Questions for Review
14-1. What are the three types of conflict and the three loci of conflict?
Answer: The three types of conflict are:
1. Task conflict: conflict over content and goals of the work.
The three loci of conflict are:
1. Dyadic conflict: conflict that occurs between two people.
Learning Objective: Describe the three types of conflict and the three loci of conflict
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
14-2. What are the steps in the conflict process?
Answer:
Stage I: Potential opposition or incompatibility—The first step in the conflict process is
the presence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise. These conditions
Stage II: Cognition and personalization—The antecedent conditions can lead to conflict
only when one or more of the parties are affected by, and aware of, the conflict. Just
Stage III: Intentions—Intentions are decisions to act in a given way. Exhibit 14-2
represents one author’s effort to identify the primary conflict-handling intentions. Two
Stage IV: Behavior—The behavior stage includes the statements, actions, and reactions
made by the conflicting parties. These conflict behaviors are usually overt attempts to
Stage V: Outcomes—Outcomes may be functional in that the conflict results in an
improvement in the group’s performance, or dysfunctional in that it hinders group
performance. Conflict is constructive when it improves the quality of decisions,
Learning Objective: Outline the conflict process
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
14-3. What are the differences between distributive and integrative bargaining?
Answer: Distributive bargaining is negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of
resources; a win-lose situation. Integrative bargaining is negotiation that seeks one or
Learning Objective: Contrast distributive and integrative bargaining
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
14-4. What are the five steps in the negotiation process?
Answer: Exhibit 14-8 shows a model of the negotiation process. It includes the
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
14-5. How do individual differences influence negotiations?
Answer: Personality and gender can both influence negotiations. Personality traits like
extroverts and agreeable people are weaker at distributive negotiation. In contrast,
Learning Objective: Show how individual differences influence negotiations
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
14-6. What are the roles and functions of third-party negotiations?
Answer: There are four basic third-party roles:
Mediator – a neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning,
Arbitrator – a third party to a negotiation who has the authority to dictate an agreement.
Consultant – an impartial third party, skilled in conflict management, who attempts to
Learning Objective: Assess the roles and functions of third-party negotiations
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Experiential Exercise
A Negotiation Role-Play
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Apply the five steps of the negotiation process
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Reflective thinking
There are two scenarios to consider for this case; one is more distributive, the other more
integrative. Within your group of two, one of you takes the role of the engineering director, while
the other takes the role of the marketing director. Read only your own side’s specific information
for the two negotiation processes. The overall situation is the same for both scenarios, but the
priorities and outlook for the parties change depending on whether the group is doing the
“contested resources” scenario or the “combined future” scenario.
The Case
Cytrix develops integrated bicycle and running performance systems. Runners and bikers wear
the Cytrix watch, which uses GPS signals to identify their location and the distance they’ve
covered. This information can then be uploaded to the Cytrix Challenge website, where users
record their performance over time. Social media tools also allow them to compare their
Marketing Group Specific Information (only the marketing manager should read this)
The marketing group has been tracking the major areas of sales and has come to the conclusion
that Cytrix has saturated the market. New sources of customers will need to be considered for
future growth, especially general consumers who are interested in health but are not committed
athletes. Research into sales of competitive products and areas where competitors are failing to
Engineering Group Specific Information (only the engineering manager should read this)
The engineering group has recently been tracking the development of new hardware that will
improve the accuracy of distance and speed estimates in remote areas. Several other companies
are already experimenting with similar designs. To fully realize this improvement, engineering
Contested Resources Scenario
The marketing and engineering departments are locked in a struggle for power. Your side (either
marketing or engineering) should try to direct the largest possible proportion of both money and
Combined Future Scenario
The marketing and engineering departments are eager to find a positive solution. Both sides
should endeavor to see that the company’s future needs are met. You know that to achieve success
The Negotiation
At the start of the negotiation, the instructor randomly assigns half the groups to the contested
Debriefing
Afterward, get the class together to discuss the processes used. Especially consider the differences
in outcomes between the contested resources and combined future scenarios. Either scenario
Ethical Dilemma
The Lowball Applicant
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Show how individual differences influence negotiations
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Written and oral communication; Ethical understanding and reasoning; Reflective
thinking
Consider this first-person account:
I am a human resource manager, so I interview people every day. Sometimes the managers in my
company ask me to pre-screen candidates, which I do after discussing the job at length with the
manager. I usually start the candidate screening with a few personality-job fit tests; then conduct
an interview, following a list of job-specific questions the manager has given me; and finally
discuss the job requirements, our company, and the pay/benefits. By that time in the process, the
candidate usually has a good idea of the job and is eager to suggest a high level of pay at the top
of the advertised bracket or, often, above the pay bracket. However, this isn’t always the case.
