Negotiation is a normal activity in life. People negotiate every day for peace and smooth operations of relationships and business. Also, where there are two or more people, conflict becomes inevitable. The possibility for conflict rest on differences in interests. Whenever desires are threatened, or unmet conflict is likely to arise. Emotional management by negotiators is vital in conflicts resolutions. Negotiation is a critical conflict resolution principle. In this paper, two peer-reviewed journal articles are used to explore how knowledge of negotiation tactics can effectively be used in conflict resolution. Those who engage in negotiations require specific competencies and tactics. A skilled negotiator must be knowledgeable about the structure and dynamics of the human agency. Thus, effective conflict resolution entails negotiation tactics developed through training and development.
Many people perceive conflict as constructive for relationships. Practically, people engage in relationships continually. Relationships exist at business, family, community, national, and international levels. Conflicts are the results of underlying issues and desires that different parties in a relationship feel are in disharmony, and unaddressed. A good negotiator needs to have grounded knowledge in the specific area and the tactics that are necessary for achieving the goals of those in conflict. This knowledge has the potential of providing positive outcomes. Therefore, the positive outcome of a negotiation means that it brought out what can improve a relationship.
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Emotion-based tactics are an area that negotiators need in achieving successful negotiations. Often, in a conflict situation, emotions are sustained, and people present their interests in an emotionally-dependent pattern. In such a case, it is the knowledge of the negotiator that will help the conflicting parties resolve the issues. It offers an advantage with more sensitivity to emotional cues that connects people in a conflict. Emotional intelligence, as a negotiation component, acts as a catalyst for the implementation of emotion-related tactics (Fulmer & Barry, 2004). Often conflicts involve emotions, and emotions have effects on decision making. An emotionally intelligent negotiator will reduce and manage the adverse effects of decisions that may be emotion-related. Also, contextual factors that restrain conflict resolution will be captured quickly by a more expert negotiator. The information gathering ability is also associated with emotional tactics because a negotiator can use the emotion to access the details in a conflict.
Organizationally, managers need negotiation tactics because of the inevitability of conflict and bargaining. According to Shargh, Soufi, and Dadashi (2013), “Managers must have information and knowledge about how to deal with conflict” (p.538). Among other managerial skills, conflict resolution is one of the most important. Diversity is common in the workplace. Managers need to have the ability to analyze a given conflict situation and provide solutions based on their negotiation tactics. The purpose of resolving a conflict is reaching a joint decision-making agreement. There are different types of conflicts, and they require different strategies. Shargh, Soufi, and Dadashi (2013) highlight managerial negotiation issues in the area of "understanding common obstacles in negotiation, communication difficulties in negotiation and discussion, and the ethical aspects of discussion” (p.542). This statement further shows that knowledge is essential in conflict resolution.
Knowledge is related to intelligence. The intelligence level of a negotiator is likely to have a high-performance outcome in a given negotiation. In a conflict situation, someone who has a proper understanding of the situational dynamics will better resolve the conflict than someone with little knowledge on the area of conflict. There are reasons why people will select someone or a group in a negotiation setting. One of the reasons is the individual’s perceived intelligence. Fulmer and Barry (2004) note that "organizations and constituencies often have discretion to choose whom they want to represent them at the negotiating table” (p.246). This practice is because the selecting personnel has the understanding that the person they are choosing has the requisite intelligence to meet their bargaining expectations. Likewise, in a conflict, the negotiator needs tactics and skills to bring dissenting subjects into an agreeable position.
Solving problems is part of the general cognitive ability, and conflict resolution is an essential aspect of problem-solving. Knowledge of negotiation tactics involves cognitive skills because people will be able to figure out the causes of conflict and the dynamics including the interests of different parties in the conflicting situation (Thompson & Hastie, 1990). This knowledge is helpful in getting amicable resolution in a negotiation environment. Therefore, negotiation knowledge and higher cognitive ability correlate with the quick appraisal of the underlying cause of a conflict and the pathway for a resolution.
Conclusion
Negotiations and conflicts are normal occurrences in life. Where two or more people come together in a relationship conflict is inevitable. Negotiation involves differences in desires and emotions play a role. It is an aspect of conflict resolution. Those who engage in negotiations require specific competencies and tactics. A skilled negotiator must be knowledgeable about the structure and dynamics of human agency. Thus, effective conflict resolution entails negotiation tactics developed through training and development. Intelligence is a component of knowledge. People with high cognitive ability and emotional intelligence concerning negotiation have a higher capacity to resolve conflict efficiently.
References
Fulmer, I.S., & Barry, B. (2004). The smart negotiator: Cognitive ability and emotional intelligence in Negotiation, International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 15 Issue: 3, pp.245-272, https://doi.org/10.1108/eb022914 .
Thompson, L., & Hastie, R. (1990). Social perception in negotiation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 47 , 98-123.
Shargh, F. S., Soufi, M., & Dadashi, M. A. (2013). Conflict Management and Negotiation. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, Vol, 5 (5): 538-543.
