INTEREST ANALYSIS II:What are interests?, Tips for Interest Trees

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Conflict Management HRM624

Lesson 14

INTEREST ANALYSIS II

Quotation

The interest of the landlord is always opposed to the interests of every other class in the community. David

Ricardo (1772 - 1823) British political economist.

We have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and

those interests it is our duty to follow.

Lord Palmerston (1784 - 1865) British prime minister. Speech to the British Parliament

In the previous lecture, we talked about the analysis of interests. How interests of conflict participants are

important to understand the nature of conflict. The analysis of interests helps diagnose conflict greatly. The

deeper understanding of the sources of conflict, both superficial and deep, could help resolve conflict

successfully and favorably.

Conflict in its collective sense is sometimes defined as a condition, sometimes as a process, and sometimes

as an event. Conflict can be taken as a challenge and could be transformed into an opportunity.

Analyzing the interests of constituents and stakeholders

Constituents and stakeholders are affected by the course and outcome of a conflict; in turn, their

connection to the disputants can lead to their significantly affecting the settlement, or potential settlements,

made by the disputants, for good or for ill. Uncover conflicting interests that might lead to undermining

negotiation or sabotaging a settlement.

Improve the ultimate result by taking account of what others are likely to do. For example in a divorce case,

the children's interests should be analyzed carefully. Apart from the moral responsibility the adults in the

situation to act in the best interests of these children, it is highly likely that, without an understanding of the

children's interests, the children will themselves contribute to the destruction of the agreements made by

the grown ups. Children also attempt to create a secure relationship between themselves and each parent by

telling each parent what the children think the parents want to hear.

Analyzing the interests of all participants is important as any participant could sabotage the settlement of

the dispute.

An interest analysis should also include the agents and advocates for the other disputant. This is because the

interests of other participants in the conflict can add to the complexity of motivations driving behavior in

the conflict.

Conflict Management HRM624

Advantages of interests analysis

Clarifies what the disputant really wants and needs

The Disputant

Enables the disputant to consider whether interests, values,

and needs would be better met outside the conflict

Enables greater flexibility and creativity in crafting solutions

Avoids the pitfalls of positional bargaining.

The other disputant Enables the negotiator to craft appealing proposals

Avoids errors of judgment about how to resolve the conflict

Sabotage by a disputant whose deep-seated interests are not

addressed by the resolution of the conflict

Avoids the pitfalls of positional bargaining

Enables the negotiator to (if necessary) tailor coercive

measures to the disputants interests

Constituents and

Allows action to be taken up front to avoid later sabotage of or

Stakeholders

damage to the settlement

Disputants own

Reveals possible conflicts of interest. Requiring replacement of

Agents and

representative

Advocates

Agents or

Reveals possible conflicts of interests and how they may make

Advocates for the

resolution more difficult and complex.

other Disputant

Interests analysis of agents and advocates

An interest analysis should explore the interests, values, and needs of the agents and advocates on all sides

of the conflict. The principal reason that interests' analysis should include the agents and advocates of one's

team is to clarify whether they have problematic conflicts of interest with their principal.

Better understand the complexities of what is motivating the "other team" and develop coping strategies.

Develop understanding of motivators of other team members and strategize to cope with such conflicts.

What are interests?

Interests are emotions, drives, needs, principles, values, preferences, likes and dislikes, or the forces that

move you to an action. These interests are drives or motivators of human behavior.

The interests are many in one individual. They are related in a complex way and if the parties to a conflict

are multiple, then understanding the logical relationship among interests is hard and complex; that is why

we diagram the relationships among various interests.

Why diagram interests?

Superficial interests are logically connected to more fundamental interests.

The concept of an interest tree diagram is used to represent the hierarchical and logical relationships

between interests. It also clarifies which fundamental interests underlie more superficial interests.

Because the superficial interests are "driven" by the deeper ones; clarifying these logical connections allows

one to concede on superficial interests while standing firm on more fundamental interests.

Looking at interests of others allows one to appeal to deeper interests as an "end run" around more

superficial demands. Diagramming the interests of others, creates the knowledge base one needs to develop

effective negotiation and other resolution strategies.

Conflict Management HRM624

Tips for Interest Trees

An interest tree must include following points:

1. There must always be needs other elements are optional

2. There may be multiple levels of underlying interests

3. Each position, aspiration, interest, and principle/value rectangle must logically relate (directly or

indirectly) to one or more need rectangles

4. Don't confuse interests with facts or contentions

Interests Analysis

IInterestt Tree

nteres Tree

PRINCIPLES

Get fair

settlement

and VALUES

Examplle

Examp e

People should

Brother-in-law will

be fairly paid

think I'm spineless if

I don't get good

I'd take

result

anything over

$10,000 if I can

Wrongdoers

avoid court!

should be

punished

Get back out-of-

pocket losses

I demand $20,000

Esteem needs

or I sue!

Identity needs

Avoid court:

risky!

POSITION

Deficiency needs

(food, shelter,

safety, clothing,

Avoid time,

etc.)

Get paid as

expense of

soon as

court

possible

Need money

now: can't

Security needs

pay rent

NEEDS

ASPIRATIONS

INTERESTS

Conflict Management HRM624

Always ask WHY!

Why it is important for you to get compensated fairly; may be your values of justice.

Conflict Onion

Positions

Aspirations

Underlying interests

Principles, values

Basic human

needs

Layers in the Conflict Onion

Positions

A stated demand of a conflict participant; no stated demand means no position.

Aspirations

Concrete aspirations may also be absent. For example, highly experienced negotiators, coming into a

situation wanting to avoid positional bargaining, may avoid either positions or aspirations altogether and

start their analysis with interests.

Deeper interests

There may be more than one level of underlying interests, with more superficial interests being driven by

deeper ones.

For example, an auto purchaser may have an interest in reliable transportation, and his deeper interest may

be to get reliably to work every day.

Summary

Knowing interests and analyzing them will make us understand the complimentary interests. It can help us

bargain in our favor. These interests are significant for the success of our personal, work, and social life.

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