Strategic Negotiations

In the book "Strategic Negotiations: A Theory of Change in Labor-Management Relations" (Harvard Business School Press, 1994), the authors, Richard Walton, Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, and Robert McKersie, identify three primary negotiations strategies. These are "forcing," "fostering," and "escape." Each represents an overarching pattern of interaction that characterizes the negotiations. A strategy does not emerge all at once, but over time as a result of consistent patterns of interaction. A forcing strategy generally involves taking a "distributive" or win/lose approach to the negotiations, combined with a "divide and conquer" approach to internal relations in the other side, and an attitudinal approach that emphasizes uncertainty and distrust. By contrast, a fostering strategy generally involves taking an "integrative" or win/win approach to the negotiations, combined with a "consensus" approach to internal relations in both sides, and an attitudinal approach that emphasizes openness and understanding. "Escape" is a non-negotiations strategy in which one or more parties seek to end or undercut the relationship.

These strategy and process elements of negotiations can be combined with an understanding of structure in order to predict outcomes that are both substantive and relationship outcomes.