Negotiation Research

When first offers fail

In negotiation, the party who makes the first offer often gets the lion’s share of the value. That can be due to the anchoring effect, or the tendency for the first offer to “anchor” the bargaining that follows in its direction, even if the offer recipient thinks the offer is out of line. Yet plenty of times, the person making the first offer fails to capture most of the value in a negotiation. Why might that be the case?

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When Women Negotiate More Ethically Than Men

In a new study published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Jessica A. Kennedy (Vanderbilt University), Laura J. Kray (University of California, Berkeley), and Gillian Ku (London Business School) looked closely at possible gender differences in negotiator ethics and found nuanced results.

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When Powerful Negotiators Cut Corners

When negotiators know they’re more powerful, they tend to believe that a fair agreement should reflect their power advantage, while weaker negotiators tend to favor equal outcomes.

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Harness the Power of Popular Opinion

Our knowledge of cognitive biases can help us design systems that steer people toward choices that would benefit them and society at large, such as saving more for retirement, making healthier food choices, and donating their organs after death.

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Looking for a Favor? Ask in Person

Imagine that you are about to ask someone for something. Maybe you’re trying to initiate a negotiation by asking a potential customer to listen to your proposal. Or you could be making a one-off request, such as asking a neighbor to quiet his barking dog. How likely do you think it is that the other party will comply with your request?

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When Forming First Offers, Take Precision into Account

What should your first offer be in a negotiation? The question doubtless has led to sleepless nights for negotiators who understand that the first offer in a negotiation tends to have a strong anchoring effect on the haggling that may follow. Because even extreme offers can pull the discussion in their direction, the question of how high or low an opening offer to make is a critical one.

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A Downside of Anger

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