Conflict and Negotiation: Analysis, Tools, and Development Planning

This report delves into the critical aspects of conflict and negotiation within organizational settings. It begins by defining conflict and negotiation, highlighting their impact on workplace dynamics and productivity. The literature review explores various perspectives on conflict, including traditional, hum...Read More

Running head: CONFLICT AND NEGOTIATION
People and Organisation
[Conflict and Negotiation]
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
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Executive summary
This paper studies the importance of conflict negotiation with the help from different
theoretical guidance. Conflict negotiation depends on different approaches that are supervised
by different models such as Johari Window. This paper is a good guide to its readers for
understanding the importance of conflicts and negotiation. This also presents a very easy yet
important ways to rectify the shortcoming in an individual through personal development
plan.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Literature review....................................................................................................................3
3. Diagnostic tools......................................................................................................................5
3.1 Reflection.........................................................................................................................6
4. Development plan..................................................................................................................7
5. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................10

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1. Introduction
Conflict and negotiation are two integral parts of an organisation that identifies
difference in behaviour in different employees. Conflict can be defined as a stage where one
employee negatively affects something, which other employee has care for. For example,
working for incentives is good with one employee; however, to another, this is nothing but
harassment (Hofmann et al., 2012). On the other hand, negotiation can be termed as a process
that tries to destroy all the barriers in the way to success and try to dislodge any conflicts in
between the two parties (Chen & Weiss, 2012). Interestingly, both conflict and negotiation
exist there at the workplace but not all the employees have like perspectives on the two terms.
Some has conflicting nature while some has reunion nature. Despite all the factual things
surrounding it, it is important to understand that conflict resolution is of high importance to a
peaceful working environment at the workplace. The main purpose of this assignment is to
understand the two terms conflict and negotiation. The assignment also covers a reflection on
the self-understanding of the two terms with the help of some tools provided in the
assessment.
2. Literature review
Negotiation and conflict are a part of any platform; however, it is of high importance
at the workplace. This is because of the impact, which both the factors can produce on the
operational productivity. A conflict can bring dispute within the team members, which is
threatening for a successful completion of the project. A project requires teamwork, which is
never possible in a conflicting environment. There are different views on conflicts such as
traditional view, human relation view and internactionist view (Kowalski & Limber, 2013).
Different views have their different opinions on the conflicts. Traditional views say to avoid
the conflicts. According to them conflicts are not good for an organisational perspective. It is

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not good either for an educational perspective. They have viewed this as a stopping agent in
the way of a progressive trend. On the other hand, the human elation view has seen conflict
as a natural phenomenon. According to such beliefs, conflicts are natural and are expected
outcome from a team or any group. According to internactionist views, conflict is extremely
necessary in order to perform effectively (Ayoko, Konrad & Boyle, 2012).
Conflicts are of various types such as task, process and relationships. Task means
conflicts for the contents and goals in the task. The level of conflict ranges from lows to
moderate level. This is not a very healthy sign for an organisation. This is because it hampers
process. The process gets hampered because people builds up this habit in them to ignore
such task that are challenging. Consequently, it becomes difficult to the management to
allocate this task to an appropriate resource because this is difficult to understand who
potential employees are. Relationship is another type of conflict that is a high concern in
between the different relations. This gives birth to domestic violence, which is harmful for
the family in most times. Sometimes conflicts are required at home to oppose the wrong
thing; however, majority of times, it happens for wrong purpose. Another type of conflict is
process that governs a scenario where different professionals in organisation clash to each
other with different perspectives on an assigned project. Such conflicts are advantageous
sometimes because it generates the necessary urgency to complete the project; however, at
times this is harmful as well because it is a sign of making decision in hurry. Operation
related decisions should be made with utmost calm and composed attitude (Fisher, 2016).
Negotiation on the other has two bargaining strategies such as distributive bargaining
and integrative bargaining. Distributive bargaining refers to such process, which is a win-
lose situation to either of the party. It further means that in such negotiation process, one
party has to compromise for the others. It is not fruitful as well. This is indeed much difficult
to negotiate a conflict by ignoring the importance of one party. There might take place a case

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where such thing happens; however, probability for such case is very low either. On the other
hand, integrative bargaining is a highly advantageous option to get rid of the conflicts in
between the two parties. In such negotiation process, two different parties try to come at one
platform such as by compromising on each other’s thought for the sake of other. However, it
entirely depends on the surrounding circumstances to understand the best option for
negotiating the conflicts. For example, in an organisation, it is indeed advisable that
employees agree on most terms with their organisation in order to maintain a peaceful
environment. It is least advised to become rebellion with personal thoughts. However, there
are some instances where it is required to be rebellion such as disclosing the salary
discrepancy issue. It is indeed much more advisable that at workplace, selection of the most
suitable negotiation option is done according to the surrounding scenarios. These factual
things are not just limited to workplace only but it is also applicable to all such places where
someone is supervising one (DeChurch, Mesmer-Magnus & Doty, 2013).
3. Diagnostic tools
There are certain tools that can help in negotiating the conflicts. Such tools are
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), Belbin Team Inventory and Johari
Window.
TKI- TKI is an assessment that takes around fifteen minutes to complete the test. The
assessment model believe in a fact that conflict is natural, which is bound to happen because
there is no such pair that has same desire and expectations (Atorough & Martin, 2012). It
further means a conflicting thought is a resource to conflicts. However, according to the TKI
things can be improved and can be brought to normality if two people understand each
other’s nature and try to assimilate with each other’s thoughts. Problem only arises when two

