NCJ Number
100032
Journal
American Behavioral Scientist Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: (November-December 1983) Pages: 135-147
Date Published
1983
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Major factors in effective negotiation pertain to awareness of the 'tightropes,' the need to impress others, interpersonal sensitivity, the nurturance of adversaries' sense of competence, the avoidance of intransigence, and conflict intensity.
Abstract
Effective negotiation involves walking a 'tightrope' between cooperation and competition, between complete honesty and total misrepresentation, and between short-term and long-term gain. Face-saving and the need to impress others can stalemate negotiations; this can be avoided by using third parties that foster compromise. Effective negotiation involves reaching a balance between sensitivity to the needs of the other party and commitment to one's own interests as well as nurturing a sense of negotiating competency in the other party. The latter strategy tends to promote conciliation. Intransigence, which is often presumed to pressure the other party to yield in the interest of reaching a settlement, more often pushes the other party into an intransigent posture. Finally, effective negotiation requires sensitivity to conflict intensity and the adoption of techniques appropriate to the intensity. Forty references are listed.