Understanding propensity to initiate negotiations

Abstract

Purpose -This paper seeks to introduce a model of the initiation process in negotiations, and to describe a study of the effects of culture and personality on propensity to initiate and assertiveness in negotiations. Design/methodology/approach -Using a survey research approach and hierarchical regression analyses, initiation propensity and assertiveness were regressed against two country cultures diverse with respect to perceived appropriateness of initiation (Brazil and the USA) and four measures of personality (self-efficacy, locus of control, risk propensity, Machiavellianism). Findings -Regression analyses found three personality factors (risk propensity, self-efficacy, Machiavellianism) to be most significantly associated with initiation propensity/assertiveness, along with an interaction effect involving country culture and risk propensity. Research limitations/implications -Future studies might benefit from a broader, more diverse subject pool (beyond the two countries studied). This would allow for separate analyses of cultural dimensions, rather than treating culture as a composite measure. In addition, future research might include measures of actual initiation behavior. Practical implications -Initiation is a manageable process. Self-efficacy, for example, can be improved by observing others skilled in the initiation process, and through practicing initiation under more favorable conditions. Furthermore, an individual can follow a graduated approach to gain initiation confidence, beginning with simply engaging (without asking) and progressing to asking and optimizing. Originality/value -This paper offers a model for understanding the dynamics of the initiation process in negotiations, which generally has been overlooked by negotiation researchers. The study examines two sets of factors that can influence initiation behavior that have not been investigated in total -culture and personality.

Normatively Speaking: Do Cultural Norms Influence Negotiation, Conflict Management, and Communication?

“…It found an interaction between national culture and risk propensity on the likelihood of initiating a negotiation, such that U.S. participants with a high-risk propensity (i.e., risk-taking norms) had a higher overall propensity to negotiate than Brazilian participants with a high-risk propensity. An important limitation of this study is that it is based on self-report and not on actual initiation of negotiation behavior (Volkema & Fleck, 2012). Given this current literature, it is not clear when individuals from different cultures perceive negotiation as appropriate.…”

Mind the First Step: The Intrapersonal Effects of Affect on the Decision to Initiate Negotiations under Bargaining Power Asymmetry

“…Prior studies suggest that males are less likely to initiate a negotiation (e.g., Babcock et al, 2006 ). Also, older participants have been negatively associated with the propensity to initiate negotiations ( Volkema and Fleck, 2012 ). Therefore, we included gender and age as covariates in our study.…”

From Restaurants to Board Rooms

“…These and other negotiations present learners with many opportunities and challenges, not the least of which is initiating the negotiation process. Unfortunately, many negotiations in and out of the classroom never happen because the parties fail to recognize a negotiable moment or to ask for what they want due to fear of confrontation/conflict (Bowles et al, 2005; Small, Gelfand, Babcock, & Gettman, 2007; Volkema & Fleck, 2012). As a consequence, one if not all participants can fail to achieve their preferred outcomes.…”

“…The act of initiating a negotiation has been described as a multidecisional process, including the decision to engage a counterpart (and the timing of that engagement), whether to make a request once engagement occurs (and how to make it), and what to request (e.g., optimization; Kapoutsis et al, 2013; Volkema & Fleck, 2012). An individual can engage a counterpart without making a direct request, or even a reference to the focal issue, hoping that the other party will raise the subject.…”

“…The exercise focuses on initiating negotiations, a critical yet often overlooked stage of the negotiation process in both classroom simulations (where the parties are assumed to already be at the bargaining table) and actual negotiations (Reif & Brodbeck, 2014; Wheeler, 2004). Initiation involves recognizing an opportunity to negotiate, engaging another party for that purpose, and making a request (Kapoutsis, Volkema, & Nikolopoulos, 2013; Rousseau, 2005; Volkema & Fleck, 2012). Unfortunately, too often negotiations never get off the ground because one or more of the parties fail in these phases, sometimes to the detriment of everyone (Babcock & Laschever, 2003; Harvey, Buckley, Novicevic, & Halbesleben, 2004; Huppertz, 2003).…”