Negotiations Skills for Business Professionals

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Negotiations Skills for Business Professionals Issue one: Employee Based From the case study, the conflict at hand shows that the main characters have adopted various conflict management styles, which have the prevalence of the problem. The following the identified conflict styles among key stakeholders: Competing Style Ethan and Ena have adopted a competing conflict style characterized by their uncooperative and assertive nature in how they relate to each other. Each party is determined to pursue his or her own goals, leaving little room for cooperation and resolving the differences between them (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). The conflict between Ethan and Ema will continue as long as they fail to end the competition and strike a compromising position. The competing style is cemented by the unending disagreement between the two, which has reached a boiling point.

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Disadvantages The style they have adopted to deal with their conflict is costly to the organization because it has created stress and confusion among employees. Competition style escalates conflicts because parties treat each other as rivals, limiting the space for listening and discussing issues affecting those (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). The couple has endured the conflict for a long time because they chose to compete against each other instead of collaborating to find a solution to issues affecting them.

Avoiding Style The co-workers have chosen to avoid the conflict by staying away from the differences between Ethan and Ena. Generally, people who avoid conflict are likely to be unassertive on issues at hand (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). The case study shows that the co-workers do not want to take a clear position on the issues out of fear of victimization. They are also uncooperative when diplomatically circumnavigating a contentious issue or sometimes totally withdrawing.

The avoiding approach hindered co-workers' capacity to contribute to resolving the conflict.

Disadvantage The disadvantage of avoiding style is that it leads to postponement of a possible solution to the problem. Talking about an issue is the first step towards finding a solution. In the case at hand, employees’ failure to speak out has contributed to Ethan and Ena's failure to understand the effect of their conflict on the organization's overall performance. Avoiding styles of conflict management also create room for the possible misperception of the conflict (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). When people cannot openly talk about an issue affecting them, they will hardly know the underlying issues, which leaves them with speculations of what would be happening and what may happen next.

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Collaboration Style Karen chose a collaborative approach to the conflict after the RS team got involved in efforts to solve the conflict. She cooperated with the team by opening up and sharing information on what she thinks is ailing employees in relation to the conflict between Ethan and Ena. Collaborator is also reducing escalation of the conflict by creating an environment of reflective thinking about issues at hand (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). Consequently, it takes a collective approach to the conflict rather than an individualistic approach.

Advantages The collaboration approach allows people to strike a "win-win" situation in conflict resolution. The approach encourages working with others to solve that take into account the interests of everyone. The style is also useful in minimizing negative feelings. For example, Karen helped the RS team learn more about the plight of employees, which is likely to help the team understand the issues involved and assist the management in learning about the adverse effect of the conflict it has on employees (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). The collaborative style also offers rational solutions to a conflict because of the expansive space of cooperation it creates between players.

Nevertheless, this approach is not useful where parties cannot talk to each other. A collaborative approach requires some level of goodwill between stakeholders to make it effective (Al-Hamdan et al., 2011). Moreover, the style fits in a situation that favors win-win outcomes, hence limited in scope.

Employee Related Issues The employee’s problem at the Java Jump includes workplace culture, climate, and behaviors. The culture of cooperation has been affected by differences between Ethan and Ena.

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Employees no longer take it a tradition to speak to each other well and share feedbacks on workrelated issues. Workplace culture is a product of many factors, including employees’ behavior (Chesebro, 2014). In this respect, the breakdown in employee collaboration and teamwork has created a negative culture at Java Jump to the detriment of their performance.

Low morale is another issue that employees are suffering from because of the crisis. The low performance should be because of a declining lack of interest in their work and frustrations created by the conflict. Demoralized employees do not take their duties with the seriousness they deserve (Chesebro, 2014). Instead, they are distracted by problems the organization is experiencing. On the other hand, the behavioral problem includes how the employees relate with each other. The conflict between Ethan and Ena has affected employees’ communication and cooperation. They no longer share much information, hindering the performance of their duties.

The general workplace climate is unpredictable, frosty, and ridden with confusion. The employee does not know if the organization will survive feuds between Ethan and Ena. Moreover, they are sacred about being forced to take sides in the ensuing conflict between the top management. Chesebro (2014) observes that when the workplace climate is stressful, it impacts employees’ ability to perform their roles well.

Communication challenge is also an issue that affects employees at the Java Jump. Since the start of the conflict between Ethan and Ena, employees have experienced an increasing breakdown of communication between them to the detriment of their performance. Employees no longer feel comfortable sharing information among them (Chesebro, 2014). Furthermore, employees lack a proper channel to air their views on the conflict between Ethan and Ena, which would have helped the organization find a lasting solution to the root cause of conflicts experienced.

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Recommendations Although Karen opened the discussion about Ethan and Ena’s relationship, there is still a lot of work to be done at java jump to address the problem. The following are some of the actions or measures that can be taken: The organization should consider establishing a safe communication and feedback system that allows the employee to air their views and receive feedback without their identities being revealed to protect them from possible victimization.

Employees should be encouraged to speak about issues affecting their performance.

Speaking out will help the organization, especially the management that appreciate the degree of effect the conflict has on employees and the operability of the firm.

Employees should be open about how the conflict between Ethan and Ena has affected their performance and how they would like to see the conflict resolved to save the organization from more troubles. In addition, employees should talk about their desire to have personal issues between Ethan and Ena separated from the running of the institution for better management to be attained.

Java Jump employees should revert to health communication between them for their own benefit as well as the organization. Employees ought to understand that poor communication affects their work, increases stress, and contributes to the firm's failure, putting their job security at risk (Chesebro, 2014). Giving feedbacks is advisable to enable co-workers to perform their roles, which there is a breakdown in processing customer's orders. Proper communication also promotes healthy interpersonal relations.

