Distributive Bargaining vs. Integrative Bargaining

Distributive and integrative strategies are the two most commonly used methods of dealing with a conflict. Depending on the objective the use of each stratagy is preferred. Simple examples are when someone chooses to sign up for a two year phone contract they are experincing distributive negotiation. Inegrative negotiation on the other hand is more ongoing and is usually in situations were an individual is given an incentive. For example, a sixteen year old gets a car after they acheive a high grade average in highschool.

Looking at Distributive in more depth would be like splitting a pizza. However, the divide of the pizza slices are uneven. The amount of recources can be equal, but one member of the negotation gains more and the other member loses out in some way. Hence, the example of phone contracts, yes it is nice to have the newest iPhone, but paying a monthly bill of eighty dollars or more is part of the intrest rate one has chosen to pay over a span of two years. The consumer loses out by paying high intrest and the CEO’s of the company fill their pockets with profits that are sometimes way too high.

Integrative process is more of a collabritive situation were one needs the other to create the best outcome. Looking at the example of a the parent and daughter relationship is one of many examples. The daughter is a high acheiving student who gets good grades so her parents will buy her a car on her sixteenth birthday. The parents in return hope that the daughters good grades will land her into a good college. With the incentive of the daughter getting a new car and the parents being proud of her of getting into a college that hopefully leads to her being independent, there is an even outcome of goals being meet.