One time in particular, an excellent candidate with outstanding qualifications surprised me by
saying that since she wanted flextime, she would accept a rate below the pay bracket. Confused,
I asked her if she wanted a reduction in hours below full-time. She said no, she expected to work
full-time and only wanted to come in a little late and would leave a little late to make up the time.
I guess she figured this was a concession worth slashing her salary for, but our company has
flextime. In fact, she could have asked for 5 fewer hours per week, still been considered full-time
by our company policies, and negotiated for above the advertised pay grade. I knew the manager
would be highly interested in this candidate and that he could probably get her to work the longer
full-time hours at a lower rate of pay. That outcome might be best for the company, or it might
not. She obviously didn’t fully understand the company policies in her favor, and she was
unsophisticated about her worth in the marketplace. What should I have done?
Questions
14-7. If the human resource manager coached the applicant to request a higher salary, did the
coaching work against the interests of the organization? What was the responsibility of
the human resource (HR) manager to put the organization’s financial interests first?
Answer: The students’ responses to this question will vary depending on their individual
14-8. What do you see as the potential downside of the HR manager’s abstaining from
discussing the pay issue further with the candidate?
Answer: Responses to this question will vary by student, but many will suggest that if no
14-9. If the candidate were hired at the reduced rate she proposed, how might the situation play
out over the next year when she gets to know the organization and pay standards better?
Answer: Again, responses to this question will vary by student. Some will argue that the
candidate will feel violated – that the organization has taken advantage of the situation.
Case Incident 1
Disorderly Conflict
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Show how individual differences influence negotiations
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Written and oral communication; Reflective thinking
The sound of Matt and Peter’s arguing is familiar to everyone in the office by now. In an effort to
make the best use of space and ensure a free flow of discussion and ideas, the founder of Markay
Design had decided to convert the one-floor office of the company to an open plan with no walls
between workers. The goal of such a layout is to eliminate boundaries and enhance creativity. But
for Matt and Peter, the new arrangement creates a growing sense of tension.
The argument boils down to the question of workspace order and organization. Peter prefers to
keep his desk completely clean and clear, and he keeps a stack of cleaning wipes in a drawer to
eliminate any dust or dirt. Matt, on the other hand, likes to keep all his work visible on his desk,
so sketches, plans, magazines, and photos are scattered everywhere, alongside boxes of crackers
and coffee cups. Peter finds it hard to concentrate when he sees Matt’s piles of materials
everywhere, while Matt feels he can be more creative and free flowing when he’s not forced to
clean and organize constantly. Many of Matt and Peter’s coworkers wish they’d just let the issue
drop. The men enjoyed a good working relationship in the past, with Peter’s attention to detail
and thorough planning serving to rein in some of Matt’s wild inspirations. But of late, their
collaborations have been derailed in disputes.
Everyone knows it’s not productive to engage in conflicts over every small irritant in the
workplace. However, completely avoiding conflict can be equally negative. An emerging
body of research has examined “conflict cultures” in organizations. The findings suggest having a
culture that actively avoids and suppresses conflicts is associated with lower levels of creativity.
