WEEK THREE DISUCSSION
Please respond to two (2) of the following items.
The choices are up to you! There are no “right” or “wrong” answers, per se. It is important, however, that you make at least one reference to your assigned reading for
this week and/or slide show lecture.
In addition to your posting, you must also respond to two (2) other students’ postings. It is important that all of your work is posted in clear and thoughtful ways
with concern for respect, spelling, and grammar along with content and timeliness.
(Please Note: Although you are only required to post your answers to two of the following questions, along with your responses to two students’ responses, being
familiar with assigned class textbook readings, slides, and handouts, as well as being prepared to where you can answer all of the below-listed questions, will help
prepare you for the final exam.)
The list of items to choose from is as follows:
The author of our text purports that the key to producing better outcomes in public disputes is to seek consensus. Do you agree or disagree and why?
According to the author the labor management scene is often contentious. Why do you suppose this is and what can be done to reduce the contentiousness?
Describe your understanding of the concept of mutual gain and suggestions on how one might go about achieving it in a highly contentious labor management environment?
Two classmate answer:
1.
The author of our text purports that the key to producing better outcomes in public disputes is to seek consensus. Do you agree or disagree and why?
When it comes to consensus I truly agree that it produces better outcomes in public disputes. Consensus is usually a general agreement among a group of people.
“Consensus means that everybody in a group is able fundamentally to live with and support actively the decision” Hall, L. (1993). Consensus work well in decisions
making because it give everyone the opportunity to share thoughts, opinions, and ideas. When organization use consensus when making decision, it has a win- win
outcomes. In order to have a successfully outcome, the consensus should include negotiation, mediation, facilitation, and collaborative problem solving.
According to the author the labor management scene is often contentious. Why do you suppose this is and what can be done to reduce the contentiousness?
When it comes to the management scene, they usually have their own idea or suggestion on how to deal with decision making. In some cases they can have different
department or people in charge of the decision making. In order to become successfully and reduce the contentiousness, companies should try and involve everyone ideas
by negotiating.
Reference
Hall, L. (1993). Negotiation: Strategies for mutual gain. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publicat
2.
The author of our text purports that the key to producing better outcomes in public disputes is to seek consensus. Do you agree or disagree and why?
Consensus building in conflict resolution
Consensus building is a conflict-resolution process that is used to find resolutions to complex disputes involving several parties. Hence, Hall (1993) correctly
observes that the key to producing positive outcomes in public disputes is to seek consensus. The building of consensus has, in the last few decades, been used in
solving public policy and environmental issues in many countries (Hall, 1993). The consensus building process has been adopted in many conflicts or public because it
allows the various stakeholders or parties with vested interests in the problem to work together in developing a mutually acceptable resolution. The consensus arrived
at should meet the relevant interests of all the parties in the dispute because they arrive at a unanimous agreement (Hall, 1993). Although some parties may not attain
everything they wanted, consensus will be reached when all the parties agree to accept whatever is agreed on after all efforts have been made to satisfy the interests
of the various parties to the dispute or conflict.
According to the author the labor management scene is often contentious. Why do you suppose this is and what can be done to reduce the contentiousness?
The reasons why labor management is always contentious
According to Hall (1993), the labor management is viewed by many people as contentious because many labor unions are adversarial while the employers always seek to
exploit the workers. Most of the contentious issues relate to salary disputes; often when unions seek better wages for the workers. The other contentious issues are
disagreements over benefits such as healthcare and job security (Hall, 1993). The employers may also demand more employee productivity. Contentious labor disputes may
also arise from stalled negotiations as well as strike threats by the workers through their unions. Often, each side of the dispute may take hard-line positions making
the dispute contentious and adversarial.
Although conflicts and disputes are inevitable in the workplace, especially in regard to wages and benefits, such contentious disagreements can be stopped
from escalating into acrimonious disputes through the creation of dispute systems which encourage employers and the workers to prevent conflict and disputes from
escalating through consensus-based initiatives while providing conciliation and arbitration when both parties fail to prevent their differences from getting out of
hand and ends up in courts (Hall, 1993). Effective dispute management reduces the cost and time that relate to disputes for both parties.
reference:
Hall, L., (1993). Negotiation: Strategies for mutual gain. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publishers.
Negotiations Proceedings Paper
See the below-listed Projects/Assignments Requirements and Evaluation Criteria Instructions for the Negotiation Proceedings Applied Thought Paper Preparing your paper
requires careful thought. The following section outlines steps necessary in constructing an acceptable negotiation proceedings paper.
Getting Organized
1. The first step in preparing your paper involves deciding on a conflict or negotiation scenario (true or fiction) that you would like to be able to examine and
effectively resolve.
2. Write a description of your selected scenario clearly providing context of the situation:
• Who are the involved parties and what is your role? (e.g., are you taking on the role of a third-party mediator? Are you negotiating with another person on
your own behalf?, etc.)
• What is the conflict or negotiation about?
• When and where did the situation occur?
• Expound upon the process and skills you will use to effectively achieve resolution.
• Specify the actual or projected results/outcome of your mediation/negotiation efforts.
