Transcending Dualistic Conflict Resolution

Negotiation as a conflict resolution strategy

Discuss about the Transcending Dualistic in Conflict Resolution.

This report is based on the interview by Jeremy Paxman to Russel Brand a popular comedian. Richard Paxman, the interviewer played a role in asking           Russel questions about his opinion on politics and specifically on his public view about voting as a sign of democracy (BBC Newsnight 2013). Paxman begins by generating a contrasting situation whereby he asks Russel about his personality and his position as a political magazine editor. Russell finds it provocative since he believes that just as any other person, there is no typical criteria to have a say on national politics. The conflicting ideas between the interviewer and the interviewee rises when Russel is asked if he does vote. According to him, voting does not work and is not a logical form of democracy. Russel believes that a working system of governance is that which would take care of the less fortunate in the society and not only focus on the corporate world as the current government does.

Being a comedian, the interviewer perceives that no one will take Russel seriously. However, the interviewer was able to manage the conflicting situation by agreeing with Russel that a number of people would agree with his theory of having an ideal governance system. The dream government system would be that which has massive distribution of wealth and corporates are heavily taxed. For Russel, it is impractical for a small portion of the population to be wealthy while the greater majority are poverty stricken (BBC Newsnight 2013).  stipulates that wherever there is profit, there exists a deficit. After a short friendly engagement, their conversation drives into a conflict when Richard enquires why Russel would not vote but expects people to adhere to his thoughts and opinion.

At some point, Russel felt threatened by the interviewer’s perception of not being serious. Paxman refers to him as being unspecific and that no one would actually consider his idea. However, the interviewer had a conflict resolution approach; he temporarily sides with the interviewee on a nonfactual opinion (BBC Newsnight 2013). I believe that Jeremy had no factual proof that most people would agree to Brand, it was what he thought to be true and might not necessarily reflect the community (Simmons, 2015). Moreover, Brand’s words about the concentration of the system of governance on the corporate and neglecting the general population was a personal fiction. There is a disagreement between Jeremy and Russel is an evident of developing conflict. As postulated by Del Collins (2005) the function of a conflict is to unite the conflicting parties into resolving a problem.

Conflict styles

Negotiation as a strategy should have been employed by Jeremy and Russel.  It would help the two parties to express their opinions on political democracy without blaming one another on the state of the nation. During the interview, the two parties embrace problem solving technique in their dialogue. Towards the end of the interview, the disagreeing the interviewer and Russel seem to be resolved. Researchers have come up with the procedures of solving the conflicts (Avruch, 2006). When the problem has been identified, it is easier to come up with a suitable mechanism to solve issues. When Russel stated his opinion on voting, Jeremy was able to listen to his point of view. The conflict styles that are employed during the interview involve competitive style (Avruch, 2006). Both parties strive to win a discussion by defending their opinions. However, in every interview a person can either lose or win (Schneider & Brown, 2013). The interviewer in this case, looks for ways of gaining an advantage over the matter of discussion. Russel being the protagonist is trying to avoid scenarios that make him uncomfortable.

In the discussion, there were several faults that could be addressed differently to enable the two parties agree. There was a possibility to enable understanding by letting the other party conclude statements. The interviewer was quick at judging Russel by continuously asking questions before he could express himself. Furthermore, both of the parties were competent to win the argument (Dikici 2014). Cultural diversity and personal principles play a very significant role in conflict management. Jeremy portrays the necessity to identify with democratic right to vote. Nevertheless, Russel doesn’t believe in the right to vote since politicians are not interested in service but apathetic.

The interviewer would have developed a way of accepting and appreciating the interviewee opinion. Russel is defensive with his though that voting does not work because he is trying to establish his own identity. I agree with Russel for exercising individuality because the current world is interdependent. Conflict management is all about diverse opinion and individual goals (Dikici, 2014). During the interview, Russel is in a position to apply his knowledge to respond to the questions which were directed to him. His thinking capability enables him to criticize his political opinion. Thinking styles involved in this interview are the ability to study, innovate and hypothesize ideologies (Fassari, 2016). Analytical thinking has been employed by the respondent to figure out the possible number of individuals dwelling in a poverty-stricken environment. His analysis derives that the government focusses on the corporate and forgets to take care of the poor. He further proposes applicable solutions that may be employed to cub such situations in future. The respondent tells the interviewer that he has not been participating in voting since he believes it is not a solution to the community.

