Describe two ways in which organizational conflict can be managed. List and briefly describe each of the five conflict handling styles.

Describe two ways in which organizational conflict can be managed.

Change the structure: When a structure in an organization is dysfunctional, as when a firm uses a matrix and there is confusion as to which of two bosses a manager should attend to first, then the structure may need to be altered.

Change the team composition: When team members clash repeatedly, it may be a good idea to change one or two team members to ensure greater harmony.

Create a common opposing force: When two work groups within a department are clashing over, for example, funding, a manager could divert their anger toward each other by focusing their attention on another department entirely which received substantial funding increases in the last budget cycle.

Consider majority rule: When group members are disagreeing over ideas, take a vote and the idea with the most support wins.

Problem solve: A common approach, the problem solving approach gets group members to focus on the task and not on the people involved so that the root cause of the problem is found.

144. List and briefly describe each of the five conflict handling styles.

Avoidance is where the individual is uncooperative and unassertive. The person practicing this conflict resolution style denies conflict is there.

Accommodation is where the individual is cooperative and unassertive. The person gives in to what the other side wants even if it means giving up personal goals.

Compromise is a middle ground style where individuals express their own concerns and want to get their own way, but respect the other person’s goals.

Competition is where the person wants to reach his goal regardless of what others say or feel.

Collaboration is the style high in both assertiveness and cooperation. This is the strategy that tends to be most effective in the most different conflict situations.

145. List the steps in the negotiation process.

Investigate, determine your best alternative to a negotiated agreement, present, bargain, and close.

146. Briefly describe the two negotiation strategies.

The distributive approach to negotiation is the fixed pie approach where if one department increases its budget, another department’s budget is cut.

The integrative approach to negotiation is a more creative approach where both parties look for ways to integrate their goals under a larger umbrella.

147. List and describe two common mistakes made in negotiation.

Failing to negotiate or taking the first offer: Research indicates that women are less likely to negotiate their starting salary than men and that this may be a contributing factor to the lower salaries women receive than their male counterparts.

Letting your ego get in the way: PointCast is a classic example of a firm that could have been part of a successful merger until its CEO let his ego do the talking and the deal was squelched.

Having unrealistic expectations: In labor contract negotiations, the unrealistic expectations often set forth in the initial contract proposal by the union are called “pie in the sky” demands.

Getting overly emotional: Anger never serves anyone when negotiating. Bargaining should involve the task or issue at hand and not the personalities involved.

Letting past negative outcomes affect the present ones: Research indicates that those who have been less successful in past negotiations tend to have lower outcomes than those who had successfully negotiated deals in the past.

148. Describe two alternative dispute resolution techniques.

Mediation is the process where a neutral third party enters a stalled negotiation to assist the parties involved in getting back on track. The mediator works with both parties to reach a solution without representing either side.

Arbitration is the process where a neutral third party listens to each party’s side in a dispute and then renders a decision. In most cases the decision is said to be binding, which means both parties must adhere to it.