Agenda-SPS 821, SEPTEMBER 14
• Introduction and logistics
• The course
– Structure and format
– Teams ?
– Evaluation instruments
• The reality of no one right answer-building an
argument
• Introduction to conflict management-an overview
• Your style
Introduction and logistics
Tom Williams
SPS 313
Tom.williams@queensu.ca
http://post.queensu.ca/~trwe/
533-6000 ext 74020
The course
• Structure and format
– Lecture/ role plays/ media/ guests
– Readings- core plus posted
• Evaluation; team and individual
– Cases-briefs
45%
– Culture study and presentation
15%
– Individual conflict case study
40%
Note; the case study is the major single component
of the course and hence a passing grade in that
paper is a requirement to pass the course
NO ONE WAY
MANY ROADS LEAD TO ROME
INTRODUCTION TO
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Write down the first 3 or 4 things
that come to your mind when you
hear the word ‘conflict’
WHAT IS CONFLICT?
• A conflict begins with
something as simple as one
person makes a claim and
another rejects it
• There is an incompatibility
of views or emotions
• There is a real or perceived
interdependence
Approaches
Negative
Positive
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contest
Win or lose
Control
Problem
Manipulate
Tension
Difficult
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Interaction
Mutual gain
Interdependence
Opportunity
Persuade
Stimulating
Challenging
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
An Introduction
Who cares?
There are huge costs to badly
managed conflicts
• Dollars
• Productivity, lost contracts and
opportunities
• Fractured or stunted relationships
“The hidden costs of conflict”
http://www.lawmemo.com/articles/measuring.htm
Conflict Management
IT IS EVERYWHERE AND NONE OF US
DEALS WITH IT AS WELL AS WE
SHOULD
Negotiation is one skill that helps us manage
conflict but, it is only one of several processes
to be learned.
Conflict Management
(continued…)
• Conflict management is an interactive and
dynamic process
• No one approach (including negotiation) is
always appropriate or effective, and no one
theory has a lock on how to understand
conflict
Source: Bernard Mayer, The Dynamics of Conflict
Resolution, page xii
A range of conflict management
skills (including negotiation)
should be integral to the skill
set of any professional manager
"The queen had only one way of
settling all difficulties, great or
small. 'Off with his head!' she said
without even looking around."
Lewis Carroll,
Alice in Wonderland
Managers Cannot Afford to be So Limited
Conflict and Leadership
"An essential aspect of leadership is the
capacity to directly engage an
adversary without seeking to defeat
him/her."
Muldoon
"Something can almost always be
done about conflict. This does not
mean that it can always be resolved,
but a productive response can
usually be made to move conflict
along a constructive path."
Bernard Mayer
CONFLICT ITSELF IS
NOT THE PROBLEM
UNRESOLVED CONFLICT IS
WHY???
Conflict Management
• Is best conceived of as a process for handling
a flow of problems
• Conflict per se, is never solved. Each
solution creates a new plateau or synthesis
against which the next conflict scenario is
played. This is particularly true with
negotiations
Conflict management-a core
management competency
1. Individual mobility
2. Flattening and opening up of
hierarchical organizations
3. Interdependence both laterally and
hierarchically
4. Increased competitiveness for resources
in the operating environment
Conceptual frameworks
• Fishnets that one
‘drags through data’.
• They represent your
implicit theories or
models of reality
Good practitioners need
models or ‘conflict maps’.
“ To work effectively on conflicts, the intervener [
you] needs a conceptual road map or “conflict
map” that details;
• 1.) why a conflict is occurring,
• 2.) identifies barriers to settlement, and
• 3.) indicates procedures to manage or resolve the
dispute.”
Two essential steps founded on analysis
How good we are at managing conflict is
dependent on how good we are at 2
absolutely critical steps;
1. Creatively and insightfully diagnosing
the cause of a conflict and,
2. Effectively and skillfully taking action to
resolve the conflict
There is no magic formula for
all disputes
• Because conflict situations can be so
diverse there is no single model that fits
every conflict
• WHAT VARIES??
Exhibit 7-10
Conflict Intensity Continuum
Annihilatory
conflict
Overt efforts to destroy
the other party
Aggressive action-violent/non violent
Threats and ultimatums
Assertive verbal attacks
Overt questioning or
challenging of others
No
conflict
Minor disagreements or
misunderstandings
One approach to conflict management
really focuses on processes or
structures, as such it is a ‘macro view’.
