Interdependence Issues in Analyzing Negotiation Data

This study illustrates the conceptual and statistical issues stemming from the use of nested, interdependent data in negotiation research. To this end, the nature and forms of interdependence are discussed, several models of interdependence are outlined, and methods for analyzing interdependent data are presented. Furthermore, an example using the actor–partner interdependence model is given. This discussion and example may provide an avenue to rethink the modeling and analysis of offline and online negotiation processes, given the interdependent nature of negotiation data.     

The Cultural Dimensions of Negotiation: The Chinese Case

Culture is one of the major components of negotiation and plays an especially crucial role in international relations. The current state of research is presented and discussed. The type of influence of culture is specified and compared with other categories such as strategic behavior and structural determination.Then, referring to the China case, the way culture impacts on the key elements of negotiation such as actors, structures, strategies, process, and outcome is described and analyzed. Lastly, culture's consequences on the negotiator's cognition, beliefs, behaviors and identity are investigated.     

The Ethical Dimensions of Decision Processes of Employees

The influence of stakeholders, organisational commitment, personal values, goals of the organisation and socio-demographic characteristics of individuals on the ethical dimension of behavioural intentions of employees in various organisations are investigated. The research results show that employees working for the public sector or in educational institutions take more ethical aspects into account than employees working in the "private" sector. The influence of stakeholders and organisational commitment do not significantly affect the ethical behaviour of employees, and only some personal values and goals of the organisation have a significant influence on ethical behaviour. The most significant explanatory factor of ethical decision making seems to be what may be called "stage in the career of the employee": "ethical" employees can be described as young, with a relatively low income, limited work experience and a low level of responsibility in the company.     

An Analytical Approach to Offer Generation in Concession-Based Negotiation Processes

We develop analytical models to assist negotiators in formulating offers in a concession-based negotiation process. Our approach is based on plausible requirements for offers formulated in terms of utility values for both the negotiator making the offer and the opponent receiving it. These requirements include value creation, reciprocity, and the fact that an offer actually leads to concessions. Trade-offs between their own and the opponent’s utilities can be formulated by negotiators and define a search path in the utility space. Solutions along this search path are then mapped back into the issue space to generate actual offers. We present and discuss several variants of optimization models to generate such offers and illustrate them with an numerical example.     

“议付”在不同时期对出口融资的影响分析

UCP600与原UCP500相比,在许多方面有重大的调整和改进,其中对"议付"的定义有较大的改动,从事国际结算业务的银行和从事贸易实务的进出口公司等都应认真学习研究该新规则,以便在今后的实务操作中更好地适应游戏规程的变化,充分保护自身的合法权益。     

Conducting Dyadic Multiple Issue Negotiation Experiments: Methodological Recommendations

We take a critical, yet constructive look at the literature that focuses on multiple issue negotiation experiments. Our purpose is to offer suggestions for improvement when conducting such experiments. We focus on experiments, which are conducted using an externally imposed value point structure for the negotiators across issues together with background context information. Negotiator performance in such experiments is generally poor in the sense that Pareto inferior settlements are typically generated. A possible explanation is that negotiators sometimes follow the externally imposed value points and sometimes their own values pertaining to the context. Hence we conclude that it would be better if multiple issue negotiation experiments would not be based on an apriori given value point structure - unless we have compelling reasons for it - particularly if no agents are used. The common argument against doing this is that we cannot then identify Pareto optimal or Pareto preferred settlements for the subjects. Recent research integrating the fields of Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) together with negotiation analysis, however, provides a possible solution to this problem. An experiment conducted by the authors is used to illustrate our methodological recommendations.     

多哈回合规则谈判中的补贴利益及其计算基准问题评析

补贴利益及其计算基准是多哈回合补贴与反补贴规则谈判的焦点问题,本文对围绕该问题的各方观点与争论以及工作组主席综合文本草案对规则的最新修订作了详细剖析。本文认为,尽管最终结果有待多哈回合结束才可见分晓,但各方在以下两方面已基本达成共识:一是补贴利益的确定应基于接受者所获政府财政资助与市场基准的比较,二是允许使用外部基准计算补贴利益。一旦外部基准条款在正式规则中最终确立,中国在反补贴争端中的处境将比反倾销争端更为艰难。     

Dimensions of International Negotiations: Structures, Processes, and Outcomes

Cases of international negotiation are compared in terms of their similarities and dissimilarities. Using both primary and secondary source materials, each case is coded in terms of aspects of the issues, structure, situation, processes, and outcomes of negotiation. One analysis consisted of 23 cases in which Austrian delegations participated. Multidimensional scaling results indicated that a key dimension was the distinction between small bilateral talks and larger multilateral negotiations. Bilateral talks were more likely to be characterized by treaties, low turnover, stage-like processes, and no deadlines. Correlational findings also showed that outside influences had stronger impacts on outcomes than such internal factors as bureaucratic support. A second scaling analysis, based on cases published by the Johns Hopkins' Foreign Policy Institute, produced two dimensions, number and complexity of the issues. The groupings of the cases also corresponded to Ikle's distinctions among types of negotiation. Correlational findings indicated relationships among aspects of the negotiating situation and outcomes. The article concludes with a comparison of the two analyses.     

