Page 131 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Communication in organizations 120

In resolving a conflict one can also consciously choose the negotiation strategy. The
goal then is to strive for a compromise by making concessions on both sides. The choice
of this strategy can be made if both parties are dependent on each other and the question
is equally important to them both. Chapter 15 deals with this strategy extensively.

Fighting
Scoring high on the dimension of own interests and low on the dimension of the others’
interests leads to a fighting conflict management style. By fighting we mean behaviour
that is intended to win the conflict. People who always tend to fight are characterized by
an all-or-nothing attitude towards the question, even at the expense of the other party.
A conscious decision to adopt a fighting style can be chosen in situations that are so
important that one doesn’t care about the desires and needs of the other party. Examples
include:
• situations where one is convinced of the reasonableness of one’s own standpoint and the
unreasonableness of the standpoint of the other party
• situations where one is so emotionally involved that one is not prepared to make
concessions because it concerns a question of principle in which one’s own values and
norms are at stake
• situations in which one is subject to time pressure so that it is impossible to enter into
lengthy negotiations or to cooperate.

Cooperation
High scores on both dimensions lead to a conflict management style of cooperation.
When parties cooperate they show behaviour that is intended to maximize the results for
both sides. Both parties try to maintain a good relationship with the other and to attain a
reasonable solution for the conflict. This situation is also known as a ‘win-win’ situation
(Gatchalian, 1998). People who work together devote a great deal of time and energy on
the maintenance of good mutual understanding and strive for satisfactory results for both
parties. People who use this strategy usually have a lot of self-confidence, are not
preoccupied with the self and can put energy into imagining the feelings and thoughts of
the other party. They are usually creative in thinking up solutions that are attractive to
both sides.
In order to cooperate it is necessary that both parties have the intention to work
together. Cooperation is a strategy that demands many communication skills from both
parties. A conscious choice of this strategy means that both parties want to maintain an
optimal relationship with each other and are willing to invest time on this purpose.
We have now given an overview of a number of different conflict management styles.
There are two passive styles—avoidance and conformity—and three active styles—
negotiation, fighting and cooperation. Many people usually approach conflicts in the
same way based on their personal style and often they are not conscious of what this style
is. However, it is often more effective to make a conscious decision about one of these
styles depending on the situation and question concerned. One then consciously chooses
a strategy to manage the conflict adequately.