The interaction of reward contingencies and causality orientation on the introduction of cooperative tactics in buyer–seller negotiations

This article reports results of an experiment designed to see if reward contingencies and individual differences in causality orientation can interact to affect the frequency with which buyers and sellers introduce cooperative tactics into a sales negotiation. A face‐to‐face simulation is employed to consider these effects. A 2 × 2 ANOVA (task‐contingent/task‐noncontingent rewards × control/autonomy orientation) tests this interaction. These two factors interact to affect cooperation. A buyer or seller with an autonomous causality, in a situation with task‐noncontingent rewards, is most likely to introduce cooperative negotiation tactics. Task‐noncontingent rewards are more effective than task‐contingent rewards for autonomous causality buyers and sellers, but not for control causality buyers and sellers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.