As it is very common in some literature
and terminology, you need to be
familiar with it. We will review it here
but, please, do not use it intensively in
your analyses
Interests, Rights, Power
• This model does not assess the root
causes of conflict, rather it focuses on the
processes people or groups use to deal with
conflict. It categorizes all approaches as
being one of three types;
• Interest based
• Rights based or,
• Power based.
Interests, Rights and Power in
conflict management
1. Conflict managers focus on interests when
they strive to learn about each other’s
interests and priorities as a way to work
toward a mutually satisfying agreement
that creates value.
Ury, Brett and Goldberg (1993)
Interests, Rights and Power in
conflict management
2. Conflict managers focus on rights when
they seek to resolve a dispute by drawing
on decision rules or standards grounded in
principles of law, fairness or perhaps an
existing contract.
Interests, Rights and Power in
conflict management
3. Parties to a conflict focus on power when
they use threats or other means to try to
coerce the other party into making
concessions
From a distressed to effective dispute resolution
system-Ury/Brett & Goldberg
POWER
RIGHTS
INTERESTS
Distressed system
Effective system
Research by Anne Lytle, Jeanne
Brett and Debra Shapiro
A simulated contract dispute between 2 companies
involving 50 negotiators all with 5 years or more of
business experience;
• In many conflicts, the parties cycle through all three
strategies during the same encounter
• They found the parties tended to reciprocate these
strategies for example, a coercive strategy may be met
by a power strategy in return yielding a conflict spiral.
Some implications for the use of power
Research by Anne Lytle, Jeanne Brett and Debra Shapiro
• Starting to resolve conflict by using your power to
coerce the opposition may work if your threat is
credible. If the other party calls your bluff, you need to
carry it out or lose face.
• To avert a conflict spiral and move towards an interest
based resolution avoid reciprocating messages involving
rights or power. Shift the conversation by asking an
interest based question.
• If you can’t avoid reciprocating negative behaviour, try
a combined statement that mixes a threat with an
interests oriented refocusing statement. We could sue
you as well but that won’t solve our problem so let’s try to
reach an outcome that helps us both.
THE IMPORTANCE OF YOU
In any conflict situation in which you
are involved, YOU always bear a
significant responsibility for its
constructive resolution.
Costs and benefits of different
resolution processes
1. Transaction costs, time, money,emotions,
goodwill, opportunity
2. Satisfaction with the outcome. This is
dependent on;
1. Perceived fairness of the outcome and
2. Perceived fairness of the process
3. Effect on the relationship
4. Is the resolution implementable.
Continuum of Conflict Management
Conflict avoidance
C
O
E
R
C
I
O
N
Informal discussion and problem solving
Negotiation
Private decision
making
Mediation
Mediation
Administrative decision
Arbitration
Private, third-party decision-making
Judicial decision
Legislative decision
Legal, authoritative third-party
decision-making
Nonviolent direct action
Violence
Extralegal, coerced decisionmaking
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
STYLES
YOUR STYLE-how do you
approach conflict management??
• Each conflict management strategy has
its advantages and disadvantages and is
more or less appropriate given the type of
conflict and situation in which the dispute
occurs
»Lewicki et al, Negotiation, 4th
edition, pg.24
• It is important for YOU to understand
that each approach will work in certain
situations AND to understand that each
approach has both strengths and
weaknesses.
• THERE IS NO SINGLE ‘RIGHT’ WAY
The Dual Concerns Model
HI
YIELDING
(accommodating)
CONCERN
ABOUT
OTHERS'
OUTCOMES
COMPROMISING
INACTION
(Avoiding)
LO
PROBLEMSOLVING
(collaborating)
CONTENDING
(competing)
HI
CONCERN ABOUT YOUR OUTCOMES
Avoiding or Yielding
• A person recognizes a conflict exists and
wants to withdraw or suppress it
• Usually the issue is trivial or more
important issues are pressing
• When disruption outweighs the benefits
of resolution - You just do not want to
'rock the boat'!
