Celebrating the Work of Jeanne M. Brett: Building Bridges and Making Connections

Abstract

In this tribute to the 2009 recipient of the International Association for Conflict Management Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, we celebrate the work of Jeanne M. Brett. Each of us highlights a few unique contributions from four areas of Jeanne's research: (a) getting disputes resolved (Debra Shapiro); (b) negotiating globally (Wendi Adair); (c) illuminating the shadow box of negotiation process (Mara Olekalns); and (d) managing team processes (Kristin Behfar). Together we identify common themes across these areas of Jeanne's research and invite Jeanne to reflect on future research opportunities and impart her words of wisdom to doctoral students and young scholars.

Advancing the Scientific Understanding of Trust and Culture in Negotiations

“…Also, negotiators from different cultures have different schemas and scripts about self‐interest, use of power, and information exchange in negotiations (Adair, Behfar, Olekalns, & Shapiro, ; Adair et al., ; Brett & Okumura, ; Tinsley, ). This means that intercultural negotiators may be surprised by their counterparts’ negotiation behaviors, interpret such behaviors negatively, and lose trust in their counterparts.…”

Legacies of Scholars, Scholarship, and Praxis from the International Association for Conflict Management: Celebrating a Lifetime of Achievements

“…Her work informs our knowledge of communication and conflict, interaction analysis, the bona fide group perspective, and bounded emotionality. Adair, Behfar, Olekalns, and Shapiro () identify Brett's integration of cross‐cultural psychology, communication, anthropology, political science, economics, international management, and decision theories. Brett's work has evolved getting disputes resolved, negotiating globally, bringing a spotlight into the shadow box of negotiation process, and managing conflict in team processes.…”

“…() detail Jeanne's use of qualitative methodologies, her ability to clean up methodological design issues, and her precision for conceptual clarity developing “a standard set of guidelines around theory and design…to rule out the possibility of alternative explanations…” (page 297). One of her methodological innovations is the sampling check, which provides “empirical evidence that one's cultural samples reflect the underlying constellation of values and norms that are theorized to drive predicted behaviors or attitudes” (Adair et al., ; page 298). A sampling check is like a manipulation check in purely experimental design (see the article in this issue for further explanation).…”

“…Adair et al. () identify Brett's brave counterintuitive thinking as key to her theoretical contributions. Boulding et al.…”

“…Adair et al. () note Jeanne's influence as an institution builder and the developer of the seminal negotiation course, which has fostered collaboration among scholars and value creation for generations of students. Boulding et al.…”