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Thompson (1998) makes an example of two parties negotiating on a joint
project. The one party believes in getting cash up front rather than taking a long-term
risk; the other party is prepared to take a long-term risk instead of a cash payout.
Therefore, they structure their contract like that. So Thompson (1998) believes that the
negotiator should strive towards maximising the integrative potential ofthe negotiation.
Thompson (1998:4) mentions three kinds of conflict that may be a cause for
negotiation and persuasion:
(i) Intrapersonal conflict, which takes place within an individual when there are
conflicting drives or wills within that one individual. It may be a situation where the
individual is attracted to two or more options but may choose only one e.g. when a
diligent student has to choose between furthering his studies at university or going to
work for a big company. That is called approach-approach conflict. In avoidanceavoidance
conflict there are two undesirable options, which the individual must avoid,
but he must choose one. Approach-avoidance conflict involves considering one option
that has both attractive and unpleasant aspects.
(ii) Interpersonal conflict can be subdivided into dyadic conflict i.e. conflict
between two people and multiparty conflict which is between three or more people.
(iii) Intergroup conflict is "between members or different groups representing
personally relevant groups, political factions, union and management or divisions
within a company."(See Conflict tree Model adapted from Thompson 1998:5 Fig. 1-1):
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