The impact of interest-based bargaining on community college faculty and administrative relationships

Organizations have multiple options when considering collective bargaining methods. The traditional bargaining method is recognized as the most common negotiation method. The traditional bargaining method is associated with being competitive, centered on positional mindsets between negotiating teams, and may negatively impact the relationships of negotiators. The interest-based bargaining (IBB) method is an alternative to traditional bargaining which centers on the shared interests of negotiation teams rather than competing positions and may be less likely to negatively impact relationships. This study assessed whether the change in approach from positional bargaining to interest-based bargaining influenced the relationship between residential faculty and administration at a southwestern community college district.;The two target populations for this study were subsets of the faculty and executive groups at a southwestern community college district. The two populations consist of members of the faculty and administrative teams who participated in the meet and confer collective bargaining process in the bargaining years of 2009 -- 2015. To assess the impact of IBB on the participants' experiences and the perceived impact to the relationship, this study utilized a mixed method evaluative approach, using an online survey of close-ended questions to gather quantitative data and personal interviews of key individuals to gather qualitative data.;The findings of this study suggest that when organizations commit to using the interest-based bargaining approach beginning with thoughtful implementation and training to include defining business processes and composing negotiation teams using interest-based strategies and values the positive impact will extend beyond relationships. The IBB approach can impact other factors of the social contract and the substantive contract as well as become a way of life for negotiators as they integrate the values and concepts of IBB in various ways, away from the negotiation table.;Public sector organizations, including community college districts, that choose to collectively bargain will benefit from this research. In a community college setting, this may include collective bargaining teams comprised of administrators, faculty, and governing board members. The results of this study will aid these organizations in making an informed choice on the method of negotiation.