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10: Conflict and Negotiations

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    34449
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts

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    • 10.1: Negotiation Failure: The Case of the PointCast
      This page discusses the rise and fall of PointCast Network Inc., which became notable for its push technology in 1997 but faced a drastic decline after rejecting a lucrative acquisition offer. By 1999, it was sold for a fraction of its previous valuation, highlighting the consequences of ego and pride in negotiations. The page parallels this with Yahoo!’s negotiation failures in 2008, underscoring the importance of organizational behavior in mergers and acquisitions.
    • 10.2: Understanding Conflict
      This page discusses conflict as a disagreement among individuals, categorized into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intergroup types. It highlights that moderate conflict can enhance creativity and teamwork, while excessive conflict can be detrimental. Effective conflict management is crucial for personal and organizational success. The text also distinguishes between process and task conflicts, emphasizing their impact on decision-making.
    • 10.3: Causes and Outcomes of Conflict
      This page discusses causes of workplace conflict, such as organizational structure, resources, and communication problems, highlighting both positive and negative outcomes of conflict. It emphasizes the importance of conflict management to prevent dysfunction, especially in high-risk jobs.
    • 10.4: Conflict Management
      This page outlines the importance of understanding conflict management strategies, emphasizing the need for adaptability based on context. It discusses the balance between beneficial and detrimental conflict, with examples like intellectual theft versus minor disputes. The piece highlights different conflict styles between managers and subordinates and the value of healthy debate in decision-making, illustrating this with Hewlett-Packard's history.
    • 10.5: Negotiations
      This page outlines the negotiation process involving five phases: Investigation, BATNA, Presentation, Bargaining, and Closing. It highlights women's reluctance to negotiate, contributing to wage disparity, and emphasizes effective strategies like research, patience, and collaboration for successful outcomes. Mediation is proposed as a preferred, collaborative dispute resolution method, while arbitration serves as a binding alternative.
    • 10.6: The Role of Ethics and National Culture
      This page highlights the significance of ethics and cultural understanding in negotiations. It warns against hardball tactics that, despite being legal, can harm relationships and reputations. Ethical practices such as honesty and promise-keeping are crucial. The text also points out that cultural differences influence negotiation styles and conflict management, emphasizing the need for relationship-building in some cultures.
    • 10.7: Avoiding Conflict at WorldCom: The Case of Bernard Ebbers
      This page discusses Bernard Ebbers, former CEO of WorldCom, who is labeled as a conflict avoider leading the company into a significant accounting fraud scandal. His aversion to confronting issues fostered a toxic culture of dishonesty. Despite rapid expansion, Ebbers ignored long-term strategies, resulting in substantial debt and deceit. Following his 2002 resignation and subsequent investigation, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
    • 10.8: Conclusion
      This page discusses conflict as a spectrum from minor disagreements to severe violence, highlighting its potential to either foster creativity or disrupt progress. Key types of conflict include interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intergroup. Contributing factors include organizational structure, resource scarcity, and personality clashes. It emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all resolution method, and negotiation skills, particularly understanding BATNA, are essential.
    • 10.9: Exercises
      This page discusses an ethical dilemma in negotiations involving the discovery of an opponent's ideal outcomes, raising questions of honesty and fairness. It includes a case study on how silence can benefit negotiations, showcasing a situation where it saved a client money. Additionally, the text features a group exercise on salary negotiations, encouraging participants to consider negotiating for better offers that align with market rates.

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