multi party negotiation case study

Six Principles for Successful Multiparty Negotiations

• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Download PDF

COP28 in Dubai was a key milestone in global climate talks, convening nearly 200 countries for the first assessment since the Paris Agreement. Highlighting the urgency for action – with 2023 as the hottest year on record – it emphasised the need for united efforts amid complex negotiation challenges.

At COP28, a “ stocktake ” review showed failures in reducing emissions and aiding developing countries. Talks to enhance climate action, such as ending fossil fuel use and boosting funding, highlighted the difficulties of achieving agreement among nations. 

The conference began with a landmark agreement on a loss-and-damages fund, but faced challenges over the controversial fossil fuel phase-out debate. On 13 December 2023, a historic consensus was reached on moving away from fossil fuels, demonstrating the power of united effort and negotiation in advancing climate objectives.

Drawing on the four principles from Getting to Yes (Fisher et al., 2011) and adding alliance formation and process facilitation, we aim to distill lessons from the complex, but ultimately successful dynamics of COP28 negotiations.

1. Separate the people from the problem

At COP28, amid global tensions including United States-China disputes, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as conflicts involving Israel and Palestine, participants managed to prioritise climate issues over political conflicts. This exemplifies the principle of separating people from the problem, a crucial negotiation strategy that emphasises focusing on issues rather than personal or national animosities. 

The conference highlighted the importance of addressing “people issues” and “substance issues” distinctly to avoid negotiation derailments caused by emotions, biases and personal histories. Effective people-issues negotiation involves understanding and empathising with all parties' perspectives, addressing common emotional needs and building rapport, which took place during the year-long engagement prior to COP28. 

Once negotiators built bridges over personal and political barriers, they could concentrate on the substance-issues negotiation and address climate change collaboratively.

2. Focus on interests, not positions

At COP28, entrenched positions on fossil fuel reduction highlighted the divide between nations with the most to lose from climate change, like the United Kingdom, US, European Union countries and island states, vs. those with the most to lose from fossil fuel reduction, such as Saudi Arabia. Initially, the former group pushed for clear fossil fuel phase-out language against the existential threat of climate change, and the latter resisted such clear language for fear of losing the fuel for their economic development. 

Developing and oil-producing countries do not ignore the dangers of climate change or the role of fossil fuels in global warming. Their resistance came from believing that the desired fossil fuel phase-out language would hurt them more, while making developed countries relative winners once again. This resistance stems from the relative success trap. This means success is measured not by what one achieves, but by how one’s achievements compare to those of their counterpart. This trap often leads to feelings of entitlement, missed opportunities, competitiveness and unfairness that make deals harder to negotiate.

Developed countries, while firm on their need for assertive fossil fuel phase-out language, ultimately appreciated the other nations’ interests to craft mutually workable language. Developing and oil-producing countries reciprocated by moving from their preferred watered-down language position towards language that appealed to all parties’ interests.

3. Invent options for mutual gain

Developing options that work for all parties is exponentially harder in multiparty negotiations compared to bilateral ones. To facilitate consensus, a common practice is for a few of the more invested or bigger parties to convene separately to structure some options that can simplify the multiparty talks. The COP28 negotiations benefitted from US climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, leveraging a pre-agreed template to guide countries towards consensus.

Developing and oil-producing countries rallied once their concerns over the economic consequences of an abrupt energy transition were duly addressed. The loss-and-damages fund agreement tackled some of the economic interests of developing countries. More importantly, however, was the newly suggested option with language around transitioning away from fossil fuels.

These actions showed that developed countries were ready to help everyone progress together, allowing other countries to advance at their own speed. After addressing individual concerns, it became clearer to all that working together was crucial to fight the global threat of climate change.

Pre-negotiated templates or early agreements, while potentially efficient, can exclude stakeholders, reduce the value available, promote holdouts and undermine broader consensus. In the negotiations at COP28, Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman held a firm stance against the fossil fuel phase-down until the very end. It took backdoor conversations with influential nations like the US, China and the host to convince him to agree to the newly proposed text, probably after gaining some concessions. 

