Does It Matter What We Drink, Or Where We Drink, Or That We Drink Together? The Impact of Social Interactions On Negotiation Performance Now and In The Future

Lots of negotiations take place after a time dedicated to social interaction. Businessmen, salespeople, and diplomats may offer breakfast, luncheon, or a cocktail to their negotiation partners, with the idea of establishing rapport and/or offering a relaxing moment ahead of formal negotiation work. Within such social interactions, what drives rapport creation appears unclear: is it the time invested in mingling? Or the comfortable environment (a restaurant or a business lounge)? Could it be the fact that alcohol is offered, or consumed? Or would other drinks, like coffee, also establish rapport? To answer these questions, we designed a lab-in-the-field controlled experiment that allows us to distinguish the effect of these different factors on negotiation.