Skip to main content
2019 International Association for Conflict Management Conference

Full Program »

Why Are Some Goals More Difficult to Achieve Than Others? A Logical Perspective on Goal Achievement in Negotiation


Keywords: Negotiation, goal achievement, goal difficulty, propositional logic


Abstract: Negotiating parties typically experience that some of their goals are asier to achieve than others. This may be due to external factors, such as the relative priority parties assign to their goals, or internal factors related to the properties of the goals themself. This article presents, and tests by means of a case study, a new measure of goal achievement based on the logical properties of goals. The measure provides a new theoretical explanation for why certain goals are more difficult to achieve than others. Further, it shows that the degree of information considered in a negotiation influences the expected probability of goal achievement. Practitioners can use the measure to evaluate goals when preparing for a negotiation. Using the example of an employment negotiation, the article illustrates how the measure can help negotiators to create realistic expectations about the chances that their goals will be achieved.


Frieder Lempp, IESEG School of Management
f.lempp@ieseg.fr

 


Powered by OpenConf®
Copyright ©2002-2018 Zakon Group LLC