Moreover, cultures that push conflict underground but do not succeed in reducing the underlying
tensions can become passive-aggressive, marked by underhanded behavior against other
coworkers.
Ultimately, finding a way through the clutter dispute is probably going to be an ongoing process
to find a balance between perspectives. Both Matt and Peter worry that if they can’t find a
solution, their usually positive work relationship will be too contentious to bear. And that would
be a real mess.
Sources: S. Shellenbarger, “Clashing over Office Clutter,” Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2014,
http://www.wsj.com/articles /SB10001424052702304747404579447331212245004; S.
Shellenbarger, “To Fight or Not to Fight? When to Pick Workplace Battles,” Wall Street Journal,
December 17, 2014, http://www.wsj.com/articles/picking-your-workplace-battles-1418772621;
and M. J. Gelfand, J. R. Harrington, and L. M. Leslie, “Conflict Cultures: A New Frontier for
Conflict Management Research and Practice,” in N. M. Ashkanasy, O. B. Ayoko, and K. A. Jehn
(eds.), Handbook of Conflict Management Research, 2014, 109–35.
Questions
14–10. Describe some of the factors that led this situation to become an open conflict.
Answer: This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyManagementLab.
14–11. Do you think this is an issue worth generating conflict over? What are the potential costs
and benefits of Matt and Peter having an open discussion of the issues?
Answer: Responses to this question will vary by student.
14-12. How can Matt and Peter develop an active problem-solving discussion to resolve this
conflict? What could effectively be changed, and what is probably going to just remain a
problem?
Answer: Responses to this question will vary by student depending on their own
opinions and preferences toward clutter as well as their success in dealing with similar
Case Incident 2
Twinkies, Rubber Rooms, and Collective Bargaining
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Assess the roles and functions of third-party negotiations
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Written and oral communication; Reflective thinking
U.S. labor unions have seen a dramatic decline in membership in the private sector, where only
6.5 percent of the employees are unionized. The situation is very different in the public sector,
however, where 40 percent of government employees are unionized. These numbers are the result
of very different trends – in the 1950s, the situation was approximately reversed, with roughly 35
percent of private-sector workers and 12 percent of public-sector employees belonging to unions.
Research suggests two core reasons why public-sector unions have grown. First, changes in state
and national labor laws have made it easier for public-sector unions to organize. Some also argue
that enforcement agencies have tolerated anti-union actions in the private sector. Second, the
location of private-sector jobs has changed; high-paying union jobs in the manufacturing sector,
the steel industry, and other former bastions of private-sector unionization have mostly gone
overseas, or to the South, where it’s harder to organize workers. On the other hand, it’s difficult to
move government jobs away from the communities they serve. A Philadelphia school, for
example, couldn’t just decide it was going to relocate its teachers to Atlanta. Also, public-sector
labor forces tend to be more static than in the private sector. More plants than post offices have
closed.
Are these trends problems? Though this is partly a political question, let’s look at it objectively in
terms of plusses and minuses.
On the positive side, by negotiating as a collective, unionized workers are able to earn, on
average, roughly 15 percent more than their non-union counterparts. Unions also can protect the
rights of workers against capricious actions by employers. Consider the following example:
Lydia criticized the work of five of her coworkers. They were not amused and
posted angry messages on a Facebook page. Lydia complained to her supervisor
that the postings violated the employer’s “zero tolerance” policy against “bullying
and harassment.” The employer investigated and, agreeing that its policy had
been violated, fired the five. The National Labor Relations Board, however, ruled
this an unfair labor practice and ordered reinstatements.
Most of us would probably prefer not to be fired for Facebook posts. This is a protection unions
can provide.
