Negotiation Research

Business negotiators often worry about being deceived, and understandably so. The potential for being lied to or swindled can be high in negotiation, given that our counterparts typically have access to information about preferences, alternatives, product quality, and so on, that we lack. Yet research shows that negotiators often behave honestly even when doing so costs them money.

In negotiation, we gain power from strong alternatives, a powerful role, or our particular talents and skills. What if we lack power in a particular negotiation? We may be able to do well nonetheless if we merely feel powerful, research suggests.

In a survey of office workers from Fortune 500 companies, Georgetown University professor Jeremy Yip and his colleagues found that 61% recalled hearing or engaging in boastful or insulting comments at work within the prior three months.

“Just be yourself”: It’s probably the most common advice given to job interviewees. But research suggests most people don’t follow the old cliché.