ABSTRACT
Organizational growth and even survival are facilitated by joint problem-solving rather than competition, which is why it is worthwhile to find a problem-solving method that, builds constructively on differences. Interest bargaining is the term for a problem-solving process that focuses on the underlying needs or interests of the parties or individuals involved. Conflict is a fact of organizational life. Differences in status or role among individuals, differences in goals or focus among departments or functions and the struggle over limited resources all generate conflict within an organization. This is true within all organizations but even more so in team-based organizations where decision-making is expected to be collaborative and authority is shared. The most common approach to disagreement is to assume that the 'right' answer is one's own while the other party assumes the same. These right answers are positions. A position is a single solution to a problem. Often in organizational life these are presented as unilateral propositions or proposals.