On the negative side, public-sector unions at times have been able to negotiate employment
arrangements that are hard to sustain. For more than 25 years, the union that represents
California’s prison guards—the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA)—
lobbied the state to increase the number of prisons and to increase sentences (such as via the
“three strikes” law). The lobbying worked; additional prisons have been built, the prison
population has exploded, and thousands of new prison personnel have been hired. With its
membership at almost 30,000 and millions of dollars for skillful lobbying, the power of the
CCPOA would now be difficult to overestimate. As a result, an entry-level corrections officer can
earn up to $65,000 in base salary with generous benefits, plus over $100,000 in overtime and
bonuses, after just 4 months of free training. All this is at the expense of taxpayers in a state
where the budget is “precariously balanced and faces the prospect of deficits in succeeding
years.”
It is often extremely difficult to fire a member of a public-sector union, even if performance is
exceptionally poor. Aryeh Eller, a former music teacher at Hillcrest High School in Queens, was
pulled from the classroom for repeated sexual harassment of female students, a charge to which
he has admitted. While in the “rubber room,” where union members unfit to work are paid their
full wage to just sit, Eller has seen his salary increase to $85,000 due to automatic seniority
increases under the teachers’ union contract. Such protections exist for teachers in nearly every
state, protecting even those arrested for having sex with minors and giving minors drugs.
Teachers are not alone. There are rubber rooms for many types of union jobs.
Reasonable people can disagree about the pros and cons of unions, and whether they help or
hinder an organization’s ability to be successful. There isn’t any dispute, however, that they often
figure prominently in the study of workplace conflict and negotiation strategies.
Sources: L. Apple, “Spoiled California Prison Guards Have It Easy,” Gawker Media, April 30,
2011, http://gawker.com/5797381/spoiled-california-prison-guards-have-it-easy; “Aryeh Eller,
New York Teacher Removed from Classroom for Sexual Harassment, Paid Nearly $1 Million to
Do Nothing,” Huffington Post, January 28, 2013, downloaded May 20, 2013, from
www.huffingtonpost.com; “Hispanics United of Buffalo, Inc. and Carlos Ortiz,” Case
03–CA–027872, National Labor Relations Board,December 14, 2012,
www.nlrb.gov/cases-decisions/board-decisions; E. G. Brown, “2015-16 May Revision to the
California State Budget,”
http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/2015-16/pdf/Revised/Budget-Summary/Introduction.pdf; S. Soriano,
“CCPOA’s Clout High, but Profile Low,” Capitol Weekly, November 19, 2014,
http://capitolweekly.net/ccpoa-transition-powerful-low-profile-campaignspending/; and J.
Weissmann, “Who’s to Blame for the Hostess Bankruptcy: Wall Street, Unions, or Carbs? The
Atlantic, November 16, 2012, downloaded on May 29, 2013, from www.theatlantic.com/.
Questions
14-13. Labor–management negotiations might be characterized as more distributive than
integrative. Do you agree? Why do you think this is the case? What, if anything, would
you do about it?
Answer: The response to this question will vary depending on the student’s opinion.
14-14. If unions have negotiated unreasonable agreements, what responsibility does
management or the administration bear for agreeing to these terms? Why do you think
they do agree?
Answer: Again, student response depends on opinion. But, one idea that should come
from the process is that some believe that mediation is a trade-off to justice. Instead of
14-15. If you were advising union and management representatives about how to negotiate an
agreement, drawing from the concepts in this chapter, what would you tell them?
Answer: This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyManagementLab.
My Management Lab
Go to mymanagementlab.com for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following
Assisted-graded writing questions:
14-16. In regard to Case Incident 1, how do you think modern, open workspaces contribute to or
inhibit employee conflicts?
14-17. From your reading of Case Incident 2 and the text, how do you think unions have
changed organizational negotiation practices?
14-18. MyManagementLab Only – comprehensive writing assignment for this chapter.
