in the various levels of interactions, it is important to note that
conflict is neither good nor bad.

Conflict can:
• Enhance motivation
• Enhance innovation
• Lead to better understanding of ideas and views

On the other hand, conflict can:

• Prevent people from working together constructively
• Destroy necessary task interactions among group members

Conflict styles
Episodic model of conflict:
• Occurs in cyclical stages, identified as episodes.

What organizational issues and concerns are being addressed by third-party interventions?

Conflict can arise over substantiative issues or from interpersonal issues:

• Substantiative issues
• Work methods
• Pay rates
• Conditions of employment
• Interpersonal issues
• Personality conflicts
• Misperceptions

What specific objective third-party interventions aim to achieve?

Third parties can:

• Provide breathing space (i.e. reduce tension)
• Re-establish communication between two parties
• Refocus on substantiative issues
• Repair stained relationships
• Recommend time limits
• Salvage sunk costs of stalled negotiations
• Increase level of negotiator satisfaction

So, when do you need third-party intervention?

• Deadlock or impasse between two-parties
• Unproductive tension and hostility
• Anger and resentment overwhelm negotiators
• Mistrust and suspicion are high

Intermediary roles?

There are a number of intermediary roles that individuals play. Bill Ury (2000), identifies ten (10) such
roles:
• Provider (of needed resources)
• Teacher (to give new ideas for how to resolve conflict, or at least for new ways to approach it)
• Bridge-builder (brings people together where they can get to know each other better)
 • Mediators (helps parties work out their problems themselves)
• Arbitrators (listen to both sides then make a decision about what should happen)
• Equalizers (empowers the lower power group(s), so that they can negotiate more effectively with
the other party)
• Healers (help parties apologize, forgive, and become reconciled)
• Witnesses (who observe what is going on and call attention to injustice)
• Referees (who try to keep both sides to “fighting fairly”)
• Peacemakers (keep the parties apart so they don’t fight (at least physically) at all

Formal or informal, the most visible and recognized intermediary roles are mediators and arbitrators.

• Mediators influence process

• Arbitrators determine outcome

Mediator vs. Arbitrators:

• Mediators seek to have the parties themselves develop and endorse the agreement.
• Arbitrators are most interested in outcomes and have the power to render a binding decision.

What are the basic steps to third-party intervention?

BASIC STEPS OF THIRD PARTY INTERVENTION

Models
Escalation
Episodic model of conflict Mediation Negotiation breakdowns
model
Preventing ignition of conflict by arriving
at a clear understanding of the triggering Identifying the issues Reducing tension Discussion
factors

Uncovering underlying interests

Setting limits on the form of the conflict Improving communication polarization
and outcomes

Helping the parties cope differently with

Setting agendas Controlling issues Segregation
the consequences of the conflict

Attempting to eliminate or resolve the Packaging, sequencing, and

Establish commonalities Destruction
basic issues causing the conflict prioritizing agenda items
 Making suggestions for possible Make preferred option
settlements desirable

Actual sample use of the intervention:

Sources:

Burgess, H. (2004). Intermediaries. http://www.beyondintractability.org

Cummings, T., & Worley, C. (2001). Essentials of Organization Development and Change.

Fisher, R. (2001). Methods of Third Party Intervention

Harvey, D.F., & Brown, D.R. (2006). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. London:
Prentice Hall.

MIT Open Courseware: Power and Negotiation. http://ocw.mit.edu

Thompson, L., & Lewicki, R.J. (1999, 2001). Five cures for negotiation breakdowns.

Ury, W. (2000). The Third Side. New York: Penguin Books.