The paper should concisely, yet clearly contain the information outlined above. It should be written in APA format with a Title Page and Abstract, with at least 2
sources other than the text to support your position. It should be a minimum of four (4) pages (typewritten 12 pt. font, doubled spaced, 1 inch margins). There should
be a bibliography for all sources cited. Mechanics of paper will be evaluated based on grammatical correctness, including punctuation, spelling, syntax, and style. The
document should be prepared using Word.
Criteria for Grade
Content of paper will be evaluated based on the extent to which there is:
1. Evidence that the above outlined instructions were followed;
2. Evidence of original/analytical thought; and
3. Clarity and a logical flow/presentation of written information.
WEEK FOUR DISCUSSION
Please respond to two (2) of the following items.
The choices are up to you! There are no “right” or “wrong” answers, per se. It is important, however, that you make at least one reference to your assigned reading for
this week and/or slide show lecture. In addition to your posting, you must also respond to two (2) other students’ postings. It is important that all of your work is
posted in clear and thoughtful ways with concern for respect, spelling, and grammar along with content and timeliness.
(Please Note: Although you are only required to post your answers to two of the following questions, along with your responses to two students’ responses, being
familiar with assigned class textbook readings, slides, and handouts, as well as being prepared to where you can answer all of the below-listed questions, will help
prepare you for the final exam.)
The list of items to choose from is as follows:
1. Expound upon the value of having options and choices for seeking resolutions to complaints in the workplace. Share the top three (3) options you think are most
critical for an employer to provide, and why?
2. What characteristics and skill set(s) do you believe are most important for complaint handlers to have, and why?
3. What are some of your “hot buttons” and what can you do to most effectively manage them? How might others assist you in this process?
4. Provide an example of two (2) dynamics discussed in Chapter 9 that are likely to lead to increased conflict? If these dynamics occur, what can a third-party
intervener do to help make dynamics more conducive for resolution?
5. From culture to culture, and family to family, gender roles vary. How might this statement be congruent or incongruent with absolute statements presented in
chapter 10 on “Her Place at the Table: Gender and Negotiations”
TWO CLASSMATE ANSWERS
1. Ana Bela De Fatima Domingos
1- Expound upon the value of having options and choices for seeking resolutions to complaints in the workplace. Share the top three (3) options you think are
most critical for an employer to provide, and why?
2- What characteristics and skill set(s) do you believe are most important for complaint handlers to have, and why?
Options on Resolutions to Complaints in the Workplace
It is important to have several options in handling complaints in the workplace because complaints are likely to be of different nature. One way of handling complaints
is to develop a complaint procedure that can use Alternative Dispute Resolution as a best practice (Hall, 1993). The ADR offers means of handling complaint at any
stage. Other options are to appoint an investigator, and or a representative. These options help the employer to maintain fairness in addressing the complaints (Hall,
1993).
I believe that the characteristics of a good complaint handler or manager are being able to empathize with the employees, a good listener, decisive and can quickly
identify the problem and reach a solution (Hall, 1993). The complaint handler should have the capacity to communicate effectively and maintain professionalism in
handling the complaints. These characteristics are essential in dealing with complaints so as to avoid negative outcomes and being accused of bias.
Reference
Hall, L., (1993). Negotiation: Strategies for mutual gain. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publishers.
2.Jessica Field
1. Expound upon the value of having options and choices for seeking resolutions to complaints in the workplace. Share the top three (3) options you think are most
critical for an employer to provide, and why?
Most complainants are only aware or use one or two way of complaint resolution. Given more options, it could be both advantageous for the complainant and the complaint
handler (ie. Supervisor, parent, etc). In this context, it is specific to the work environment. The complainant (employee) will be more apt to come forward with
his/her complaint in a timely fashion if he/she believes there are options for resolution. Also, if the resolve he/she chooses ends up backfiring on them, it may
provide some legal protection for the complaint handler (employer/supervisor) if they had provided more appropriate options even though the complainant did not take it
(Hall, 1993).
All of the mentioned choices are detrimental to an effective complaint system,but the three options I think are most critical for an employer to provide are: (1)
Complaint handlers should listen and offer respect [to the complainant], (2) There should be a fair, prompt and thorough investigation of complaints when appropriate,
and (3) There should be effective provision for feedback and system change.
3. What are some of your “hot buttons” and what can you do to most effectively manage them? How might others assist you in this process?
“Hot buttons” as related to conflict are “the emotional responses set off by the words or actions of others during difficult conversations” (The Monadnock Ledger-
Transcript). They are triggers set off by something you perceive as a threat, usually to one’s character or worth. I have a few different hot buttons that come to
mind; some in a personal setting and some related to my work environment. When it comes to relationships, I pride myself on being committed and wearing my heart on my
sleeve. If I am in a heated argument or even a less heated discussion, I take offense to any criticism about my efforts in a relationship. It also stems from past
experiences of being burned when I gave my all and the sentiment was not returned.
In a professional environment, though I have never been called lazy, I know I would take offense to it and it would be a “hot button” for me because I know how much
time, effort and discipline it took me to get where I am. This would be a direct jab at my character and a trigger for that emotional response to protect my self-
worth.
A productive way for others to help with your triggers is to know you well enough to understand what sets you off and know how to speak with you to get there point
across without escalating the conflict and rather expressing there feelings with the ability to have you stay open to the negotiations of the argument and not shut
down.
