Conflict Management Class Final Paper 

1.     Basic Background

Introduce the main characters and provide whatever background information you think the reader needs to understand the context of your conflict story. Such information may include, but need not be limited to, names, occupations/duties, organizational units/functions, formal structural relationships, informal relationships affecting the story, etc. You may use charts if you find that helpful.

2.     The Conflict Issue(s) and original positions

Describe for the reader the conflict issue in one brief, terse, compact sentence (ok, but no more than three sentences. Also give an equally compact description of the main parties’ original positions on the issue.

3.     The Conflict Story

Relate as fully as needed the detailed story of the conflict in chronological order. Use names, time frames, basic actions/conversations, reactions/responses, etc. As you describe this story apply either phase analysis or Glasl’s escalation framework in your account. Apply only the minimum of other analysis to get the story told. Tell the story all the way through as far as it went or as far as it has gone so far.

4.     The Conflict Elements

Give a thorough account of the conflict elements for the main parties to the dispute. Analyze each parties’ goal/interest, cognition/judgement, and normative/value elements. Show how these elements lead to the conflict. Discuss how each parties’ position(s) reflect their ICN concerns.

5.     The Strategic and Tactical intent and behaviors

Analyze each parties’ initial strategic assessment of likely outcomes (integrative or distributive) – give evidence for your assessment based on the specific kinds of behaviors that both parties engaged in. Use the two dimensional model    that we relied on so heavily in class to help the reader understand the changing

dynamics of the conflict. Be sure to keep the ICN elements visible in

your analysis. If the parties did not or have not yet reached a collaborative solution then assess the distributive settlement ranges possibilities for each party. As part of your analysis discuss the rational instrumental issues in terms of the beneficiary (three kinds) and the time frame (2 kinds) for each party as appropriate.

6.     Collaboration assessment

Analyze those aspects of the conflict that make a collaborative outcome more or less likely. Follow the categories laid out on Table 9. Use as many of the categories as you think are helpful for the reader to get a clear picture. At a minimum, discuss some “location” factors for each of the three theoretical variables.

7.     Intervening for collaborative outcomes

Finally assume you have been chosen to intercede to help the parties reach a collaborative solution. What kind of actions would you take to increase the likelihood of an integrative solution? You may make suggestions for intervention at any stage of the conflict. You may use either process or strategic interventions. Defend your course of actions.