An Approach to Support Negotiation Processes with Imprecise Information Multicriteria Additive Models

This paper discusses the possible uses of the VIP (Variable Interdependent Parameters) Analysis software and methodology in negotiation support. VIP Analysis is a decision support tool that incorporates complementary approaches to deal with the aggregation of multi-criteria performances under imprecise information. Its purpose is to support the evaluation of a discrete set of alternatives according to multi-attribute additive value functions. We propose extensions of the methodology of VIP Analysis to address explicitly the differences among the actors in terms of the weights space.     

非公开信息与中国出口信用保险:一个多维视角

在出口信用保险市场中,保险人拥有非公开信息,这是出口信用保险与其他保险市场的重要区别.为判断非公开信息对出口信用保险发展的影响,本文从多维视角对这一问题进行了研究.实证结果证实了我们的假设,出口信用保险市场中保险人对收汇风险的判断更为有效,然而实证结果同样说明非公开信息并未给保险人带来信息贴水,研究中我们意外发现影响出口商是否参保的关键因子是出口商本身的风险偏好.由此我们衍生出本文的政策建议,中国出口保险公司的信息优势并未被充分利用,如何发挥保险公司信息优势是政策层应重点关注的内容之一.     

Macrocognition in Collaboration: Analyzing Processes of Team Knowledge Building with CoPrA

Sophisticated collaboration software allows teams that are dispersed in space and time to work together. Nevertheless, to reach their common goals, distributed teams—and the professional facilitators who support them by intervention techniques—are faced with the communication challenges arising from dispersed settings, including task coordination and effective information exchange. When distributed teams use collaboration software, however, traces of their collaboration are left behind. These traces provide an underused source of data which can be analyzed and be used to inform the design of interventions aimed at improving collaboration in distributed teams. This paper investigates the untapped potential for understanding collaboration, and in particular, the macro-cognitive processes of team knowledge building. These processes rely on information shared and knowledge structures developed by team members which are also referred to as team cognition. We performed a qualitative content analysis applying the COllaboration PRocess Analysis technique, CoPrA, and a framework for measuring team knowledge building. Communication data was collected from 18 participants assigned to six distributed teams. While working collaboratively on a problem-solving task teams were supported with synchronous collaboration software. The results show that by using a cognitive perspective on teams, all the hypothesized processes of team knowledge building could be identified in collaboration traces. Moreover, our analysis shows that CoPrA enables us to identify key characteristics of (1) team behavior, e.g., whether teams are rather solution-oriented or problem minded, show consensus-oriented behavior, withhold evaluative arguments, discuss ideas in breadth and/or depth, or spend much effort on coordination as well as (2) behavior of team members, e.g., who show non-participation, are willing to share or predominantly guide coordination. Future research could adopt this approach to improve our understanding of the dynamics of collaboration patterns and its effects on team performance to inform collaboration facilitation in distributed settings.     

多哈回合贸易便利化议题:回顾、成员立场分析与谈判前景

日内瓦小型部长级会议上,由于美国和印度在农产品特殊保障机制上的严重分歧,历时9天的谈判宣告破裂,也意味着多哈回合在2008年结束谈判的希望彻底落空。贸易便利化议题作为多哈回合的九大主要议题之一,虽然不是导致本回合搁浅的直接导火索,其在整个谈判中的分量也是值得掂量的。随着多哈回合的再次中止,贸易便利化议题的谈判成果也只能暂时被搁置在桌面上。一波三折的谈判过程,错综复杂的成员立场,希望渺茫似乎又触手可及的谈判前景的确是耐人寻味。     

Segmenting Markets Along Multiple Dimensions of Luxury Value: The Case of India

abstract

This is one of the first investigations of consumer motivations for purchasing luxury brands in India, a country with an emerging middle class. It identifies four dimensions of luxury benefits for segmenting markets. These include the financial, functional, personal, and social benefits of luxury value. Using data collected from 329 respondents in Mumbai the study identifies nine luxury factors for purchase behavior. These are used for classifying respondents into three behavioral segments using cluster analysis. The first segment appears to buy luxury goods primarily for their snob appeal, the second segment for their prestige appeal, and the third for their value appeal. The results show that while many consumers may buy the same luxury goods, their motivations for doing so differ. The findings should help marketers tailor their messages to specific luxury-seeking segments. There are many papers on luxury brands but very few are from emerging markets. The results may be of great use to global brands that are looking for expansion due to slowdown condition across globe.     

