Robbins & Judge

Organizational Behavior
Chapter 14
14th Edition

Conflict and Negotiation

Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College

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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
Copyright cultural
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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

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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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 The Conflict Process
We will focus on each step in a moment…

E X H I B I T 14-1

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 Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
Communication
– Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, over
communication 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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 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 accurately reflect
intent
Dimensions of conflict-handling intentions:
– Cooperativeness
• Attempting to satisfy
the other party’s
concerns
– Assertiveness
• Attempting to satisfy
one’s own concerns

Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and
Organizational Psychology , 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.

E X H I B I T 14-2

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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

Source: Based on S.P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp.
93–97; and F. Glasi, “The Process of Conflict Escalation and the Roles of Third Parties,” in G.B.J. Bomers and R. Peterson (eds.), Conflict
Management and Industrial Relations (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119–40.

E X H I B I T 14-3

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 Conflict Resolution Techniques
– Problem solving – Bringing in outsiders
– Superordinate goals – Restructuring the
– Expansion of organization
resources – Appointing a devil’s
– Avoidance advocate
– Smoothing
– Compromise
– Authoritative
command
– Altering the human
variable
– Altering the
structural variables
Source: Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp.
59–89
– Communication E X H I B I T 14-4

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Stage V: Outcomes
Functional Dysfunctional
– Increased group – Development of
performance discontent
– Improved quality of – Reduced group
decisions effectiveness
– Stimulation of – Retarded
creativity and communication
innovation
– Reduced group
– Encouragement of cohesiveness
interest and curiosity
– Infighting among
– Provision of a medium group members
for problem solving overcomes group goals
– Creation of an Creating Functional
environment for self- Conflict
evaluation and change
– Reward dissent and
punish conflict
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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 Distributive Integrative
Characteristic Bargaining Bargaining
Goal Get all the pie you Expand the pie
can
Motivation Win-Lose Win-Win
Focus Positions Interests
Information Sharing Low High
Duration of
Source: Based on R. J. Lewicki and J. A.
Short-Term Long-Term
Relationships
Litterer, Negotiation (Homewood, IL: Irwin,
1985), p. 280.

Integrative

Distributive

E X H I B I T 14-5

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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 E X H I B I T 14-7

Line” for
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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
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– Women are less likely to negotiate 14-17
 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 are 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 use asserted ideals
• Brazilians say “no” more often than Americans or
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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 E X H I B I T 14-8

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Inc.  Publishing as Prentice Hall

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