Negotiation in Context: How Context Affects Negotiation Strategies and Consequences

Negotiation is a fundamental interpersonal tool and managerial skill, through which individuals and groups obtain some of their most consequential outcomes. This symposium focuses on the influence of the negotiation context (e.g., negotiators’ relationships, power, and culture) on negotiators’ strategies and agreements, as well as the downstream consequences: negotiators’ subsequent affective and relational outcomes and their post-agreement interactions. Across papers, we demonstrate that negotiation is often only one part in a longer interaction or relationship, and that the negotiated agreement is not the end-product of the negotiation process. We present novel research studies using field and experimental data that describe how the negotiation context impacts the effectiveness of different negotiation strategies, from deception to relational strategies. This set of research studies highlight trade-offs among material gain, social backlash, and interpersonal relationships. The symposium aims to provide a broad perspective on the nature of the negotiation process, and to advance our understanding of how different factors influence negotiators’ behavior not only during the negotiation itself, but also prior to the negotiation, and after it is concluded.