Thinking styles in conflict resolution

If Russel would have employed conceptual thinking, he would eliminate unnecessary comments. When he claims that his negative perception on voting is based on his childhood experience with drugs. To defend his statement, he argues that people who have drug problems don’t feel integrated in the world of politics. He adds that they don’t feel served by the political leaders hence don’t find the need to vote. The interview would have been more successful if innovative thinking was put in practice (Rostron, 2014). There is need to match the thoughts of the interviewer with one’s opinion (Lee, 2017). There are many ways of reaching an agreement without hurting the feeling of the other person during an interview (Fassari, 2016). I believe that if Jeremy Paxman had used humor and acknowledge the views of his counterpart Russel, he would have encouraged a more transparent discussion and reduced tension.

Conclusion

In conclusion, conflict situation is affected by many variables, it is therefore important to understand the basis of the conflict in order to develop strategies to reach a resolution. For instance, in the interview by Paxman, the conflict is evident when he attacks Russel on his notion on politics. In some circumstances, the use of problem solving as a conflict management strategy, helps the conflicting parties to resolve their differences. Anger is a crucial aspect in conflict resolution. It is important to understand the views of other people and avoid the use of provocative words. There is need to identify various conflict styles such as competitive collaborative, accommodative and avoiding styles. It is always necessary to reflect on the relevance of a style (Herold, 2016). However, people are entitled to individuality where they have the right to make their own choices. It is important to compromise every conflict situation.to manage a developing conflict, it is important to use relevant negotiation skills. Every situation can be negotiated by the parties involved.

I would recommend that during an interview the interviewer should engage his subject and avail a chance for him to clarify his point. Interruptions during a discussion often lead to conflict and misinterpretation since the message is not well conveyed (Fryer, 2003). The art of stylistic thinking should be used in any interaction in order to be in a position to predict the questions likely to be asked by an interviewer. Having a rough idea of what to expect will enable a person to have a reasonable response to the interviewer’s questions. It is important to involve conceptual thing while answering questions in order to provide relevant opinions. When there is a disagreement during a discussion. There must be a connection between two parties. There are steps that must be steps that are supposed to be followed to enhance an effective interview (Humle, 2014). First, the problem must be identified and the interest of both parties should be put into consideration. Secondly, the opinions of all the parties are outlined to provide a background for choosing the best choice. Individual differences should be considered. Opinions and facts differs from person to person hence it is necessary for individuals to understand their cultural backgrounds and personal principles (Gomez & Taylor, 2018). Conflict resolution should leave the conflicting parties to agree on the same opinion without causing violence.

Reference

Avruch, K. (2006) Toward an Expanded “Canon” Of Negotiation Theory: Identity, Ideological, And Values- Based Conflict and the Need for a New Heuristic. Marquette Law Review, Vol. 89, No. 3, Pp. 567-582.

BBC Newsnight (2013) Paxman vs Russell Brand – full interview – BBC Newsnight. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR4CseY9pk [accessed 26 May 2018]

Del Collins, M. (2005) Transcending Dualistic Thinking in Conflict Resolution. Negotiation Journal, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 263-280.

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Gomez, C, & Taylor, K. (2018) Cultural Differences in Conflict Resolution Strategies. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management” href=”https://#”>Cross Cultural Management, Vol. 18, No. 1, Pp. 33-51.

Herold, B. (2016) Media Literacy vs. Bogus News. (Cover Story) Education Week, Vol. 36, No. 15, Pp. 1-12.

Herold, B. (2016) Media Literacy vs. Bogus News. (Cover Story) Education Week, Vol. 36, No. 15, Pp. 1-12.

Humle, Dm. (2014) Remembering Who We Are: Memories of Identity Through Storytelling. Tamara Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 11-24

Lee, H. (2017) Thinking Style across Cultures: An Interview with Richard Nisbett. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, Vol. 24, No. 1, Pp. 99-104.

Rostron, A. (2014) Imagination, Fiction and Real Life: Revitalizing the Interview in Identity Studies. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, Vol. 12(2), pp. 96-102

Schneider, A, & Brown, J. (2013) Negotiation Barometry: A Dynamic Measure of Conflict Management Style. Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, Vol. 28, No. 3, Pp. 557-580.

Simmons, A. (2015, Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins: How to Use Your Own Stories to Communicate with Power and Impact, Second Edition, Amacom, New York.