Applying Clinical Methods for Assessing Patterns of Functioning in Negotiation Processes: The Rorschach Reality-Fantasy Scale (RFS)

This clinical paper suggests applying a new Rorschach measure, the Reality-Fantasy Scale (RFS; Tibon et al. 2005, Int J Appl Psychoanal Stud 2:40–57) for evaluating patterns of functioning in negotiation processes. The RFS is a psychoanalytically oriented diagnostic tool, designed to operationalize Winnicott’s (Playing and reality. Basic Books, New York, 1971) construct of potential or transitional space by using a paradigm that conceptualizes the Rorschach task as inviting the respondent to enter the intermediate transitional space between inner and outer reality. The RFS ranges from  − 5, representing extreme reliance on fantasy (reality collapse) to  + 5 representing extreme reliance on reality (fantasy collapse). A score approximating zero indicates adaptive and functional use of potential space, pointing out high level of negotiator effectiveness. A case example is presented, demonstrating the utility of the RFS in evaluating negotiator effectiveness in an encounter aimed at achieving peace agreement. Although not itself a report of a lab or field experiment the paper illustrates the potential usefulness of psychoanalytically oriented conceptualization and clinical assessment methods in negotiation research and practice.     

也谈商务谈判技巧

谈判既是一门科学,又是一门艺术。在市场竞争日益激烈的今天,谈判已经发展成集社会学、语言学、心理学、逻辑学、行为学、传播学、公关关系学等诸多学科为一体的综合性现代科学。对于现代企业的经理人,如果不能在商务活动中把握谈判的技巧和艺术,就不可能做好经理,获得成功。     

Implications of Negotiation Theory for Research and Development of Negotiation Support Systems

This paper summarizes a parametric theory of negotiation as a basis forshedding light on negotiation support system possibilities. Previously, thetheory has been used to analyze prior research accomplishments in the area ofnegotiation support systems. Here, we discuss implications of the theory thatare relevant for future research and development of negotiation supportsystems. The implications are concerned with three topics: a high-levelgeneric characterization of these systems, an identification of theirpossible support functions, and a taxonomy for classifying suchsystems.     

Analyzing Export Behavior Through Managerial Characteristics and Perceptions: A Multiple Case-Based Research

ABSTRACT

The decision-maker's role in international activity is crucial, particularly in the case of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the extant literature on internationalization is characterized by a lack of consensus among scholars as to what constitutes the managerial factor in determining exporting. Therefore, this study focuses on the following issue: Which are the decision-maker's characteristics and perceptions that may influence the export behavior of SMEs? To address this main research question, a multiple-case study method is applied across four Spanish exporting SMEs. The findings show that high educational level, language skills, high-risk tolerance, innovativeness, as well as strongly perceived export stimuli compared to low and relatively easy to overcome export barriers positively influence the export involvement and development in these investigated SMEs. The study provides further insights into the research topic by jointly studying managerial characteristics and perceptions in the Spanish context where the exporting activities have not been as widely studied so far.     

Exploring the Dimensions of Culture

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore how the dimensions of Mexican culture affect negotiation in Mexico, including the relationship between negotiation and public relations and the implications on the practice of public relations in Mexico. A major finding is that Mexican negotiators are competitive in negotiation situations despite the collective nature of Mexican society. Therefore, public relations practitioners should consider all of the dimensions of culture when negotiating in Mexico.     

How Do Ordinary Japanese Reach Consensus in Group Decision Making?: Identifying and Analyzing “Naïve Negotiation”

The purpose of this study is to investigate ways in which ordinary Japanese people negotiate in a multi-party meeting. We initially gave such a way of negotiation the tentative name of “naïve negotiation”. The analysis of the conversational data reveals three structural features of naïve negotiation: (1) at the utterance level, the participants tend to claim their opinions without providing any overt grounds, (2) at the local consensus-building level, they tend to jump to conclusions without the full examination of proposed hypotheses, (3) at the final consensus-making level, there tends to be disjunctions between discussion units. Although these features are not necessarily seen as irrational or illogical, a naïve-negotiation style can still be a trouble-source in achieving successful consensus-making. This leads us to emphasize the necessity of developing a support system for the discussants.