The Hidden Persuader: The Role of the Advisor in Negotiations and Group Decision Making—Perspectives from the European Union

Theoretical models of negotiation and group decision making often overlook or at least do not fully account for the important role played by persons who advise negotiators and participants in group decision making. Sight unseen, advisors are often “hidden persuaders,” important but unrecognized sources of influence on the negotiation dynamic. This article explores the roles and methods of advisors in the negotiation process, drawing on survey research conducted in 2013 among approximately seventy advisors at the European Union Council of Ministers. Defining advice as “\(\ldots \)a communication from one person (the advisor) to another (the client) for the purpose of helping that second person determine a course of action for solving a particular problem\(\ldots \)”, the author considers the nature of advice and the range of relationships that may exist between advisors and their clients. He argues that advising is much more than the mere transmittal of information from advisor to negotiator and that for advice to be effective a relationship must exist between the two parties. The author identifies three models of the advisor–negotiator relationship. Model I is the advisor as director, wherein the advisor tends to take control of the negotiating process, directing the negotiator in actions that the negotiator should take to achieve success at the negotiation. Model II is the advisor as servant in which the advisor merely responds to the demands of the client for help and guidance in the negotiation. Model III is the advisor as partner, wherein advisor and negotiator jointly manage the advising process and together take co-ownership of the problem to be solved. The author then explores the factors that lead advisors and negotiators to adopt each of these three models, the various advising styles that advisors adopt, and the differing effects on the negotiation process that these elements may have, drawing on historical examples as well as survey data from the EU Council of Ministers. He concludes by offering advice about advising to three important professional groups—scholars, negotiators, and advisors—on ways to carry out their respective functions more effectively.     

Double talk—The political economy of eastward enlargement of the EU

There is an inherent ambiguity in the attitude of the EU towards eastern enlargement. On the one hand, since the Gothenburg Council of June 2001 the EU appears to be at last on the brink of a first round of eastward enlargement. On the other hand, the major internal reforms in the EU which are essential if enlargement is to take place have so far made only unsatisfactory progress. What are the reasons for this situation? What are the perspectives?     

The Salmon-Agreement Between Norway and the European Union—A Welfare Economic Analysis

The relationship between tariff policy and anti-dumping use is empirically examined. Using a panel dataset of 56 countries over the period of 1995–2007, the effects of tariff liberalization on anti-dumping use are found to vary across world regions. For European countries, as well as developed North American and Latin American countries, a lower tariff rate appears to induce more use of anti-dumping measures, which emerge as a protection tool among trade liberalization regimes. In contrast, a reduction in a tariff rate leads to lower anti-dumping use in developing North American and Latin American countries and in developed Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries. In terms of initiating anti-dumping action, developed countries are likely to be more sensitive than developing countries to tariff policy change in most regions of the world.     

What European Union in the “Age of Uncertainty”? Weathering the Geopolitical Storms in a World of Perpetual Crises

Intereconomics - A world of risks and uncertainties can also be a world of opportunities. How and how quickly the EU adapts to the socio-political, economic, energy and climate transitions at hand,...     

China - The end of the ＂V＂

July data suggests that the recovery continues but is losing some momentum, as expected Official policy stance remains unchanged, though fine-tuning, especially of monetary policy, is expected in the next few months Some weakness in some commodity imports is appearing     

Do family ties shape the performance consequences of diversification? Evidence from the European Union

This paper examines the moderating effect of family involvement in ownership and control on the relationship between diversification strategies – both product and international diversification – and corporate performance. We argue that this moderating effect is related to the distinctive characteristics of family firms compared to non-family firms. The empirical evidence is provided by a sample of firms from the European Union during the 2005–2009 time period. Our results found that family firms are more profitable than non-family firms when they engage in joint product and international diversification.     

The 2005 Ranking Of Hotel Groups In The 25 European Union Member States

●With nearly 9,000 additional rooms,Accor strengthened its position as a leader in the European hotel industry. ●The merger between Travel Inn and Premier Lodge led to the creation of a giant in the hard-budget hotel sector in the United Kingdom. ●Marriott fell to ninth place after selling off its holdings in the Ramada International master franchise.     

How Can the European Union Adapt to Climate Change?

Intereconomics - Europe must increasingly deal with the harmful impacts of climate change, regardless of its success in reducing emissions. These impacts have significant cross-border effects and...     

Europe – Quo Vadis? Reflections on the Future Institutional Framework of the European Union

With twelve new members the decision making in the European Union via intergovernmental cooperation will become ineffective. The EU is at the Cross Roads. In order to avoid a Stagno‐Europe the EU has a choice: Either it looks for the very essentials in the common institutional framework and adjusts it accordingly or the member states agree in ceding national sovereignty to the European level. This, however, requires that the democratic deficit at the EU level is reduced. The Treaty of Nice has failed to solve these issues. The paper elaborates in detail the non‐essentials and the essentials of European integration and discusses the basics of an approach to a constitution‐like arrangement for Europe.     

The end of the world as we know it? The influence of online channels on the luxury customer experience

Luxury brands claim to offer consumers pleasure and prestige and deliver high profits to retailers. While the global demand for luxury goods is increasing, consumers expect that the purchasing process these goods will accommodate their preferences on how, where, and when they want to purchase them. The changing nature of luxury markets and customers' purchasing behavior makes it necessary to understand why customers would choose an online channel to purchase luxury offerings. What are the features that make so appealing, attracting consumers towards them? Our study explores customers' motivations, the benefits and the experiences they are expecting and perceiving from the Online Luxury Experience (OLX). We examine the OLX and establish three corresponding luxury customer segments using online channels to purchase their luxury goods and services: the purists, opportunists, and e-lux. We highlight the differences between the segment's customer journeys and the implications for theory and luxury customer experience management.