Conflict Landscape, Workplace Accommodations and Organizational Power

An overview of conflict resolution theories as applied to workplace accommodation requests.

Although we may want to believe it’s not present, power plays an active role in every interaction. Mary Parker Follet, an early conflict resolution academic, reminds us that power is always part of the equation and that there can be various uses of power; dominating, compromising, or integrating. She is one of the first to establish a win-win (integrative) method of negotiation as opposed to the win-lose methods of dominating or compromising uses of power (Follet, 1925).

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Cooperation or Competition

“Scholars like Morton Deutsch furthered her work by determining challenges to mutual negotiation which include bargaining, coordination, and trust. He defined a spectrum of cooperation and competition which characterized these challenges (Deutsch, 1973)."

Scholars like Morton Deutsch furthered her work by determining challenges to mutual negotiation which include bargaining, coordination, and trust. He defined a spectrum of cooperation and competition which characterized these challenges (Deutsch, 1973). Cooperation links to the #integrative method of #negotiating which utilizes open information sharing, higher #trust and coordination, and adaptive techniques to address underlying needs. Often both parties are able to get their needs met. On the other hand, competition links to #distributive negotiation which views resources as fixed and limited, less trust, less coordination and a win-lose outlook. These factors formed what he called a dynamic of cooperation or competition.

Dynamical Theory of Conflict

Dr. Peter Coleman then further developed this work by adding in two more dynamics all of which form the context of a conflict landscape. These include degree of power and degree of dependency. Combined with the dynamic of competition or cooperation these form the Dynamical Theory of Conflict (Mitchinson et al, 2009). This theory emphasizes the context created by the power, dependency, and dynamic. The conflict landscape, as characterized by degree of power, dependency and dynamic, is determined by organizational culture and climate.

Power and Accommodation Requests

“Organizational power greatly impacts disabled employees.”

Organizational power greatly impacts disabled employees. Power can be identified by discerning how much one’s actions impact the other. If my actions impact you greatly but yours don’t have a great impact on me, I have a higher degree of power. In the instance of an accommodation, it is highly needed and greatly felt if not granted. Yet those doing the granting don’t hardly notice if they don’t grant one. In the context of power, a disabled employee requesting an accommodation is in a low power position.

Dependency and Power

When a disabled employee is asking their organization to make a change to their established systems to accommodate them, they are in the midst of a negotiation for something that is non negotiable. An accommodation is truly not negotiable; it is a physical need due to a condition and may be required just as you are required to breathe air. Yet, that person is there negotiating for air, and may very well be denied. This situates them in a higher dependency and lower power position.

Dynamic as Organizational Climate

If the organization is in a highly competitive state due to the type of industry or due to an organizational change such as a merger, the disabled employee will find themself in a precarious position amongst the conflict landscape. The context is characterized by high dependency, low power, in a competitive dynamic.

Strategy

Their tactics of negotiation are limited and to simply appease or use conflict avoidance may prove detrimental to their health. Given what they have to lose - healthcare, salary, connection with society - and their physical need, many disabled employees feel intense emotions including vulnerability, anxiety or fear around requesting accommodations.

Leadership

It is important for organizational leaders to understand the Dynamical Theory of Conflict which can be used to paint the conflict landscape. Once the conflict landscape is understood, methods of adaptivity can be applied.

Next, I’ll outline adaptive techniques that disabled employees may consider during an accommodation negotiation.