Page 263 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Gentle Prods
that may help you separate true facts from deceptions. Ask him to

elaborate on the topic being discussed. Ask questions but indicate that
you are asking because “other people want to know.” Play devil’s

advocate and ask playful questions. Praise the other so as to give him

confidence and support that may lead to information sharing.

Minimisation Encourage the other to keep talking so that he gives you information
Play down the significance of any deceptive act. Help the other find
excuses for why he was deceptive; minimise the consequences of the
action; shift the blame to someone else.

Contradiction Get the other to tell his story fully in order to discover more information
that will allow you to discover inconsistencies and contradictions in his
comments or reports. Point out and ask for explanations about apparent
contradictions. Ask the speaker the same question several times and Unit 12: Ethics in Negotiation
look for inconsistencies in his response. Put pressure on the speaker
and get him to slip up or say things he doesn’t want to say.

Altered information Alter information and hopefully trick the other into revealing deception.
Exaggerate what you believe is the deception, hoping that the other will
jump in to “correct” the statement. Ask the suspected deceiver a Notes
question containing incorrect information and hope he corrects you.

A chink in the Try to get the other to admit a small or partial lie about some
defence information, and use this to push for admission of a larger lie: “If you lied
about this one little thing, how do I know you have not lied about other
things?”

Self-disclosure Reveal a number of things about yourself, including, perhaps,
dishonesty on your own part, hoping the other will begin to trust you and
reciprocate with disclosures of his dishonesty.

Point of deception Point out behaviours you detect in the other that might be an indication
cues he is lying: sweating, nervousness, change of voice, inability to make
eye contact, and so on.

Concern Indicate your true concern for the other’s welfare: “You are important to
me”, “I care deeply about you”, “I feel your pain.”

Keeping the status Admonish the other to be truthful in order to maintain his good name.
quo “W hat will people think?” appeal to his pride and desire to maintain a
good reputation.

Direct approach “Simply tell me the truth”. “Let’s be honest here”. “Surely you have no
objection to telling me everything you know?”

Silence Create a “verbal vacuum” that makes the other uncomfortable and gets
him to talk and disclose information. W hen he tells a lie, simply maintain
direct eye contact but remain silent.

12.10 Cross-cultural Ethical Issues
With economic globalization, ethical issues increasingly affect the interaction of organizations
across cultures, including the following:
1. Theft of intellectual property: Not all countries honour copyrights and patents and many
encourage piracy. This is a significant issue with the increased use of computer software,
compact music discs, and other forms of proprietary information that are difficult to
protect.
2. Bribery and corruption: Two common forms of bribes are white mail and lubrication
bribes. White mail is a payment made to a person in power for favorable treatment that is
illegal, or not warranted on an efficiency, economic benefit scale. Lubrication bribes are
payments to facilitate, speed up, or expedite otherwise routine government approvals for
things such as licenses or inspections.
3. Intentionally selling dangerous products: Companies sometimes export products
considered dangerous in their own country or not entirely appropriate for the needs of the
recipient culture. An example of the former is the sale of cigarettes in developing nations
by multinational firms, often from nations such as the United States, that have public
policies to discourage smoking. An example of the latter is the exportation of infant
formula to countries where there is a high likelihood of improper and harmful use.
4. Environmental pollution: Not all countries demonstrate concern for the natural
environment, particularly because it is expensive to manufacture without polluting.
Environmental degradation – such as toxic emissions from factories, radiation from nuclear
power plants, and the destruction of vast forests – contributes to worldwide environmental
problems.
5. International misrepresentation in negotiations: Bluffing, fraud, intimidation, and various
other forms of deception may be acceptable negotiation tactics in some cultures yet
considered unethical, or even illegal, in others.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 257