De Mesa, Cris Albert
MKA44

Characteristics of negotiation situations:

There are two or more parties—that is, two or more individuals, groups, or organizations. Although people can “negotiate” with themselves—as when someone debates in their head whether to spend a Saturday afternoon studying, playing tennis, or going to the football game—we consider negotiation as a process between individuals, within groups, and between groups.

There is a conflict of needs and desires between two or more parties—that is, what one wants is not necessarily what the other one wants—and the parties must search for a way to resolve the conflict.

The parties negotiate by choice! That is, they negotiate because they think they can get a better deal by negotiating than by simply accepting what the other side will voluntarily give them or let them have. Negotiation is largely a voluntary process. We negotiate because we think we can improve our outcome or result, compared with not negotiating or simply accepting what the other side offers. It is a strategy pursued by choice; seldom are we required to negotiate. There are times to negotiate and times not to negotiate. Our experience is that most individuals in Western culture do not negotiate enough —that is, we assume a price or situation is nonnegotiable and don’t even bother to ask or to make a counteroffer!

When we negotiate, we expect a “give-and-take” process that is fundamental to our understanding of the word “negotiation.” We expect that both sides will modify or move away from their opening statements, requests, or demands. Although both parties may at first argue strenuously for what they want—each pushing the other side to move first—ultimately both sides will modify their opening position in order to reach an agreement.

Successful negotiation involves the management of intangibles as well as the resolving of tangibles