Assess the issues of conflict between the players and management during the history of the sport.

Analyze mistakes made in negotiations and the effect of mistakes on the processes and outcomes of negotiations.

Evaluate the interests and goals of each of the parties.

Analyze the best solution and strategy for all parties involved, including each party’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA).

 

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

General Framework for Analyzing Conflict in Sports:

1. Issues of Conflict Between Players and Management:

  • Salary Disputes:
    • This is a perennial issue. Players seek fair compensation based on their performance and market value, while management aims to control costs.
    • Examples: Salary caps, free agency restrictions, and arbitration.
  • Working Conditions:
    • Players may protest against unsafe or unfair working conditions, such as travel schedules, practice intensity, or playing surface quality.
    • Examples: Concerns about concussions in football, or travel in baseball.
  • Contractual Rights:
    • Disputes arise over contract terms, including length, bonuses, and termination clauses.
    • Examples: Lockouts and strikes due to collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
  • Player Discipline:
    • Conflicts occur when players challenge disciplinary actions imposed by management or leagues.

General Framework for Analyzing Conflict in Sports:

1. Issues of Conflict Between Players and Management:

  • Salary Disputes:
    • This is a perennial issue. Players seek fair compensation based on their performance and market value, while management aims to control costs.
    • Examples: Salary caps, free agency restrictions, and arbitration.
  • Working Conditions:
    • Players may protest against unsafe or unfair working conditions, such as travel schedules, practice intensity, or playing surface quality.
    • Examples: Concerns about concussions in football, or travel in baseball.
  • Contractual Rights:
    • Disputes arise over contract terms, including length, bonuses, and termination clauses.
    • Examples: Lockouts and strikes due to collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
  • Player Discipline:
    • Conflicts occur when players challenge disciplinary actions imposed by management or leagues.
    • Examples: Suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, or on field altercations.
  • Control and Autonomy:
    • Players may seek greater control over their careers, including endorsement deals, media appearances, and post-career opportunities.
    • Examples: Players forming unions to gain more power.
  • Social and Political Issues:
    • Players may use their platform to protest social injustice, and this can cause conflict with management.
    • Examples: Players kneeling during the national anthem.

2. Mistakes Made in Negotiations and Their Effects:

  • Failure to Communicate Effectively:
    • Misunderstandings and misinterpretations can escalate conflicts.
    • Effect: Breakdown of negotiations, increased animosity.
  • Lack of Trust:
    • If parties do not trust each other, it is difficult to reach mutually beneficial agreements.
    • Effect: Stalemate, prolonged disputes.
  • Ignoring the Other Party’s Interests:
    • Focusing solely on one’s own interests can lead to win-lose scenarios.
    • Effect: Resentment, future conflicts.
  • Setting Unrealistic Expectations:
    • Demanding too much or refusing to compromise can derail negotiations.
    • Effect: Impasse, public backlash.
  • Poor Timing:
    • Negotiating at a bad time, such as during the season, can add additional stress.
    • Effect: Rushed agreements, or agreements that are not well thought out.
  • Public Statements:
    • Making public statements during negotiations that are inflammatory.
    • Effect: Poisoning public opinion, and making negotiations harder.

3. Interests and Goals of Each Party:

  • Players:
    • Maximize compensation and benefits.
    • Ensure safe and fair working conditions.
    • Protect contractual rights.
    • Gain control over their careers.
    • Gain fair treatment.
  • Management/Owners/Leagues:
    • Control costs and maximize profits.
    • Maintain competitive balance.
    • Preserve the integrity of the sport.
    • Protect the league’s reputation.
    • Maintain control.

4. Best Solution and Strategy (Including BATNA):

  • Principled Negotiation:
    • Focus on interests, not positions.
    • Generate multiple options for mutual gain.
    • Insist on objective criteria.
    • Separate the people from the problem.
  • Mediation and Arbitration:
    • Utilize neutral third parties to facilitate negotiations or resolve disputes.
  • Collective Bargaining:
    • Engage in good-faith negotiations to reach mutually acceptable agreements.
  • BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement):
    • Players: Potential options include playing in another league, pursuing a different career, or going on strike.
    • Management: Potential options include using replacement players, locking out players, or relocating the team.
    • It is important that each side knows their BATNA, so they know when to walk away from the negotiating table.

Example (Professional Baseball):

  • Issues: Salary arbitration, free agency, the designated hitter rule, and performance-enhancing drug policies.
  • Mistakes: The 1994 strike, which resulted in the cancellation of the World Series and damaged the sport’s popularity.
  • Interests: Players want fair compensation and benefits, while owners want to control costs and maintain profitability.
  • Best Solution: A mutually agreed-upon CBA that addresses the concerns of both parties, including a fair salary structure, a robust drug-testing program, and a revenue-sharing system to promote competitive balance.

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