MANAGING CONFLICT

Management of Conflict

When determining how to manage conflict, we tend to utilize different styles depending on the situation:

Avoidance—Non-confrontational: walking away from the situation

Accommodation—Non-confrontational: setting aside your needs for the needs of the other party

Competition—Win/lose: your loss is the other party’s gain; tactics include: forcing, low-balling, time constraints, deception, etc.

Compromise—Splitting the difference: (i.e. flipping a coin, cutting something in half)

Collaboration—Win/win: both parties mutually benefit, and creative alternatives are achieved.

Responding to Conflict

Satisfying own needs

Sati

sfyin

g o

thers

’ needs

Avoiding

CollaboratingAccommodate

Compromising

Competing

New Directions for Conflict Management

Bargaining/Negotiation

Third-Party Conflict Resolution

Bargaining/Negotiation

Negotiation: an interpersonal decision-making process necessary whenever we cannot achieve our objectives single-handedly Ex. Buying a car; buying a house; things at

work

Integrative Bargaining

Distributive Bargaining

Differences Between Distributive & Integrative Bargaining

Distributive Claim Value (win-lose)

Positional/ Rights/ Power

Goal: Individual Gain

Single Issue

No future relationship

Integrative Create Value (win-win)

Principled / Interest

Goal: Mutual & Individual Gain Multiple Issues

Long-term relationship

Third-Party Conflict Resolution

Managerial Conflict Resolution

Outside Conflict Resolution

Managerial Conflict Resolution

Roles: Inquisitor Judge Advisor Motivator Investigator Restructurer Problem solver Procedural marshal

Outside Conflict Resolution

Mediators—help parties facilitate the dispute but hold no decision power

Arbitrators—makes binding decisions based on the proposals and arguments of the parties involved in the conflict