This paper examines the effect trust and respect has on the strategies used to negotiate, as well as the outcomes of that negotiation. The authors define trust as “the willingness to be vulnerable to another person in the absence of monitoring or the belief that a person does not intend to deceive or harm the trusting person.” Respect is “the value one is shown in the way he or she is treated or the level of esteem for another individual based on one’s own values.”
The authors conclude that respect is important to a successful negotiation, but too much trust can, in fact, lead to a worse outcome for a negotiator. Respect engenders respect from opponents at the table and, as a result, it increases the possibility of mutual problem solving and is vital in achieving creative solutions. Trust, by contrast, tends to dull the competitive edge of negotiators, often leading them to give away their bargaining chips without improving their ability to come up with imaginative compromises. In other words, the authors argue, if you want to get a better deal, respect the people you are negotiating with, but don’t trust them for a minute. [s+b annotation]
Authors: Laurie R. Weingart, Matthew A. Cronin
Source: Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
Subject: Negotiation
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