Selling to strangers, buying from friends: Effect of communal and exchange norms on expectations in negotiation

This study examines the effect of relationships on negotiators’ expectations and offers. The authors derive theory and hypotheses from social norms that govern relationships (communal and exchange) and impact negotiators’ expectations and offers when interacting with close others. The study focuses on the negotiator’s role (buyer or seller) on expectations and offers and on the combination of communal and exchange norms. The authors test the hypotheses in four studies. Results show that when negotiating with close others, buyers expect to receive more in economic exchanges between friends than sellers do (Studies1 and 2). A combination of communal and exchange norms influences negotiators’ expectations. That is, negotiators high in communal and exchange norms expect more generous offers from friends than acquaintances and strangers (Study 3). Finally, communal norms moderate the effect on disagreement, such that the greater the communal strength, the more disagreement occurs between best friends (Study 4).