Instructor’s Choice
Negotiating with the Labor Relations Board
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objective: Assess the roles and functions of third-party negotiations
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Written and oral communication; Reflective thinking
Power struggles often end up as negotiation and bargaining scenarios. One place to trace historic
negotiations between management and labor is the National Labor Relations Board website (see
www.nlrb.gov). Go to the website and link to Case Summaries found under the News Room
menu. Choose a famous case, summarize the conflict, describe the negotiation issues, and
summarize the eventual outcome of the case. Once you have done this, indicate the form of
conflict present and how the negotiation process helped to resolve the conflict.
Instructor Discussion
The NLRB website has several famous cases documented and filed. It is interesting that the
NLRB often changes its political stance on issues as members often change as new governmental
administrations are brought into power. For this reason, the viewer can see that some issues are
revisited. It is useful to present a contemporary case to illustrate the negotiation process. Since the
website is updated frequently, the instructor can choose a case that has just been heard or one that
is more classical in nature. Based on the way the case is presented on the website, the instructor
could present the case without revealing the ruling and have the students try to determine what
the eventual ruling (and justifying reasons) was.
Teaching Notes
This exercise is applicable to face-to-face classes or synchronous online classes such as
BlackBoard 9.1, Breeze, WIMBA, and Second Life Virtual Classrooms. See
http://www.baclass.panam.edu/imob/SecondLife for more information.
Exploring OB Topics on the Web
This exercise contributes to:
Learning Objectives: Outline the conflict process; Apply the five steps of the negotiation process
Learning Outcome: Describe the nature of conflict and the negotiation process
AACSB: Written and oral communication; Reflective thinking
1. Let’s start out with a laugh. Go to http://www.despair.com/demotivators/dysfunction.html
and see what their commentary is for dysfunction. While you are there, feel free to look at some
of the other posters that “spoof” traditional motivational posters found on the walls of businesses
and schools. Enjoy!
2. How do you handle conflict when it arises? Seven guidelines for handling conflict can be
found at http://www.mediate.com/articles/jordan2.cfm. Think of a conflict you are involved in or
have been involved in recently. How could you have applied these guidelines to that situation? Is
there room for improvement in your conflict management skills? Write a short reflection paper
(or a paragraph or two) on one of the guidelines and how you plan to use it in future conflicts.
3. If you have never been involved in labor negotiations, it can be a challenging task—
especially if you lack experience in the process. Preparation is key. Every manager should have
an understanding of the process. Learn more at http://www.mediate.com/articles/lynnK.cfm. Are
there lessons in this article that could be applied to any negotiation process—for example, buying
a car, negotiating a contract with a vendor, etc.? Think of a circumstance where you might find
yourself explaining a negotiation process to a friend and the skills necessary to be successful.
(Use the article for ideas.) Write out the scenario and skills and bring it to class.
4. Negotiating with other cultures requires an understanding of the culture and the
individuals with whom you are negotiating. Go to http://www.mediate.com/articles/lauchli.cfm to
learn more about negotiation and dispute resolution with the Chinese. As the book has discussed,
the Chinese are a collectivist culture, different in many ways from Americans. Write two or three
things of interest you learned from reading this article and bring it to class.
5. Read the article by Stella Ting-Toomey entitled “Intercultural Conflict Management: A
Mindful Approach” at: http://www.uri.edu/iaics/content/2008v17n4/02%20Ling%20Chen%20&
%20Kat%20Cheung.pdf. Write a short synopsis of the three major points of the paper. What is the
most interesting or intriguing idea put forth in the paper? Do you agree or disagree with her
assessments? Bring your written work to class for further discussion.
6. The University of Colorado offers a great deal of information regarding conflict
management on their website. One page provides abstracts of selected readings on transformative
conflict resolution. Some readings are more global in nature—others are geared to the
organization. Go to http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/transform/abslist.htm and select three
abstracts of interest to you. Print them off and bring them to class. Prepare a short presentation on
what you learned from these articles. Be prepared to talk about them in front of the class or in
small groups.