Community Conversation: The Impact of Donald Trump's Presidency on Teaching Negotiation

Perhaps more than any other contemporary leader, Donald Trump has staked his identity on his self-proclaimed negotiation skills. Accordingly, negotiation instructors are likely to encounter questions and comments about Trump, whether they like it or not. This session builds on the January 2019 Negotiation Journal special issue about Trump’s impact on the negotiation field. Using a hybrid symposium / discussion format, the organizers – all special issue contributors – will facilitate a conversation about the questions, challenges, and opportunities that Trump’s negotiation behavior poses for negotiation teaching. After sharing observations about issues such as reconciling problem-solving negotiation advice with Trump’s hard bargaining style, assessing Trump’s negotiation effectiveness, and addressing truth and trust in an era of “alternative facts,” the organizers will invite participant comments about their own experiences and concerns. Participants will leave with actionable ideas about how to constructively address Trump (and similar world leaders) in their negotiation teaching.