The Effect of Negotiation Expectancies on Conflict Styles and Negotiation Outcomes

This study uses expectancy violations theory to examine whether negotiators presume their opponent will use a conflict style similar to their own and whether that expectation affects their offers and satisfaction with their partner and their negotiation. Conflict styles are based on Pruitt and Rubin’s (1986) dual concern model and are measured using the ROCI-II scale. In a negotiation exercise (N = 268), we find that negotiators’ conflict styles predict what the expectations the negotiator has of the other party. In turn accommodating and dominating conflict styles are shown to predict negotiation offers and negotiation satisfaction.