To de-escalate the conflict, Ethan and Ena should be encouraged to cease showing their differences at the workplace. They should be as professional as they can at the workplace to

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avoid sending the wrong message to employees and customers. Amity between the two is strong enough to diffuse the crisis and reassure employees of stability. The escalation of a conflict entails parties ceasing any action or behavior that can continue the crisis (ihollaback.org, 2021).

In this respect, Ethan and Ena ought to stop open antagonism.

An employee can be encouraged to improve communication between them to promote the feedback process. The underperformance of the organization is partly linked to poor communication between employees, which can be improved without solving the crisis in Ethan and Ena's relationship. According to Chesebro (2014), miscommunication among employees creates room for misunderstanding, conflicts, and underperformance of employees.

Consequently, employees should communicate with each other professionally to support the delivery of feedback and processing.

Third issue The conflicting sides and stakeholders in the Java Jump conflict are as follows: Ethan and Ena Ethan and Ena are the main cause of the conflict at Java Jump, making them key parties to it. Their action to resolve the issue would have a larger impact than any other party involved.

Hence, it is important to understand issues between them and how they can be resolved (Barsky, 2016). In addition, the two have personal differences that have not been resolved for long, creating a ripple effect in the organization.

Ethan and Ena versus Employees Employees are conflicted with the differences between Ethan and Ena. The frosty relationship between the two puts them in a situation where they have to choose sides against their wishes. Employee wants to maintain a cordial relationship with Ethan and Ena. However,

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the conflict between the two leaders makes it hard for them to attain this out of fear that one cannot be a friend of both. The employee also has issues about the security of their employment because of the weakened position of Java Jump. The fight between Ethan and Ena is the root cause of the dwindling fortunes of Java Jump. Conflicts that lead to the collapse of organizations threaten a loss of jobs to employees (Barsky, 2016). Consequently, employees have interests in the conflict by virtue of its threat to ending their employment.

Clients Clients of Java Jump are parties to the conflict because it affects services delivered to them by the firm. The conflict has affected their services due to demoralized employees and communication challenges (Barsky, 2016). Customers have shared their concerns with employees, noting they have realized changes in how the organization is run. Resolving the conflict would improve the services offered to clients. However, customers are not key parties in the conflict.

The third side role should RS consultants to de-escalate conflict The first duty of RS consultants in managing the conflict is to listen to all parties to understand the degree of the problem and its complexity. Conflict resolution starts with fathoming issues at hand, who is involved, and the weight of each issue (Barsky, 2016).

Listening will help determine if there are misunderstandings and if there is the possibility of resolving the conflicts. It also helps to determine which approach or conflict resolution techniques can be applied.

RS Consultants also serve as the bridge between parties to the conflict. Ethan and Ena need someone who can help them establish constructive communication between them to enable them to start the journey to resolving their conflict. According to Barsky (2016), resolving

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conflicts between parties who cannot talk to each other requires bridging-building to bring them together for talks. Bridge-building starts with shuttle diplomacy.

Moreover, the RS consultant should play the role of the mediator between parties to the conflict. Miall et al. (2011) established that mediators have a role in ensuring that the parties sit down at a round table to discuss and resolve issues between them. In addition, they must facilitate communication and guide parties to find solutions to achieve this. For example, Ethan and Ema needed mediation to talk to each other about their conflict and possibly find a solution.

Consultants can also mediate between the management and workers, especially given that employees fear talking about the conflict between Ethan and Ena, regardless of the adverse effect on their workplace welfare.

The RS consultants should consider counseling Ethan and Ena on how to manage their personal differences away from the workplace. The counseling should include highlighting and explaining the effects of their conflict on the functioning of Java Jump, focusing on employee performance. In addition, the consultant should guide them through various options that can take to maintain a healthy working relationship and why this is important to protect the organization from collapsing. Moreover, the consultants should help the couple understand the cost of the collapse to them and their employees. By helping them comprehend the cost of their differences, consultants would help the warring parties acknowledge the need to resolve the conflict between them or at least manage it to benefit their joint interest in Java Jump.

Measures First, I would seek more information from all sides involved to understand their perception of the conflict. To achieve this, I will create rapport will all members, defining my

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role as a mediator who is only interested in the best outcome for the organization and its members.

After gathering information, I would organize a meeting with Ethan and Ena to discuss the conflict and help them know its effects on Java Jump, emphasizing the need to resolve it in the best interest of the organization and their welfare. I would also encourage them to restrict their differences to outside the workplace and make a joint effort to reassure the organization that all is well.

Moreover, I would help Ethan and Ena to understand that they need each other to successfully run Java and Jump, hence the pressure to cooperate in running the organization regardless of private issues between them.

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References Al-Hamdan, Z., Shukri, R., & Anthony, D. (2011). Conflict management styles used by nurse managers in the Sultanate of Oman. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 20(3-4), 571-580. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03557.x.

Barsky, A.E. (2016). Conflict resolution for the helping professions: Negotiation, mediation, advocacy, facilitation, and restorative justice. Oxford University Press.

Chesebro, J. L. (2014). Professional communication at work: Interpersonal communication for a better workplace. Routledge. ihollaback.org. (2021). Conflict De-Escalation: A how-to guide | Hollaback! Together We Have the Power to End Harassment. Hollaback! Together We Have the Power to End Harassment. https://www.ihollaback.org/conflict-de-escalation-a-how-to-guide/.

Miall, H., Ramsbotham, O., & Woodhouse, T. (2011). Contemporary conflict resolution.

Cambridge: Polity.

Muema, T. (2012). Effects of poor communication in an organization: Case of Kenya Seed Company. München GRIN Verlag GmbH.