The negotiator's assembly line

<p>This thesis explores how a weaker negotiating party may be able to effectively manage information as a tool to leverage power imbalances in negotiations. Although these imbalances may never be completely resolved, the effective management of information will enable the weaker party to stack their advantages in their favour to increase their chances for a fairer outcome. The thesis will look at the management of information through the phases of gathering, processing and conveying information. It is proposed that these phases are managed by three specific professionals, the analytical investigator, the innovative inventor and the diplomatic salesperson. These archetypes personify certain attributes that a negotiator can evoke when extracting applicable intelligence from raw information to use in negotiation discussions. The intention is for raw information to be processed as applicable intelligence through these phases in an assembly-line fashion to produce options for mutual gain for the negotiating parties. In the process of establishing this assembly line, the thesis will also explore the interplay between competitive and collaborative negotiation strategies. With this exploration, a negotiator may be able to be integrate these strategies to negotiate on both bargaining and problem-solving platforms using the Negotiator’s Assembly Line.</p>

The negotiator's assembly line

<p>This thesis explores how a weaker negotiating party may be able to effectively manage information as a tool to leverage power imbalances in negotiations. Although these imbalances may never be completely resolved, the effective management of information will enable the weaker party to stack their advantages in their favour to increase their chances for a fairer outcome. The thesis will look at the management of information through the phases of gathering, processing and conveying information. It is proposed that these phases are managed by three specific professionals, the analytical investigator, the innovative inventor and the diplomatic salesperson. These archetypes personify certain attributes that a negotiator can evoke when extracting applicable intelligence from raw information to use in negotiation discussions. The intention is for raw information to be processed as applicable intelligence through these phases in an assembly-line fashion to produce options for mutual gain for the negotiating parties. In the process of establishing this assembly line, the thesis will also explore the interplay between competitive and collaborative negotiation strategies. With this exploration, a negotiator may be able to be integrate these strategies to negotiate on both bargaining and problem-solving platforms using the Negotiator’s Assembly Line.</p>

Reframing Best alternatives to negotiated agreements in Representative Negotiations in Sports

The paper starts with differentiating between the positional and interest-based negotiation styles for reaching the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). It outlines the main problems of positional bargaining and the role of agents in representative negotiations in sports. The paper aims at specifying negotiation styles and tactics/games that could produce optimal win-win solutions in sports. It focuses on the need of tactical flexibility, timing, collaboration, issue-linkage and leverage creation that could possibly reframe BATNAs for reaching mutual gain agreements and optimal win-win solutions. The paper aims is to propose solutions for reaching agreements in representative negotiations in sports. The methodology’s starting point is BATNA. The analytical framework includes both choosing the appropriate negotiation style (positional or interest-based) and tactics (negotiation games) to end up with a given strategy. Principled negotiation and mutual gain approach are suggested as solutions. The results of the analysis could be summarized in four categories. The first is the importance of considering the specifics of sports negotiations, especially the advantages and disadvantages of using agents as representatives. Here short versus long-term interests have to be weighed. The second is the advancement of issue linkages, creative alternatives for win-win solutions, leverage and appropriate bargaining style. The third is the focus on the process of reframing BATNAS as a process of evaluating alternatives, seeking leverage but maintaining credibility and flexibility. The fourth is the application of the mutual gain approach to expand the frontier of possibilities. Here the most important is the brainstorming session and the concept of the next best solution.

Fashion Rental: Smart Business or Ethical Folly?

The research presented here illustrates the spectrum of fashion rental PSS firms and business strategies within the New Zealand fashion rental market. The evidence collected suggests that there is a market for fashion rental; however, this market is underdeveloped in regard to its potential as a benefit exchange medium that encourages alternative consumption practice. This study finds that there is, indeed, enormous potential in PSSs as a means to divert fashion-conscious consumers away from ownership behaviours; however, the current systems fall short of this goal. This study offers a taxonomy to create and develop fashion rental PSSs that achieve central aims of circular economy fashion systems, enhancing the collective, social aspects of access, value-sharing and continuing development of mutual gain within the system. It is anticipated that this taxonomy could be further refined and extended through research in other countries, including those with more established, larger fashion rental organisations. Further, there is potential for action research approaches to the design and analysis of alternative fashion rental PSSs.

The Case for the Stateless Society: Law

What is the argument against government? There are several. For one thing, there is automatic exit for failure: businesses that do not earn a profit go bankrupt, and their resources tend to migrate to other, more effective, managers. For another, entrepreneurs operate with their own funds, or those voluntarily entrusted to them. This does not apply to bureaucrats and politicians, in sharp contrast. Perhaps most important, in the case of each and every commercial interaction in the market, buying, selling, renting, lending, borrowing, there is mutual gain at least in the ex ante sense of anticipations, and usually ex post, after the trade, as well. This rarely occurs under statism, at least not with regard to its source of funds, taxation, since it is not voluntary. An exception would be the relatively unimportant cases in which a consumer purchases something from the government, such as a ticket to cross a bridge, or a producer sells something to this organization, such as an airplane. The present paper is an attempt to elaborate upon this considerations.

The Power and Challenge of Facilitating Reframing: Applications in Teaching Negotiation

Reframing is the ability to identify and significantly change assumptions or perspectives. It is a powerful skill but can be difficult to learn and apply. This article presents two experiential exercises for teaching reframing in negotiations: the Rental Home case and the Multiplex Saw case. These exercises are designed to produce frame-shifting experiences (“aha” moments). The Rental Home case focuses broadly on the frames about the accuracy of perceptions. More specifically, there is a natural human bias toward believing that “reality is what I see” versus “much of what I believe is objective reality is actually just my perception.” The Multiplex Saw case focuses on frames related to inventing options for mutual gain or what might be described as “expanding the pie.” People tend to be biased toward framing negotiations as zero sum, which inhibits their ability to engage in creative, integrative bargaining.