Publications
Publications
- 2007
- HBS Working Paper Series
Paths to Equality: Walking the Talk in Multi-party Negotiations
By: Kathleen L. McGinn, Katherine L. Milkman and Markus Nöth
Abstract
Past research has shown that communication in negotiations heightens social awareness, facilitates coordination, increases the utility for the other's positive outcomes, and thereby leads to more equal payoffs. But the role of specific communication strategies in shaping the terms of agreement is largely ignored in models of bargaining behavior. We propose that communication is used to frame negotiations around a logic of fairness or competition, moving parties toward or away from equal-division agreements. These effects outweigh any overall social cohesion effects due to the mere presence of communication. We offer evidence from two laboratory studies with three-party negotiations to support these hypotheses.
Keywords
Interpersonal Communication; Fairness; Agreements and Arrangements; Negotiation Types; Behavior; Competition
Citation
McGinn, Kathleen L., Katherine L. Milkman, and Markus Nöth. "Paths to Equality: Walking the Talk in Multi-party Negotiations." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 08-032, November 2007. (Revised June 2008.)