Reconciliation plays an imperative role in resolving conflicts. First, reconciliation will not only help to uncover hidden issues but also help in striking a fair deal. Although there are different ways of determining the level of fairness, reconciliation will make each stakeholder in the negotiation process choose a favorable position (Saunders et al, 2016). This implies that without reconciliation, it will be difficult for stakeholders to agree with each other and, this is likely to cause conflicts. Secondly, it will help the negotiating stakeholders to reach mutual goals and all parties will be committed to achieving these goals. That is, it will be easier to make resolutions without extending negotiations for a long time (Saunders et al., 2016). This becomes easier when the parties accept to embrace some agreements-in-principle that is simple, therefore, meeting the needs of the stakeholders.
More importantly, reconciliation enables the stakeholders to exercise some kind of compromise especially when some differences exist in the negotiation process. This makes it possible to find a common ground as well as avoiding possible conflicts (Rosoux & Anstey, 2017). For instance, because of reconciliation efforts, stakeholders can openly reveal their resistance points and, at the same time reach mutual agreements. This also makes it possible for these stakeholders to work together in the future because the level of reconciliation in the current deal enhances their goodwill and trust to each other (Saunders et al, 2016). They will not be worried that either of the parties will negotiate in a bad faith. More so, in case a conflict arises in the negotiation process, it will not be hard to develop creative solutions that will foster fairness and extensive discussions about the interests and priorities of each party.
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As noted, during negotiations, stakeholders have different preferences and they desire to secure deals that are positively related to their preferences. This means that they will demonstrate different approaches to conflict resolution too (Saunders et al., 2016). For example, some will prefer a direct approach to solve problems while others prefer a careful computation before making a decision. Therefore, when these stakeholders are involved in negotiations, the possibility of a conflict cannot be overlooked. In this case, reconciliation will come in handy in facilitating give-and-take decisions and mitigate any potential conflicts. This will be possible because the negotiation process will be completed after understanding the issues and priorities of all stakeholders involved (Saunders et al, 2016). Moreover, in some cases, the negotiation process can reach a stalemate because the involved parties are deadlocked. This is a point where relevant stakeholders should decide if to quit or find alternative ways of moving forward.
Any decision that will be made regarding the two options will not be effective without some type of reconciliation and conflict resolution.
For instance, if the parties decide to quit, reconciliation will help to avoid blame games as well as changing attitudes among the stakeholders (Saunders et al., 2016). Similarly, if the stakeholders decide to move on, reconciliation will play a significant role when looking for alternatives and making headway that will avoid deadlocks and pitfalls in the future. The parties involved will also learn how to avoid false assumptions because they can cause serious consequences such as biases and undesirable conflicts. When necessary, it will not be difficult for these stakeholders to keep a few concessions as a way of encouraging the other parties to come to an agreement and demonstrate a sign of goodwill (Saunders et al., 2016). Besides, negotiations will facilitate splitting the differences in the minimal way possible and this is important to solve any conflicts that can jeopardize relationships among stakeholders in the future.
References
Rosoux, V.B., & Anstey, M. (2017). Negotiating reconciliation in peacemaking: Quandaries of
relationship building . Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Saunders, D. M., Minton, J. W., Lewicki, R. J., & Barry, B. (2016). Negotiation: Readings,
Exercises, and Cases . Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
