Hierarchical power in personnel negotiations

Hierarchical Power (HP), a model for power asymmetry, is used in conjunction with other principles of personnel management to analyze the behavior of professionals during negotiations in an organization. Hierarchical Power involves the ability of a decision maker to choose in the knowledge of the opponent's choice. The methodology of HP is applied to a representative conflict in which a professional employee prefers to remain in the status quo position, and would rather leave the organization than accept a transfer to another position. An analysis of this conflict using HP is consistent with observed outcomes. HP is then used to study whether and how an alternate plan can help to eliminate the possible deadlock between the decision makers.