Confrontation or negotiation? Think about the issues or situations where a confrontational strategy might be appropriate. How do those issues or situations differ from when negotiation may be best? Imagine yourself as a senior executive of a ‘target’ organisation facing a significant issue. Would you prefer to face a high-profile assault, which you might be able to dismiss as a one-off stunt, or would you rather commit time and resources to prolonged negotiation that might require you to compromise your position on the issue?

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In dealing with an issue, choosing confrontation or negotiation is not necessarily right or wrong, but just different. Activists who prefer confrontation sometimes claim that negotiators are ‘getting into bed with the enemy’, whereas groups who prefer to negotiate may say the direct action people are only interested in headlines, and that stunts ‘trivialise’ the issue. These are two very different roles, and they enable big corporates and big government to divide and conquer, or pick and choose who they deal with. Either course of action could lead to a quick or easy resolution to the issue but it may not always be the best outcome.