When Opposites Negotiate: The Effect of Mismatched Extraversion on Negotiation Outcomes Across Communication Media

Abstract: This study examines how mismatched extraversion within negotiation dyads interacts with communication media to shape negotiation outcomes. Integrating research on personality and communication media, the study adopts an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Four hundred participants negotiated a mixed-motive dispute using face-to-face, videoconferencing, audio, or text-based communication. Quantitative analyses indicate that extraversion partially moderated the effect of communication media on joint value creation; among dyads with mismatched extraversion levels, value creation was significantly lower in face-to-face negotiations than in video and audio negotiations. To explain these findings, a multiple case study examined negotiators’ emotions and conflict management approaches across media. The qualitative findings show that face-to-face interaction amplified behavioral and emotional mismatches between extraverts and introverts, leading to frustration, polarization, and impasse. In contrast, audio communication exerted an equalizing effect by regulating interaction pace, muting extraverted dominance, and enabling focused, cooperative engagement. These findings highlight the importance of dyadic personality configurations in negotiation design and practice.

Keywords: extravert, introvert, mismatched extraversion, communication media