agenda-sps 821, september 14 introduction and logisticsintroduction and logistics the coursethe...
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Agenda-SPS 821, SEPTEMBER 14Agenda-SPS 821, SEPTEMBER 14
• Introduction and logisticsIntroduction and logistics
• The courseThe course
– Structure and formatStructure and format
– Teams ?Teams ?
– Evaluation instrumentsEvaluation instruments
• The reality of no one right answer-building an The reality of no one right answer-building an argumentargument
• Introduction to conflict management-an overviewIntroduction to conflict management-an overview
• Your styleYour style
Introduction and logisticsIntroduction and logistics
Tom WilliamsTom Williams
SPS 313 SPS 313
http://post.queensu.ca/~trwe/http://post.queensu.ca/~trwe/
533-6000 ext 74020533-6000 ext 74020
The courseThe 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 WAYNO ONE WAY
MANY ROADS LEAD TO ROMEMANY ROADS LEAD TO ROME
INTRODUCTION TO INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENTCONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Write down the first 3 or 4 things that come to your mind when you
hear the word ‘conflict’
WHAT IS CONFLICT?WHAT IS CONFLICT?• A conflict begins with A conflict begins with
something as simple as one something as simple as one person makes a claim and person makes a claim and another rejects itanother rejects it
• There is an incompatibility There is an incompatibility of views or emotionsof views or emotions
• There is a real or perceived There is a real or perceived interdependenceinterdependence
Approaches Approaches Negative PositiveNegative Positive
• Contest• Win or lose• Control• Problem• Manipulate• Tension• Difficult
• Interaction• Mutual gain• Interdependence• Opportunity• Persuade• Stimulating• Challenging
CONFLICT MANAGEMENTCONFLICT MANAGEMENTAn IntroductionAn Introduction
Who cares?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 ManagementConflict 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 butbut, it is only one of several processes
to be learned.
• 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
Conflict Management (continued…)
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 LeadershipConflict and Leadership
"An essential aspect of leadership is the "An essential aspect of leadership is the capacity to directly engage an capacity to directly engage an
adversary without seeking to defeat adversary without seeking to defeat him/her."him/her."
MuldoonMuldoon
"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 ISWHY???WHY???
Conflict Management
• Is best conceived of as a processprocess 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.”
Christopher Moore, The Mediation Process, pg. 58.
Two essential steps founded on Two essential steps founded on analysisanalysis
How good we are at managing conflict is How good we are at managing conflict is dependent on how good we are at 2 dependent on how good we are at 2 absolutely critical steps;absolutely critical steps;
1. Creatively and insightfully diagnosing 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??
Annihilatoryconflict
Noconflict
Overt efforts to destroythe other party
Aggressive action-violent/non violent
Threats and ultimatums
Assertive verbal attacks
Overt questioning orchallenging of others
Minor disagreements ormisunderstandings
Exhibit 7-10Conflict Intensity Continuum
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 focuses on the processes people or groups use to deal with processes people or groups use to deal with conflict.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 interestsinterests 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 rightsrights 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 powerpower when they use threats or other means to try to coerce the other party into making concessions
From a distressed to effective dispute resolution From a distressed to effective dispute resolution system-system-Ury/Brett & GoldbergUry/Brett & Goldberg
POWERPOWER
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 powerResearch 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 ManagementContinuum of Conflict Management
Legal, authoritative third-partydecision-making
Conflict avoidanceInformal discussion and problem solving
Negotiation
Mediation
Administrative decisionArbitration
Judicial decisionLegislative decision
Nonviolent direct actionViolence
Private decisionmaking
Private, third-party decision-making
Extralegal, coerced decision- making
COERCION
Mediation
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLESSTYLES
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’ WAYTHERE IS NO SINGLE ‘RIGHT’ WAY
• 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’ WAYTHERE IS NO SINGLE ‘RIGHT’ WAY
The Dual Concerns Model
CONCERNABOUTOTHERS'OUTCOMES
CONCERN ABOUT YOUR OUTCOMES
HI
LO
INACTION(Avoiding)
PROBLEM-SOLVING(collaborating)
HI
YIELDING(accommodating)
COMPROMISING
CONTENDING(competing)
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 Waysto 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
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?"
There Are Lots of Waysto Avoid Conflict (continued…)
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
CompetingCompeting• 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 Competing or contending may be appropriate when,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-SolvingCollaboration - Problem-Solving
• Look for win-win solutions
• Problem-solving approach
ACTUALLY REPRESENTS THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR ADDING VALUE
Consider an integrative problem Consider an integrative problem solving approach when,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…''To Choose the Right Game…'• You ALWAYS need to decide how You ALWAYS need to decide how
important two factors are:important two factors are:
1.1. THE OUTCOME - How much do you need to THE OUTCOME - How much do you need to win? Can you afford to lose?win? Can you afford to lose?
2.2. THE RELATIONSHIP - How important is a THE RELATIONSHIP - How important is a continuing relationship with the other party?continuing relationship with the other party?