INTERACTIVE CONFLICTS AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS-II

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

Intergroup Behavior and Conflict -Meaning Of Intergroup Behavior and Conflict -Sources of Intergroup Conflict. -Improving Quality Of Intergroup. Organizational Conflict Negotiation Skills Traditional Approach Emerging Skills

INTER GROUP BEHAVIOR AND CONFLICT

Intergroup behavior occurs whenever individuals belonging to

one group interact, collectively or individually, with another group or its members in terms of their reference group identification. Intergroup conflict can be between two groups. Inter group conflict requires three ingredients; GROUP IDENTIFICATION-Employees have to perceive themselves as part of an identifiable group or department. OBSERVABLE GROUP DIFFERENCES- There has to be an observable group difference of some form. Groups may be located on different floors of the building, members may have gone to different school, or members may work in different departments FRUSTRATION- Frustration means that if one group achieves its goals, the other will not; it will be blocked.Inter- group conflict will appear when one group tires to advance its position in relation to other groups.

Inter- groups conflict can be defined as the behavior that occurs among organizational groups when participants identify with one group and perceive that other groups may block their groups goal achievement or expectations. Conflict means that groups clash directly, that they are in fundamental opposition. Conflict is similar to competition but more severe. Competition means rivalry among groups in the pursuit of a common prize, while conflict presumes direct interference with goal achievement. FORMS OF INTER-GROUP CONFLICT Functional Conflict-it can be horizontally across departments Hierarchical Conflict-it can be vertically between different levels of the organization. Teammates may argue about the best way to accomplish tasks and achieve goals. Workers may clash with bosses about new work methods, reward systems, or job assignments. Between groups such as unions and management or franchise owners and headquarters. Conflict can also occur between different divisions or business units.

SOURCES OF INTER-GROUP CONFLICTS

LIMITED RESOURCES: Another major source of conflict involves competition between groups for what members perceive as limited resources. Organizations have limited money, physical facilities, staff resources, and human resources to share among department. In their desire to achieve goals, groups want to increase their resources. This throws them into conflict. TASK INTERDEPENDENCE: Task interdependence refers to the dependence of one unit on another for materials, resources, or information. If two groups in an organization depend on one another there tends to be more conflict between the groups than if the groups are independent of one another. JURISDICTIONAL AMBIGUITY: - When there is an ambiguity because of the roles and responsibilities of the two or more groups there always arises a conflict. So, this type of conflict arises when the groups try to take control of activities that do not relate to them. STATUS STRUGGLES: - This conflict arises when one group tries to improve its status and have an edge over the other group and the other group perceives it as a threat to its position or status. Or when a group feels that they are not equally treated with other groups in an organization it gives rise to this type conflict.

DIFFERENTIATION: Differentiation was defined as the differences in cognitive and emotional orientations among managers in different functional departments. Departments or division within an organization often differ in values, attitudes, and standards of behavior and these cultural differences lead to conflicts. Cultural differences can be particularly acute in the case of mergers or acquisitions. GOAL INCOMPATIBILITY: Goal incompatibility is probably the greatest cause of inter-group conflict in organizations. The goals of each department reflect the specific objectives members are trying to achieve. The achievement of one departments goals often interferes with another departments goals. TIME INCOMPATIBILITY: Work groups perform different tasks, have different goals, and interact with different customers such that groups will have different time frames or deadlines in which they operate.

LIMITED RESOURCES

TIME INCOMPATIBILITY

TASK INTERDEPENDENCE

GOAL INCOMPATIBILITY

SOURCES OF INTERGROUP CONFLICT

DIFFERENTIATION STATUS STRUGGLES

JURISDICTIONAL AMBIGUITY

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF INTERGROUP RELATIONS

SUPERORDINATE GOALS: Superordinate goals are goals that are approved by all groups and that may require the groups to interact in a cooperative manner to achieve the goals (e.g., produce a product, prepare a report, and complete a service to customers). Superordinate goals may also be used to create a common enemy that increases the cohesion among group members to defeat the enemy. NEGOTIATION: Negotiation may facilitate communication of issues causing conflict between groups so that groups can form a resolution that is suitable to members within both groups. Principled negotiation refers to one style of negotiation so that members attempt to problem-solve until a resolution between groups is reached rather than focusing on which their individual positions. MEMBER EXCHANGE: Member exchanges allow group members to exchange roles with those of the other group members. These exchanges are intended to provide a new perspective.

