NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT
GROUP-11
Q1. Explain the five negotiation & conflict management styles based on the
attached document titled “Negotiation & Conflict Management Styles”.
Sol: Based on the relative emphasis that a person or a company places on assertiveness and
cooperativeness. The five negotiation & conflict management styles are as follows:
I. Accommodating Style (a high level of cooperativeness and a low level of assertiveness)
➢ This style indicates a willingness to meet the needs of others at the expense
of the person’s own needs. The accommodator often knows when to give in
to others, but can be influenced to give up a position even when it is not
warranted. This style calls one not to be assertive but be highly cooperative.
Accommodation is appropriate when the issues matter more to the other
party and when peace is more valuable than winning. Accommodation
engrosses high cooperation and low confrontation. It plays down differences
and stresses commonalities. Accommodating can be a good approach when
one party accepts that it is wrong and has a lot to lose and little to gain. As a
result, they are willing to accommodate the wishes of the other party
➢ This style is not effective. An accommodating conflict management style is
used when someone avoid their own wants or needs and focus on those of
others.
➢ This style identifies Self-sacrifice through ‘giving–in’
➢ When not to use: (a) when we are hopelessly outmatched in power and
the other side is using a competing strategy and we are going to lose anyway.
(b) When there is no point of arguing
➢ Example:
Sourav loves working at his local fitness centre. He enjoys his job and gets
along with all his co-workers except for one. One of his co-workers has a
strong personality, doesn’t like to be told NO and tries to take advantage of
his accommodating personality by pressuring him into trading shifts. He
doesn’t appreciate his actions, but also does not want to introduce additional
tension into his workplace. He agrees to trade with him to keep the peace.
II. Avoiding style:
➢ This style seeks to dodge the conflict totally. This style is characterized by
delegating controversial decisions, accepting default decisions, and not
wanting to upset anyone’s feelings. However, in many situations this is a
weak and ineffective approach to take. Avoidance strategy has low
cooperation and low confrontation. It is useful either when conflicts are
irrelevant or when the other party is unyielding because of rigid attitudes. By
avoiding direct confrontation, parties in conflict get time to cool down.
➢ When to use it: (a) When we have little power and believe there is no
chance our goals will be met but we wish to block the other party.
III. Compromising style:
➢ This style is based on the aspiration of trying to find a solution that will at
least partially please everyone. Everyone is expected to surrender something
and the compromiser himself/ herself also expects to relinquish something.
Compromise is helpful when the cost of conflict is higher than the cost of
losing ground, when equal strength opponents are at a standstill and when
there is a deadline looming. Compromise is a regular way of dealing with
conflicts, especially when the conflicting parties have comparatively equal
power and jointly independent goals. It is based on the assumption that a
central route should be established to resolve the conflict situation, with
concern for personal goals as well as relationships.
IV. Collaborative Style:
➢ Collaborative style strives to meet the desires of all people involved. This
requires that the parties involved in a conflict to cooperate effectively and
acknowledge that everyone is important. This style is valuable when one
wants to bring together a range of viewpoints to get the best solution, when
there have been previous conflicts in the group. It is founded on readiness to
