Conflict, Negotiation, and Group Behavior Essay

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Updated: Feb 21st, 2024

Introduction

It could hardly be doubted that conflicts are an integral part of the interaction among individuals. The disputes may arise on different levels, including personal, social, and political ones, and they also could derive from various reasons. The nature of conflicts appears to be deeply connected with the primary characteristic of any individual, free will. People have intentions, needs, and desires, which do not necessarily comply with other people’s will. Therefore, conflicts can be caused by differences in religious and moral views, economic needs, etc. However, in the course of human history, people have invented various ways to deal with situations of controversy, which are generally referred to as negotiation techniques. Bargaining scenarios appear to be the most beneficial means of mutually respective and efficient solutions to conflicts. The purpose of this paper is to study a case in which negotiation and bargaining are involved to understand how to deal with conflicting opinions. References to scholarly literature will be provided to give the paper more depth.

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Summary of the Case under Discussion

National Labor Relations Board is one of the most important organizations that deal with various conflicts between management and labor. One of the organizational website’s pages is entitled “Notable Board Decisions” (2018), and it gives information about the cases that are considered to be highly important by the Board. After the research, “Olean General Hospital and New York State Nurses Association” (2015), which includes cases 03–CA–097918, 03–CA– 104444, and 03–CA–104462, was chosen for the analysis. The case could be summarized in the following way. Olean General Hospital (which is later be referred to as Respondent) declined any bargaining with the New York State Nurses Association (referred to as Union) on the question of implementing the training program for nursing students that employed unit nurses as trainers (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). Another aspect of the conflict is that the Respondent has provided the Union with insufficient information “about the training program and a patient care survey conducted by an outside agency” (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015, p. 1). Therefore, the conflict of interests appears to be evident.

Negotiation Issues Involved in the Case

Further, it is essential to overview the negotiation issues that were involved in the case. It is evident that failed negotiations were the initial stage of the conflict between the Respondent and the Union. Primarily, the dispute began when the Respondent decided to choose nurses for the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) program without negotiating with the Union (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). It is also mentioned that the Respondent had not been bargaining with the New York State Nurses Association about other similar cases when the hospital provided educational services to students (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). Also, the fact that the Respondent did not provide the Union with the full information about the DEU program could also be considered as an unlawful action since the Union could not obtain sufficient information about the program to understand its advantages and disadvantages (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). Another fact that should be mentioned is that the Respondent was continuously rejecting the necessity of the bargaining, stating that “it had no duty to respond to the information requests” (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015, p. 5). Thus, it is evident that the problem of negotiation is the most important aspect of the case.

The Eventual Outcome of the Case

After the considerably long process, which included data gathering and working with both Respondent and Union’s sides, the Board eventually decide to implement several legal actions as a response to the Respondent’s unlawful labor practices. First of all, it was stated that the Respondent violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the Act because it did not provide the Union with the opportunity to bargain over an important decision (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). Thus, the Board ordered the Respondent to “rescind the unilaterally implemented DEU program” and to proceed to further negotiations with the Union over any aspects of the program (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015, p. 8). Additionally, as the hospital did not provide nurses with sufficient information about the program, the Border ordered to furnish the Union with this information in accordance with Section 8(a)(5) and (1) (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). Finally, the Board ordered that the Respondent should furnish the Union with the requested Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) survey and list of deficiencies. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that case’s eventual outcome was fully favorable for the Union.

Evaluation of the Conflict’s Form

Considering the form of the conflict, which is presented in this case, it could be stated with certainty that the example under discussion represents a certain type of intergroup conflict. Two distinct groups of people working in the same area were involved in this situation: the management staff of the Olean General Hospital and the nursing staff of the hospital, whose interests were represented by the New York State Nurses Association (“Olean General Hospital,” 2015). It could be suggested that the conflict had resulted from the conflicting interests of the identified groups. The Respondent was aiming to increase its profits by providing educational services to nursing students while the Union was in the position when justified negotiation over this question was not provided by the hospital. Overall, it is possible to state that the conflicts of this type indicate that there is a significant issue in the structure of the organization within which the conflict arises.

The Contribution of Negotiation Process to the Solution of the Conflict

It is apparent that the negotiation is largely involved in the process of solving the problem under discussion. First of all, as it was previously identified, the lack of bargaining power provided for the nursing staff of the hospital was the initial starting point of the conflict. Further, as the situation progressed, the negotiation process has shifted its focus from actual bargaining on the implementation of the DEU program (that should have been the only negotiation involved if the Respondent was consistent with its labors practices) to the attempts to prove the Union’s rights to bargain on this decision. Throughout the case, the National Labor Relations Board had been the mediator between the two sides. It is possible to suggest that the Board was also involved in the process of negotiation since its essential purpose was to identify which party was responsible for the negative outcomes of the situation. Overall, negotiation between the two sides had finally happened after the Board’s decision on the case, and thus it could be concluded that it was an integral part of all stages of the case.

Evidence from Scholarly Literature

In addition to the analysis of the case, it is also essential to refer to evidence from the scholarly literature on the topic in order to provide other perspectives on the question. In the book by Lewin and Gollan (2011), it is mentioned that a national commission was established to sustain the employer-employee negotiation process. Thus, the immense importance of this process is apparent. The article by Livingston (2014) focuses on bargaining in the context of spousal and family relations regarding their influence on the working process. The study by Kong, Dirks, and Ferrin (2014) investigates the importance of the concept of trust in the process of negotiations, which was certainly missing in the case that was discussed previously. It could be suggested that if the hospital’s management and the Union had trusting and respectful relationships, the situation could be different. Osma, Mora, and Sabater (2015) did the research on the topic of strategic accounting choice in the process of labor negotiations. Therefore, it should be stated that the literature on the topic is consistent and explores various important concepts.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, it is essential to summarize the principal findings of this paper. The initial purpose was to investigate the case and understand the role of the proper negotiation process in workplaces. The case under consideration represented the conflict between the managing staff of the hospital and its nursing staff, who were not provided with the opportunity to bargain on the implementation of the training program. As a result, the nurses have been eventually furnished with the required information and the bargaining opportunity. Also, the paper referenced the scholarly literature on the topic to exemplify the immense importance of the topic under discussion. Overall, the significance of negotiation in resolving conflicts could not be overlooked.

References

Kong, D. T., Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2014). Interpersonal trust within negotiations: Meta-analytic evidence, critical contingencies, and directions for future research. Academy of Management Journal, 57(5), 1235-1255.

Lewin, D., & Gollan, P. J. (Eds.). (2018). Advances in industrial and labor relations, 2017: Shifts in workplace voice, justice, negotiation and conflict resolution in contemporary workplaces. Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing Limited.

Livingston, B. A. (2014). Bargaining behind the scenes: Spousal negotiation, labor, and work-family burnout. Journal of Management, 40(4), 949-977.

Notable board decisions. (2018). Web.

Olean General Hospital and New York State Nurses Association. Cases 03–CA–097918, 03–CA– 104444, and 03–CA–104462. (2018). Web.

Osma, G. B., Mora, A., & Sabater, A. M. (2015). Strategic accounting choice around firm-level labor negotiations. Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, 30(2), 246-277.

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IvyPanda. (2024) 'Conflict, Negotiation, and Group Behavior'. 21 February.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Conflict, Negotiation, and Group Behavior." February 21, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/conflict-negotiation-and-group-behavior/.

1. IvyPanda. "Conflict, Negotiation, and Group Behavior." February 21, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/conflict-negotiation-and-group-behavior/.


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IvyPanda. "Conflict, Negotiation, and Group Behavior." February 21, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/conflict-negotiation-and-group-behavior/.

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