INTERGROUP TEAM DEVELOPMENT: Intergroup Team Development may be used to improve relations for members within the same group or between groups. One intervention developed by Blake, Shephard, and Mouton (1964) has members of both groups generate one list about how the group perceives the other group and one list that describes how they think the other group will describe them; the lists are then shared with both groups to reduce misperceptions. REDUCING THE NEED FOR INTERGROUP INTERACTION: Reducing the need for intergroup interaction may be necessary for work groups that cannot work well together. A coordinating group may be used as an intermediary between groups so that each group would communicate through the coordinating group. Organizations may also reduce task interdependence between those groups that function under different time frames and deadlines . FAIR RESOURCE ALLOCATION: The resource allocation process should be fair so that all groups have access to the process and political considerations between groups are minimized.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT
Organizational conflict has be defined by stoner and wankel as a disagreement between two or more members or groups arising from the fact that they must share scarce resources, work activities and/or from the fact they have different status , goals, values or perceptions
Organizational conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests between people working together. Conflict takes many forms in organizations. There is the inevitable clash between formal authority and power and those individuals and groups affected. There are disputes over how revenues should be divided, how the work should be done, and how long and hard people should work. There are jurisdictional disagreements among individuals, departments, and between unions and management. There are subtler forms of conflict involving rivalries, jealousies, personality clashes, role definitions, and struggles for power and favor. There is also conflict within individuals between competing needs and demands to which individuals respond in different ways.

TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

Organizations existence is based on various groups and departments where scares resources have to be put in to use through various processes. While interacting with each other on individual, team or group levels, there are occasions of perceptual differences, gradually resulting into conflict. INTRA-PERSONAL CONFLICT: This is also called the conflict within the individual. INTER-PERSONAL CONFLICT: It refers to the conflict between two or more individuals INTRA-GROUP CONFLICT: It relates to values, status and roles played by an individual in the group and the group norms. INTER-GROUP CONFLICT: Conflicts between different groups, sections and departments. INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT: It takes place between two dependent organizations.

INTRA ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

Vertical conflict - conflict that exists between supervisors and subordinates, who may disagree about the best way to accomplish a task. Horizontal conflict- between employees or departments at the same level Line staff conflict Occurs over then involvement of staff people in line decisions say teachers and curriculum specialists

INTER ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

Conflict that exists between organizations that are interdependent with the

same suppliers, customers, competitors, and govern-mental agencies Occurs during the competition and rivalry that characterize firms operating in the same markets. Occurs between unions and organizations employing their members. Occurs between government regulatory agencies and organizations subject to their surveillance. Occurs between organizations and suppliers of raw materials

NEGOTIATION SKILLS
Negotiation is a common mechanism for resolving differences and allocating resources. Negotiation is defined as a decision-making process among interdependent parties who do not share identical preferences. It is through negotiation that each parties decides what each will give and take in their relationship. BARGAINING STRATEGIES:

There are two approaches to Negotiation Distributive Bargaining Integrative Bargaining.

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 settlement that can create a win/win situation.

NEGOTIATION PROCESS
1.PREPRATION AND PLANNING: Before starting Negotiation you need to do your homework. What is nature of conflict? Whats the history leading up to this negotiation? Whos involved? What are their perception of conflict? What do you want from negotiation? Etc Once you have gathered information, use it to develop a strategy. You should determine yours and the other sides Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). BATNA is the best alternative to a negotiated agreement ; the least individual should accept. 2.DEFINITION OF GROUND RULE: Once you have done your planning and developed a strategy, youre ready to begin defining the ground rules and procedure with the other party over the negotiation itself. Who will do the negotiating? Where will it take place? Will there be a specific procedure to be followed if an impasse is reached?

3. CLARIFICATION AND JUSTFICATION: At this stage, both the party will explain, clarify, amplify and justify their original demands. This neednt be confrontational. Rather , its an opportunity for educating and informing each other on the issues, why they are important, how each arrived at their initial demands.
4. BARGAINING AND PROBLEM SOLVING: The essence of negotiation process is the actual give-and-take in trying to has out an agreement. 5.CLOSURE AND IMPLEMENTATION: The final step of negotiation process is formalizing the agreement that has been worked out and developing any procedure that are necessary for implementation and monitoring.

