Mr. Chandler
Negotiation strategies
by
< Date of Submission>
Negotiation strategies
Introduction
Dealing with a stalemate or conflict can at times be very challenging to two or more groups that are in conflict. Negotiation happens to be one of the most utilised conflict resolution strategies. The success of the negotiation process would rely on the strategies employed in the process and responses by the parties in conflict. Lewicki, Hiam and Olander (2007, pp. 24-28) have provided great insights on negotiation and how to make the process effective. In their article, Selecting a Strategy, the three submit that ‘If you are proactive about strategic choice, you are much more likely to get what you want than if you wait for the other to initiate action’. In this paper, I have built on this by taking the position that proactive negotiation is better than the ‘no strategy’ approach to negotiation. Effectively, the aim of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the proactive and the ‘no strategy’ negotiation approaches, with a view of making comparisons and conclusions as to why the proactive approach to negotiation is preferable between the two.
Proactive versus ‘No Strategy’ Approach to Negotiation
Based on the submission above, there are two approaches that may be adopted by the parties on the negotiation table. In their study, Lewicki, Hiam and Olander (2007) have brought in the ‘no strategy’ approach and the ‘proactive approach’. Based on these two, major contrasts could be drawn. In the first place, the proactive approach, just as the name suggests, has the party involved in a conflict taking an active role in participating in the negotiation. This however, does not imply that the ‘no strategy’ option has the party using the strategy not participating at all. Rather, such party employing this strategy would be reactive as they would rely on what is placed on the table to give their side of the conflict. For the ‘no
by
< Date of Submission>
Negotiation strategies
Introduction
Dealing with a stalemate or conflict can at times be very challenging to two or more groups that are in conflict. Negotiation happens to be one of the most utilised conflict resolution strategies. The success of the negotiation process would rely on the strategies employed in the process and responses by the parties in conflict. Lewicki, Hiam and Olander (2007, pp. 24-28) have provided great insights on negotiation and how to make the process effective. In their article, Selecting a Strategy, the three submit that ‘If you are proactive about strategic choice, you are much more likely to get what you want than if you wait for the other to initiate action’. In this paper, I have built on this by taking the position that proactive negotiation is better than the ‘no strategy’ approach to negotiation. Effectively, the aim of this paper is to provide a critical analysis of the proactive and the ‘no strategy’ negotiation approaches, with a view of making comparisons and conclusions as to why the proactive approach to negotiation is preferable between the two.
Proactive versus ‘No Strategy’ Approach to Negotiation
Based on the submission above, there are two approaches that may be adopted by the parties on the negotiation table. In their study, Lewicki, Hiam and Olander (2007) have brought in the ‘no strategy’ approach and the ‘proactive approach’. Based on these two, major contrasts could be drawn. In the first place, the proactive approach, just as the name suggests, has the party involved in a conflict taking an active role in participating in the negotiation. This however, does not imply that the ‘no strategy’ option has the party using the strategy not participating at all. Rather, such party employing this strategy would be reactive as they would rely on what is placed on the table to give their side of the conflict. For the ‘no
References: Billikopf, G., 2001, Interpersonal Negotiation Skills, University of California, CA: http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7labor/17.htm Bercovitch, J., 2008, Mediation and Negotiation Techniques, Arabian Journal of Business and Management, pp Lewicki, R., Barry, B., and Saunders, D. (eds), 2007, ‘Selecting a strategy’, Negotiation: Readings, Exercises, Cases, New York: McGraw-Hill.