“McDonaldization” and constructive conflict: Negotiation amidst systemic and technological advancements

Abstract

Negotiators attempting to make deals and resolve conflicts within or between organizations must first attempt to determine if negotiation is an authorized and productive option. In this paper we explore the tension between organizational routines that attempt to limit conflict and negotiation, and the possible organizational benefits of authorizing or facilitating constructive conflict. Organizations generally develop routines that balance a desire for efficiency with the need to create perceptions of fairness and justice. Efficiency measures yield rationalized processes that tend to limit conflict, but also limit the opportunity to negotiate for a just outcome. Bureaucratic procedures and precedents come to replace idiosyncratic and tailored solutions. However, organizational efforts at continuous improvement and strategic differentiation rely on organizational creativity and openness to the collaborative problem solving that can characterize some negotiations. Recommendations are offered for negotiators and for organizations.