There Are Lots of Ways
to Avoid Conflict
1. Aggressive avoidance - "Don't start with me or you'll
regret it!" - Intimidation
2. Passive avoidance - "I refuse to dance!" - People
withdraw, remain silent, sulk, change the subject,
disappear
3. Passive aggressive avoidance - "If you are angry at me,
that's your problem!" - These are people who are
masters at provoking others without owning up to their
own actions. Sometimes these people raise complaints
but refuse to take part in the solution of the problem
There Are Lots of Ways
to Avoid Conflict (continued…)
4. Avoidance through hopelessness - "What's the use?" - Viewing
the situation as beyond repair
5. Avoidance through surrogates - "Let's you and them fight"
6. Avoidance through denial - "If I close my eyes, it will go away!"
7. Avoidance through premature problem solving -"There is no
conflict; I have fixed everything!" May be very superficial or
partial
8. Avoidance by just quitting - "OK, we'll do it your way, now can
we talk about something else?"
Avoiding may be appropriate
when,
• Issue is trivial
• Potential negative impact of confronting
the other person outweighs benefits or
resolution
• Cooling off period is needed
Avoiding is not appropriate
when,
• The issue is important to you
• It is your responsibility to make a
decision
• Parties are unwilling to defer and the
issue must be addressed
Accommodating - Yielding
• Appeasement. One party places the
opponent's interests above their own
• You may learn in the course of events that
you are wrong! You appear 'reasonable'
• Often used when harmony and stability are
important
Obliging or yielding may be
appropriate when,
• You may believe or learn you are wrong!!
• The issue is far more important to the other party
• You are willing to give up something in exchange for
‘future considerations’ from the other party in the
future
• You are dealing from a position of extreme weakness
• Preserving the relationship is very important to you
Obliging or yielding is not
appropriate when,
• The issue is important to you
• You believe you are right or it is a matter
of principle
• The other party is unethical
Competing
• One party tries to satisfy his/her interests regardless of
the impact on the other.
• This is classic "I win - you lose"
• Use when you KNOW that you are right and/or against
people who take advantage of uncompetitive behaviour
• Threats, punishment, intimidation and unilateral action
are consistent with a competing or contending approach.
Competing or contending may
be appropriate when,
•
•
•
•
The issue is trivial
Speedy decision is needed
May be necessary to overcome assertive subordinates!
Unfavourable decision by the other party may be too
costly to you
• You may hold most of the technical expertise
• The issue is very important to you
Competing or contending may
not be appropriate when,
• You are dealing with a complex issue
• Both parties are equally powerful *** the
tendency is to over-estimate your power
and to underestimate the oppositions!
• Decision does not need to be made quickly
• The other party possesses a high degree of
expertise and competence
Compromise
• Generally, no clear winner or loser. Each side gives
up something
• It represents a moderate effort to achieve your own
goals while helping the other achieve hers
• Goals are important but not worth the effort of
potential disruption of more assertive approaches
• Often people do not engage because of personal
conditioning
Compromise may be appropriate
when,
•
•
•
•
The goals of the parties are mutually exclusive
The parties are relatively equal in power
Consensus cannot be reached
You have tried integrating and/or dominating
styles unsuccessfully
• A temporary solution to a complex problem is
needed.
Compromise may not be
appropriate when,
• One party is significantly more powerful
than the other
• The issue is sufficiently complex that a
problem solving approach is needed
From Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventories:
Professional Manual by M. A. Rahim, 1990
Collaboration - Problem-Solving
• Look for win-win solutions
• Problem-solving approach
ACTUALLY REPRESENTS THE HIGHEST
POTENTIAL FOR ADDING VALUE
Consider an integrative problem
solving approach when,
• The issues are complex,
• Synthesis of ideas is needed to come up with a better
solution,
• Commitment is needed from all parties for successful
implementation,
• Time is available,One party alone cannot solve the
problem or,
• Resources possessed by different parties are needed to
solve a common problem
Re-Consider an integrative
problem solving approach when,
•
•
•
•
The task or problem is simple
Immediate decision is needed-time is tight
Other parties are not concerned about the outcome
Other parties-or YOU- do not have problem
solving skills and experience
'To Choose the Right Game…'
• You ALWAYS need to decide how
important two factors are:
1. THE OUTCOME - How much do you need to
win? Can you afford to lose?
2. THE RELATIONSHIP - How important is a
continuing relationship with the other party?