Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is the process of resolving a dispute or a conflict by meeting at least some of each side’s needs and addressing their interests. Conflict resolution sometimes requires both a power-based and an interest-based approach, such as the simultaneous pursuit of litigation (the use of legal power) and negotiation (attempts to reconcile each party’s interests). There are a number of powerful strategies for conflict resolution.

Knowing how to manage and resolve conflict is essential for having a productive work life, and it is important for community and family life as well. Dispute resolution, to use another common term, is a relatively new field, emerging after World War II. Scholars from the Program on Negotiation were leaders in establishing the field.

Strategies include maintaining open lines of communication, asking other parties to mediate, and keeping sight of your underlying interests. In addition, negotiators can try to resolve conflict by creating value out of conflict, in which you try to capitalize on shared interests; explore differences in preferences, priorities, and resources; capitalize on differences in forecasts and risk preferences; and address potential implementation problems up front.

These skills are useful in crisis negotiation situations and in handling cultural differences in negotiations, and can be invaluable when dealing with difficult people, helping you to “build a golden bridge” and listen to learn, in which you acknowledge the other person’s points before asking him or her to acknowledge yours.

Articles offer numerous examples of dispute resolution and explore various aspects of it, including international dispute resolution, how it can be useful in your personal life, skills needed to achieve it, and training that hones those skills.

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Negotiation Research You Can Use: To move forward, acknowledge past wrongs

PON Staff   •  06/09/2015   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

What lies at the root of long-standing conflicts? Often, both sides feel compelled to continue punishing the other side out of a sense that they have been wronged. Each party’s desire to show that he or she has endured greater suffering than the other can lead to competitive victimhood—a win-lose mind-set in which each side … Learn More About This Program

What Does Conflict Management Mean in Business Negotiations with Competitors?

Katie Shonk   •  03/30/2015   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

They say it pays to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but in business negotiation, keeping your enemies—or competitors—close could end you up in court, as Apple’s recent encounter with the U.S. Department of Justice suggests.

The story begins back in 2007 when, unhappy with Amazon’s low, flat price of $9.99 for e-books, five … Learn More About This Program

In “Chinatown” Conflict Resolution, the Dust Clears

Katie Shonk   •  02/10/2015   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

Using conflict resolution techniques, the city of Los Angeles recently achieved an impressive victory by ending a 100-year battle with California’s Owens Valley over water rights and air pollution.

The dispute dates back to the early 1900s, when agents working for the city of Los Angeles, posing as farmers and ranchers, bought up most of the … Learn More About This Program

For Conflict Resolution in Asia, A Simple Handshake Could Go Far

Katie Shonk   •  02/07/2015   •  Filed in Conflict Resolution

When disputes arise between international negotiators, sometimes a simple gesture of reciprocity can turn a boiling conflict into an amicable resolution. In this article the Program on Negotiation explores how a “simple handshake” between the leaders of Japan and the People’s Republic of China helped ease long-held tensions between the two countries. … Learn More About This Program

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