Negotiation as a Social Process

Book excerpt: This is a valuable book. It is a rare combination of appreciation and criticism; it is an eloquent statement of conceptual advocacy. Negotiation as a Social Process attempts the difficult task of the needed reform of a successful field and it does so by example as well as precept. . . . Kramer and Messick have done their research colleagues a great service; let us hope that they make the most of it. --Robert L. Kahn, Professor Emeritus, The University of Michigan "Negotiation as a Social Process puts the ′social′ back in negotiation theory and research, where it belongs. Consisting of contributions by some of today′s leading negotiation researchers, this volume is a direct response to the undue emphasis placed in recent years on the role of cognition in negotiation. Just as one needs two hands to clap (unless you are a Zen Buddhist), one needs two or more sides to negotiate. This excellent collection explicitly addresses the social and relational context in which negotiations invariably occur and, in doing so, returns the discussion to its proper place." --Jeff Rubin, Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School In the past several years, negotiation and conflict management research has emerged as one of the most active and productive areas of research in organizational behavior. Although most research has focused on the cognitive aspects of negotiation, few address the impact of social processes and contexts on the negotiation process. Because negotiations always occur in the context of some preexisting social relationship between the negotiating parties, this neglect is unfortunate. Editors Rod Kramer and Dave Messick have brought together original theory and research from many of the leading scholars in this important and emerging area of negotiation research. Negotiation as a Social Process covers a wide range of topics, including the role of group identification and accountability on negotiator judgment and decision making, the importance of power-dependence relations on negotiation, intergroup bargaining, coalitional dynamics in bargaining, social influence processes in negotiation, cross-cultural perspectives on negotiation, and the impact of social relationships on negotiation. Scholars, students, and professionals in organization, management, and communication studies will find Negotiation as a Social Process an important and thought-provoking volume.