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people do not realise each other’s characteristics. If they have enough time to understand
each other’s requirement, there would not be any more conflicts.
Belbin Team Inventory- Belbin has identified some roles that according to Belbin are ideal
to an effective team performance. Those roles are resource investigator, team worker, co-
ordinator, stand, monitor evaluator, professional, shaper, implementer and complete finisher.
According to Belbin, these nine roles are required in a team in order to enhance its
effectiveness and to prevent this from conflict. However, it also widened the understanding
by stating a fact that it is not necessary to have nine people all the time in the team to have all
the mentioned roles. Any team member can have two or more than two roles. These roles are
mentioned to show the importance of Belbin roles in negotiating approach towards resolving
a conflict (Senaratne & Gunawardane, 2015).
Johari Window- This gives its utmost emphasis on the feedbacks. Johari Model supports the
production of feedbacks and on the other hand, it supports the reception of feedbacks. Johari
Model is all about giving feedbacks and accepting the other’s feedbacks. This is a vital
challenge at the workplace where people do not easily give any feedbacks and rarely do they
accept anybody else’s feedbacks. The model encourages in giving and accepting the
feedbacks (Saxena, 2015).
3.1 Reflection
The three models such as Johari Model, TKI and Belbin Team Inventory have helped
me understand that I am missing on some important characteristics that are necessary to
prevent any conflicts. I am very reserved, which makes me disconnected with the other team
members. I never bother to give any feedback to them neither do I implement any of their
feedbacks on me. Additionally, I am very less connected with co-ordinating terms with my
team members. This at times creates conflicts because they build up wrong perceptions of

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me. They are doing wrong; however, I have unintentionally forced them to do so. I am also
not a complete finisher, which makes me depend on others a lot. This is not a very healthy
sign because depending on others might attract some conflicts. I might accept more; however,
things might not turn according to my thoughts.
4. Development plan
The development plan for the two areas of improvement in me would be as follows:
 Personal analysis- The different models such as Belbin Team Inventory, Johari
Window and TKI have made me understood that I need improvement in two areas
such as reserving nature and poor co-ordination skills. I am very reserved in nature,
which makes things difficult to me to get dissolve with my other team members. Co-
ordination is the other challenge that produces a communication gap in between the
others and me. This sometimes hampers the project as well because others do not
understand what I mean of everything (Parks-Leduc, Feldman & Bardi, 2015).
 Short-term goals- I need to set a short-term goals to rectify the two identified issues
in me. The short-term goals would include preparing me for the change. I would start
engaging me in different cooperative works such as being a part of social gathering at
the workplace. The first stage and the short-term goal would be to be open with all in
the team. The other goal would be to start coordinating with other team members.
Initially, I might face difficulties; however, things would start working for me. The
short-term goals would be to be open and coordinative (Sirois & Pychyl, 2013).
 Long-term goals- This would include working on the feedbacks that my other team
members and the supervisors give those to me. This is very necessary to be open for
feedbacks according to the Johari Window. I would strongly focus on working on the

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feedbacks. This includes but is not limited to such as taking help of others on how to
implement the feedbacks (Duffy et al., 2015).
 Specific work schedules- I would dedicate few time on a daily basis to make the
identified changes in me. This would include working on the feedbacks while taking
help of others on how to implement the feedbacks. This also includes making me
engaged with others in the team member in order to make me habituated of
coordinating things with the others. Becoming more social and approachable would
be another set of improvements in me, which I would try to implement in me in order
to be addicted with the solutions advised for bringing the necessary changes (Allen et
al., 2013).
 Corrective actions- This would be required when I fail to execute the plan
accordingly. This is very natural that I would fall short in implementing the feedbacks
for improving me as more social and coordinative. Necessary actions would include
working on the feedbacks. If it does not work then I would consult to my senior in the
team to suggest me some ways on how to bring the required changes in me. I would
also watch some videos that are extremely designed for personality grooming
(Fliscounakis et al., 2013).
5. Conclusion
Conflicts and negotiation are the two most effective things found quite frequently at
the workplace. Conflicts must be negotiated with help from different resources such as
listening to other’s feedbacks and compromising with others. Conflicts are negotiable if there
are utmost resources available for it. There is no better way than to understand each other and
respect each other’s feedbacks. These two are the most effective weapons that would rectify
one with utter odd qualities in him or her. Conflicts at times are important to bring in various

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new ideas; however, it should be mostly disrespected if no benefits are possible with such
attempts. Nevertheless, personal development plan is utterly required in order to counter the
effect of conflicts and negotiate this with some mutual compromising activities. There is no
such better way than to develop the personal behaviour and rectify the personal shortcomings
through different ways. Personal development plan in a systematic way is one of such tools
that would bring the necessary change in an individual. Personal development plan is a long-
term process that would gradually provide fruits on the attempt. It includes learning on
mistakes.

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References
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and flexible work arrangements: Deconstructing flexibility. Personnel
Psychology, 66(2), 345-376.
Atorough, P., & Martin, A. (2012). The politics of destination marketing: assessing
stakeholder interaction choice orientations toward a DMO formation, using the
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Journal of Place Management and
Development, 5(1), 35-55.
Ayoko, O. B., Konrad, A. M., & Boyle, M. V. (2012). Online work: Managing conflict and
emotions for performance in virtual teams. European Management Journal, 30(2),
156-174.
Chen, S., & Weiss, G. (2012, August). An efficient and adaptive approach to negotiation in
complex environments. In Proceedings of the 20th European conference on artificial
intelligence (pp. 228-233). IOS Press.
DeChurch, L. A., Mesmer-Magnus, J. R., & Doty, D. (2013). Moving beyond relationship
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Fisher, R. J. (2016). Third party consultation: A method for the study and resolution of
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Resolution (pp. 37-71). Springer International Publishing.

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