The Social Context of Negotiation

No. of parties in a negotiation Negotiating Dyad Agents and constituencies Additional negotiators Negotiating teams Unrepresented bystanders and audiences Third parties

Negotiating within a relationship Negotiating within relationships takes place over time Negotiation is often not a way to discuss an issue but to learn more about each other and increase interdependence Resolution of simple distributive issues has implications for the future Distributive issues within relationships can be emotionally hot Negotiating within relationships may never end In many negotiations, the ‘other person’ is the problem In some negotiations relationship preservation is the negotiation goal

Key dimensions of relationships Attraction Rapport Bonding Breadth

Attraction Affect : liking the other person Stimulation: experiencing the other as intellectually challenging Commonality: sharing things in common Romantic interest: being physically attracted to the other

Rapport Trust: reliability, interpersonal integrity, altruism Disclosure: openness with which the parties deal with each other Empathy : ability to see it from the other’s point of view Acceptance: unconditional positive regard for the other Respect: a view of the other possessing a strong value system and being committed to it

Bonding Alliance: a feeling of being ‘on the same side’ Exchange: tangible benefits which they derive from being associated with each other Cooperation: degree to which both parties are able to work in unison to achieve respective goals

Breadth of relationship Scope of the relationship: how large the the domain of relationship is Time horizon: how long the period of association has been

Key elements in managing negotiations within relationships Trust – calculus based, knowledge based, identification based Emotions – positive, negative Justice – distributive, procedural, interactive

Trust Agreement Matrix High Bedfellows Allies Fence Sitters Agreement Adversaries Opponents Low Low High Trust

When coalitions are formed, they could be Allies – who are in agreement with a negotiator’s goals and vision and whom the negotiator trusts. Opponents – people with whom the negotiator has conflicting goals and objectives, but who can be trusted to be principled and candid in their opposition Bedfellows – people with whom a negotiator has high agreement on objectives but with low to moderate levels of trust Fence sitters – parties who will not take a stand, one way or the other Adversaries – low in agreement, low on trust

Action strategy for building relationships in coalitions With allies Affirm your agreement on the collective vision or objective Reaffirm the quality of relationship Acknowledge the doubt and vulnerability that you have with respect to achieving your vision and collective goal Ask for advice and support

Action strategy for building relationships in coalitions With opponents Reaffirm that your relationship is based on trust State your vision or position State in a neutral way what you think their position or vision is Engage in some kind of problem solving

Action strategy for building relationships with coalitions With bedfellows Reaffirm the agreement Acknowledge the caution that exists Be clear about what you want from bedfellows in terms of their support Ask bedfellows what they want from you Try to reach an agreement on how to work together

Action strategy for building relationships in coalitions With fence sitters Stae your position on the project Ask where they stand Apply gentle pressures Encourage them to think about the issue and tell you what it would take to get their support

Action strategy to building relationships in coalitions With adversaries State your visions and goals State in a neutral way your understanding of your adversary’s position Identify your own contribution to the poor relationship between you and your adversary End the meeting by restating your plan but making no demands