Nature of Conflict and the Negotiation Process

Assignment Brief

Nature Of Conflict

In a 5-6 page paper, reflect on the nature of conflict and the negotiation process. Power struggles often end up as negotiation and bargaining scenarios. One place to trace historic negotiations between management and labor is the National Labor Relations Board website (see https://www.nlrb.gov). Go to the website and link to Cases found next to the News menu. Choose a famous case decision of interest to you, summarize the conflict, describe the negotiation issues, and summarize the eventual outcome of the case. Once you have done this, evaluate the form of conflict present and how the negotiation process helped to resolve the conflict.

Sample Answer

Reflection on the Nature of Conflict and the Negotiation Process

Introduction

Conflict is an inherent aspect of organisational and social life, arising when individuals or groups have opposing interests, values, or goals. In business contexts, conflicts often emerge between management and labour, particularly over wages, working conditions, and organisational policies. Effective negotiation and bargaining processes are critical in resolving such disputes, ensuring fair outcomes and maintaining functional relationships. This paper reflects on the nature of conflict and the negotiation process by analysing a historic labour case from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Case Selection and Summary

The case selected is the 2020 Amazon Warehouse Unionisation Dispute (NLRB Case Number 14-RC-259684). This high-profile case involved efforts by warehouse employees in Bessemer, Alabama, to unionise, representing a significant challenge to management’s control over workplace conditions. The conflict arose when employees claimed insufficient breaks, demanding higher wages and improved working conditions, while management resisted unionisation to maintain operational flexibility.

Negotiation issues included the right to collective bargaining, workplace safety standards, employee scheduling, and mechanisms for wage increases. Management implemented various strategies to influence the outcome, including informational meetings and communications discouraging union support, while employees sought legal recognition of their union and engagement in collective bargaining.

The eventual outcome saw the unionisation vote initially fail, but the case prompted national attention, NLRB scrutiny, and ongoing dialogue about workers’ rights in e-commerce warehouses. Although the immediate unionisation effort did not succeed, the conflict highlighted systemic issues and established precedents for future negotiations.

Analysis of Conflict Type

This case exemplifies intergroup conflict, where two organisational groups, the employees and management, had opposing objectives. The conflict also had a structural dimension, as it involved differing positions regarding union representation and governance processes. Elements of distributive conflict were evident, particularly over wages and benefits, as both parties aimed to maximise their share of limited organisational resources.

Additionally, there were relationship-based tensions, with mistrust between management and employees influencing communications and negotiation strategies. The conflict was multi-layered, combining interest-based, structural, and interpersonal dimensions, demonstrating the complexity of labour-management disputes in modern organisations.

Continued...