TRADITIONAL NEGOTIATION approaches

Under the traditional negotiator have taken either approach, the CHARACTERISTIC OF HARD
STRATEGY -The goal is victory - Distrust others -Dig in to your position - Make threats - Try to win a contest of your will -Apply pressure CHARACTERISTIC OF SOFT STRATEGY -Goal is agreement - Trust others - Change your position easily - Make offers - Try to avoid contest of your will -Yield to pressure.

-DISTRIBUTIVE BARGAINING: Distributive bargaining assume Fixed pie and focus on how to get the biggest share. -POSITIONAL BARGAINING: This approach involves successively taking and then giving a sequence of position. -It tells the other side what you want; it provides an anchor in an uncertain and pressured situation; and it can eventually produce the terms of an acceptable agreement. Distributive Bargaining is considered as Hard Strategy; whereas Positional Bargaining as soft strategy

COMMON MISTAKES THAT NEGOTIATOR TENDS TO MAKE

When negotiating, people in general and managers in particular tend to have certain biases and make certain errors, which prevents them from negotiating rationally and getting the most they can out of a situation.

Negotiators tend to be overly affected by the frame, or form of presentation, of information in a negotiation. Negotiators tend to non rationally escalate commitment to a previously selected course of action when it is no longer the most reasonable alternative. Negotiators tend to assume that their gain must come at the expense of the other party and thereby miss opportunities for mutually beneficial trade-offs between the parties. Negotiator judgments tend to be anchored on irrelevant information, such as an initial offer. Negotiators tend to rely on readily available information. Negotiators tend to fail to consider information that is available by focusing on the opponents perspective. Negotiators tend to be overconfident concerning the likelihood of attaining outcomes that favor the individual(s) involved.

EMERGING SKILLS
WHETTEN AND CAMERON suggested an Integrative approach that takes an expanding the pie perspective that uses problem-solving techniques to find Win-Win outcomes. Based on collaborating strategy( rather than compromising, forcing , accommodating ,or avoiding ) the integrative approach requires the effective negotiator to use skills such as 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Establishing super ordinate goal. Separating the people from the problem . Focusing on interests , not on positions. Inventing options for mutual gain and Using objective criteria.

RECENT NEGOTIATION TECHNIQUES 1.LOW-RISK NEGOTIATION TECHNIQUES Flatterysubtle flattery usually works best, but the standards may differ by age, sex, and cultural factors. Addressing the easy point firstthis helps build trust and momentum for the tougher issues. Silencethis can be effective in gaining concessions, but one must be careful not to provoke anger or frustration in opponents. Inflated opening positionthis may elicit a counteroffer that shows the opponents position or may shift the point of compromise. Oh, poor methis may lead to sympathy but could also bring out the killer instinct in opponents.

HIGH-RISK NEGOTIATION TECHNIQUES Unexpected temper losseserupting in anger can break an impasse and get ones point across, but it can also be viewed as immature or manipulative and lead opponents to harden their position.

High-ballingthis is used to gain trust by appearing to give in to the opponents position, but when overturned by a higher authority, concessions are gained based on the trust.
Boulwarism (take it or leave it)named after a former vice president of GE who would make only one offer in labor negotiations, this is a highly aggressive strategy that may also produce anger and frustration in opponents. Waiting until the last momentafter using stall tactics and knowing that a deadline is near, a reasonable but favorable offer is made, leaving the opponent with little choice but to accept.

PRINCIPLED NEGOTATION There is an alternative to positional bargaining and soft versus hard strategies that has been developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project. This alternative to traditional negotiation is called the PRINCIPLED NEGOTIATION, OR NEGOTIATION ON THE MERITS, APPROACH. There are four basic elements in this alternative approach to negotiation. They are: People-Separate the people from the problem. Interests- Focus on interests, not positions. Options-Generate a variety of possibilities before deciding what to do. Criteria-Insist that the result be based on some objective standard. The principled skills go beyond hard versus soft and change the game to negotiation on the basis of merits. For example, in soft bargaining the participants are friends, in hard bargaining they are adversaries, but in the principled approach they are problem solvers; in soft bargaining the approach is to trust others, in hard bargaining there is distrust of others, but in the principled approach the negotiator proceeds independent of trust; and in the soft approach negotiators make offers, in the hard approach they make threats, but in the principled approach they explore common interests.

Along with social, emotional, behavioral, leadership, team, and communication skills, these negotiation skills are becoming increasingly recognized as important to management of not only conflict but also effective management in general

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