Page 182 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Notes condition of life and manifests in the form of constructive or 'interesting' environmental
stimulation. An example might be a promotion at work: we are given more responsibility but
we also acquire greater satisfaction. Distress is 'bad stress', which can cause considerable
emotional upheaval and physical disturbances that are hard to solve. An example might be an
unexpected dismissal or a surgical operation.
We all respond to stressful events in different ways as people acquire different experiences
throughout their lives and develop different thought patterns and strategies of interpretation of
reality. Moreover, the processes of learning play a fundamental role in the interpretation of
internal and external events. We learn how to behave in a certain way when confronted by
certain stimuli, and the learning mechanisms themselves are triggered automatically outside of
our awareness. Our personal evaluations of events and situations undergo the effect of learning
and, once consolidated, function in a relatively autonomous manner. In fact, thanks to these
behavioural schemes and established thought patterns we can actually save mental and physical
energy; they are based on previous experience that has already been elaborated and can be
easily recalled and referred to.
A response to stress can be divided into three phases. In the first phase – defined as the 'alarm
phase' – stressors generate within the organism a sense of vigilance or arousal (see glossary),
with the consequent activation of the psycho-physiological processes already described in relation
to anxiety reactions (increase in heart rate, hyperventilation, etc.). Then, in the 'phase of resistance',
the organism will attempt to adapt to the situation and the physiological indices now tend to
normalize, also in circumstances where reactions and efforts made are very intense. If adaptation
to the situation fails, a third stage is reached – the phase of exhaustion – in which the organism
can no longer defend itself and its natural adaptive capacities are lost.
This latter phase is the most dangerous as prolonged exposure to a stressful situation can cause
the onset of both physical and mental forms of pathology (see 'Anxiety Disorders'). In particular,
chronic stress activates a circuit involving cerebral structures and the endocrine system (the
hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal axis), and in particular the adrenal glands, which increase
secretion of cortisol. When present in quantities higher than normal, this 'stress hormone' can
cause various disorders (see also 'Stress and Illness').
Some of the most frequent symptoms of stress are: a frequently recurring sensation of tiredness,
accelerated heartbeat, difficulty in concentrating, panic attacks, crying, depression, frustration,
anxiety attacks, sleep disorders, muscular pain, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, stomach cramps, colitis,
improper functioning of the thyroid, being sickness prone, having difficulty in expressing
oneself or finding the right words, a feeling of boredom in practically all situations, the frequent
need to urinate, changes in the tone of voice, hyperactivity, mental confusion, irritability, the
lowering of autoimmune defences, diabetes, hypertension, headaches and ulcers.

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Case Study The Maruti-Suzuki Conflict

Maruti is a national company which has grown because of the support of the government. We can't
hand it over to Suzuki on a platter."
—Murasoli Maran, Industry Minister, India, 1997
"Suzuki feels they can no longer afford the disadvantage of government control over Maruti's
decision making. They feel they can do better on their own."
—A Government of India Source, 1997
Contd....

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