BUS403: Negotiations and Conflict Management

Loomis and Loomis state that conflict is an ever-present process in human relations. Conflict may define, maintain and strengthen group boundaries, contributing to the group's distinctiveness and increasing group solidarity and cohesion.

The Changing Nature of Conflict

Earlier theories and discussions regarding conflicts were only conducted with regard to organizations and, to a limited extent, to the environment of organisations. Even these were confined to the efficiency and productivity of enterprises. But now, policies are not made in isolation. Globalisation has made it a universal and worldwide process involving all types of stakeholders which are not limited to groups or nations but triggered by ethnic, religious, racial and economic differences. Conflict resolution has now been redefined or updated to help resolve these issues of international conflicts/disagreements between stakeholders.

Phases of Conflicts

1. Potential Conflict Phase During this stage, conflict is at a low level of intensity. Structural and and other underlying factors create division among groups along socioeconomic, cultural, and political lines. Mobilisation of collective discontentment begins, but is not organised. At this point, preventive action is not risky and has high potential payoff.

2. Gestation Phase Consolidation of mobilisation is a characteristic of this phase as inter-group relations are politicised and popular mobilisation pressures decision-makers to address the issue. Group polarisation increases, but issues are still negotiable. Preventive actions may be costly, but the potential payoffs are much more positive.

3. Triggering and Escalation Phase There is a real and visible change in the group's economic, social, or political conditions which trigger the escalation of conflict. Inter-elite ties break down and social interactions focus on organised reaction as political exchanges fade and conflicting parties lose confidence in each other. Groups feel they cannot compromise. Intervention at this phase becomes risky and costly.

4. Post-Conflict Phase During this phase, preventive interventions should reestablish communication channels between the conflicting groups, to avoid a new round of conflict.

Note that these events may not occur in this order. Often the lack of information or incentives to act quickly are barriers to resolving conflicts.

Conflict Resolution at the Micro Level

1. Intra Organisational Level – These conflicts occur within organisations.

A. Task conflict – Disagreement about the communication or directions from superiors among subordinates since some orders may lie outside their "zone of acceptance." The leadership should make sure they substantiate their communications among the subordinates to resolve this conflict. Mary Parker Follett offers suggestions on how to do this:

1. Domination to resolve a conflict – Only the stronger party wins. The weaker party remains disgruntled. Since this will lead to very ugly consequences, this should be avoided.
2. Compromise – No party benefits, but they both settle for the time being. Since this resolution is short term, conflicts keep building internally and become more dangerous when the issue reappears. It may become impossible to resolve. 
3. Integration to resolve a conflict – This long-term solution is best according to Follet. There is a feeling of a win-win equation. The conflicting groups believe their issues are addressed.
   
   

The Process of Integration (in detail):

This process unfolds in three steps:

1. Bring the conflict to the surface or identify the existing issue.
2. Analyze the conflict and develop a solution. The solution should not allow the conflict to resurface or foster a new conflict. The solution should benefit everyone and should evoke a circular response where every member has the opportunity to vent their feelings so they feel heard.
3. Anticipation of results.

Hindrances Implementing the Process of Integration Smoothly:

1. Integration requires a high degree of knowledge and analysis.
2. It requires a high order of creativity and innovation.
3. It may require additional resources.
4. Superiors may tend to dominate.
5. True integration may not be achieved if groups fail to agree on substitution.
6. Rushing to apply a solution or scheme may create problems since proper comprehension may require time.
7. Groups may hide their feelings on whether they feel adequately represented, although their integration may appear to have been achieved.

B. Inter-Group Conflict refers to relationships among people and teams within an organisation, not just one task. Inter-group conflict is inevitable. Here is a six-step process to best manage and maintain inter-group conflict.

1. Recognize and acknowledge that conflict exists
2. Analyze the existing situation
3. Facilitate communication
4. Negotiation
5. Provide necessary adjustments, reinforcements, and confirmations
6. Realize we must live with some conflict; we cannot resolve every conflict

C. Procedural Conflict occurs when group members disagree about which procedure to follow to accomplish the group goal. Solutions include:

1. Formulating new procedures and a new agenda.
2. Modifying the group goal.

This along with Task Conflict is of productive nature and brings in many reforms in the way of doing things more efficiently in the eyes of the higher management/decision makers.

Intra-Organisational Conflicts (among two or more organizations)

A. Environment of the particular organisation Two organisations in the same environment often have goals that clash. An example is the the Scheduled Tribes ( Recognition of forest rights) Act 2005. The Ministry of Environment and Forests was concerned that allowing tribal communities to move into the area was depleting the forest cover. However, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was more concerned with finding a suitable area for the tribal communities to live. These incompatible goals created conflicts that led to jurisdictional conflicts as the stakeholders disagreed about issue of control and where the tribal communities would be allowed to live.

B. Institutional Pluralism Competition is not the same as conflict. Competing public and private service delivery agencies often operate in the same domain to perform government services or achieve certain goals related to governance. Sometimes individuals have disagreements or incompatible goals. However, while competitors often disagree, they usually have agreed to follow certain social conventions or culturally-established rules and regulations. Conflict ensues when competitors fail to agree on the rules and no longer wish to follow them.

Conflict Management at the Macro Level

1. To avoid conflict, interest groups, protesters, and policy stakeholders should democratically discuss policy initiatives and decide policies that are suitable to all.
2. Resolve conflicts proactively, when disputes are young rather than letting them escalate.
3. Integrate conflict management systems.
4. Strengthen government and non-government institutions so they can tackle conflicts.
5. Create a central coordinator for conflict resolution efforts, such as creating a prime ministerial office to intervene in conflicts among India's ministries.
6. Promote strong evaluation systems and monitoring mechanisms.
7. Build the capacity of individuals and institutions.
8. Allow citizens to participate in government as much as possible.
9. Create civil society organisations.
10. Promote international organisations of conflict resolution, such as the United Nations and International Court of Justice, which use international treaties, charters, and mandates to negotiate and arbitrate international disputes.

Source: Tanya Fransz, https://publicadministrationtheone.blogspot.com/2012/12/conflict-resolution-redefinition.html
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