ISYS90050 · It Project and Change Management
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
Weeks 9-10 cover negotiation as reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement, the four outcomes (win-win/interdependence, win-lose, lose-win, lose-lose), the assumptions behind win-win, and the five-step conflict-management process. Classifying a scenario's negotiation style and applying the resolution steps are common short-answer and scenario items.
What this chapter covers
- 01Negotiation = reaching a compromise/agreement satisfactory to all parties; a skill used throughout a project
- 02Negotiation challenges: confrontational positions, hidden agendas, emotional makeup, communication breakdown
- 03Four outcomes: win-win (interdependence/principled), win-lose (positioned), lose-win (dependence), lose-lose
- 04Win-win assumptions: trust/relationship, success depends on cooperation, sufficient gain to share
- 05Principled-negotiation moves: separate people from problem, focus on interests not positions, invent options, use objective criteria
- 06Conflict = disagreement from differing attitudes, beliefs, values or needs; not always negative
- 07Five-step conflict process: analyse -> determine strategy -> pre-negotiation -> negotiation -> post-negotiation
- 08Strategy map: collaboration (win-win), compromise, competitive (win-lose), accommodation (lose-win), avoidance (lose-lose)
Classify negotiation styles and map to a resolution strategy
- +1(1) Pushing a one-off supplier for the lowest price with no relationship = win-lose (positioned negotiation), mapping to the competitive strategy — acceptable when no ongoing relationship is needed, though the loser may seek revenge.
- +1(2) Two interdependent teams co-designing a solution that meets both parties' core interests = win-win (interdependence / principled negotiation), mapping to the collaboration strategy — it needs trust, cooperation and enough gain to share.
- +1(3) Conceding a trivial point to preserve goodwill = lose-win (dependence), mapping to the accommodation strategy — a good-will gesture on a minor issue, at some risk to credibility.
- +1(4) Both sides entrenching until the deal collapses to mutual loss = lose-lose, mapping to the avoidance strategy (or incompetent negotiation) — appropriate only when the issue is trivial or confrontation would do more damage than walking away.
Key terms
- Negotiation
- The process of reaching an agreement satisfactory to all parties — resolving a conflict or solving a problem — used at many stages of a project.
- Win-win (principled negotiation)
- An interdependence outcome based on trust, cooperation and sufficient gain to share; also called mutual-gains bargaining. Not a soft approach — it needs trust, mutual interest and negotiating expertise, and focuses on interests rather than stated positions.
- Win-lose (positioned)
- An outcome where one party uses power or authority to win at the other's expense, appropriate only when no ongoing relationship matters; the loser may later seek to even the score.
- Lose-win / lose-lose
- Lose-win (dependence) is submission or accommodation, sometimes a necessary goodwill gesture on a minor issue; lose-lose is mutual loss from both sides playing win-lose — incompetent negotiation, mapped to avoidance.
- Conflict
- A natural disagreement arising when individuals or groups differ in attitudes, beliefs, values or needs. It is not always negative — managed well it can challenge assumptions — but should not be allowed to turn personal.
- Five-step conflict process
- Analyse the nature and type of conflict, determine the strategy, pre-negotiation (initiation, assessment, ground rules, joint fact-finding), negotiation (interests, options, evaluation, written agreement, commitment), and post-negotiation (ratification and implementation).
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution FAQ
What is principled (win-win) negotiation?
Principled or win-win negotiation seeks an outcome that satisfies both parties' underlying interests rather than their stated positions. Its moves are to separate the people from the problem, focus on interests not positions, invent options for mutual gain, and use objective criteria. It rests on trust, a belief that success depends on cooperation, and enough gain for everyone to share — so it is not a soft or easy approach.
When is a win-lose approach acceptable?
Win-lose (positioned) negotiation, where one party uses power to win at the other's expense, is acceptable mainly when there is no ongoing relationship to protect and the stakes justify it. The risk is that the losing party may later seek revenge, so it is a poor choice whenever the relationship must continue — collaboration or compromise usually serves a project better.
How do the negotiation styles map to conflict strategies?
Win-win maps to collaboration, win-lose to the competitive strategy, lose-win to accommodation, and lose-lose to avoidance, with compromise as a time-pressured middle ground that trades some wins for some losses. Naming both the style and its strategy, and justifying the choice by the relationship and stakes, is what a scenario question rewards.
Can AI help me with negotiation and conflict in ISYS90050?
Yes, as a study aid. Sia can set style-classification drills, walk you through the five-step conflict process on a fresh dispute, and contrast positional versus principled handling. Use it to learn the method; it does not do your graded assessment, and University of Melbourne academic-integrity rules apply — confirm details on Canvas.
Exam move
Memorise the four outcomes and their mapped strategies (win-win/collaboration, win-lose/competitive, lose-win/accommodation, lose-lose/avoidance, plus compromise) so a classification question is instant, and always justify the choice by the relationship and the stakes. Rehearse the five-step conflict process as a reusable frame for any dispute scenario, and keep the principled-negotiation moves (separate people from problem, interests over positions, invent options, objective criteria) ready to quote. Practise turning a positional take into a principled one, since that contrast is a common prompt. For the closed-book exam, produce the frameworks from memory under time pressure.
Working through Negotiation & Conflict Resolution in ISYS90050? Sia is AskSia’s AI IT Project Management tutor — ask any ISYS90050 Negotiation & Conflict Resolution question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how ISYS90050 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