4. Insist on using objective criteria

One of the successful COP28 initiatives was the joint stocktake done before the meetings in the United Arab Emirates that created a pre-agreed sense of joint legitimacy. The IPCC's findings unequivocally link human activities, notably greenhouse gas emissions, to global warming, undermining the case for climate change denial and reinforcing the need for cleaner energy. 

In complex, multiparty negotiations, it's helpful to ground discussions in agreed-upon, objective criteria, in this case scientific evidence, to transcend individual biases, ignorance or opportunistic behaviour. As an example, President Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 facilitator, was criticised initially as a climate denialist, but later aligned himself with the widely accepted stocktake findings and supported the fossil fuel phase-down. His change of heart underscores the power of legitimacy to change a negotiator’s attitudes or help them save face to their constituents when negotiating towards mutually acceptable solutions.

5. Gather for consensus, not power alliances

In multiparty negotiations, the formation of alliances or coalitions often signifies a power race, driven by the fear of exclusion and a deviation from win-win strategies. This tendency to form blocs can create rigidity and resistance, hindering understanding and creativity, as evidenced in the COP28 deadlock over fossil fuel phase-out language. 

Negotiators may prioritise securing alliances for safety and power, making the use of win-win strategies challenging, especially in complex situations where parties have varied cooperation skills. However, strategic pre-negotiations with win-win-minded representatives, like the US and China did in November 2023 before COP28, can simplify negotiations and increase the likelihood of consensus. This approach, though not without its difficulties, shifts the emphasis from forming coalitions to finding common ground.

Consensus is about finding the best, sometimes the minimum, common denominator so that everyone can move in one direction together. Those who want to move faster fail to appreciate that others would prefer to move in a different direction, and that joining the consensus is already a massive 180o degree turn for them. Hence, any step in aligning direction is a major win. In the case of the fossil fuel phase-down, it becomes harder now for Saudi Arabia to backpedal completely. They can advance in very small steps, and one would not be surprised if they did, but future meetings already start from this point. Now that direction is not an issue anymore, it becomes a matter of how fast we can move.

6. Facilitate for credible outcomes

A neutral facilitator is key to ensure a structured and fair process against the inherent chaos of multiparty negotiations. A facilitator can prevent win-lose dynamics and guide the parties towards consensus. However, their neutrality can be compromised if the facilitators attempt to leverage their role to advance their individual or organisational interests. 

COP28, hosted by the UAE, an oil-rich nation, exemplified this dilemma. The UAE's position as both host and a major oil producer, with the chief of its national oil company at the helm of negotiations, sparked concerns about its ability to impartially facilitate discussions on phasing out fossil fuels. This situation attracted critical media attention, challenging the UAE's neutrality. Successfully addressing the fossil fuel phase-out language helped mitigate these concerns.

COP28: The multilateral climate crossroad

The UAE Consensus achieved at COP28 epitomises the significant effort required for successful multiparty climate negotiations. This agreement marks a crucial baseline for future discussions, making it difficult for any nation to regress. Progress is being made. 

Can the climate wait for the next rounds? We do not know, but pushing too hard and making enemies is surely slower than what we are doing now. Was it perfect? No. Can we live with the outcome? Yes, and we are now a bit closer to being able to live far into the future.

About the author(s)

Horacio falcao.

is a Professor of Management Practice in Decision Sciences at INSEAD and the author of  Value Negotiation: How to Finally Get the Win-Win Right . He is also the programme director of INSEAD's  Negotiation Dynamics  and two Certificates in Negotiation (Advanced & Online), part of the school’s suite of Executive Education programmes.

Najat Ferchachi

is a Government Affairs Advisor.

Related Tags

Share this post, view comments, no comments yet., leave a comment, please log in or sign up to comment..

Our website has a lot of features which will not display correctly without Javascript.

Please enable Javascript in your browser

Here how you can do it: http://enable-javascript.com

• Discussion Forum

Multiparty Negotiation, Group Decision Making, and Teams

For more information, or to discuss how to adapt the course for your academic or executive education needs, contact Lisa Brem, Case Studies Program Manager, at [email protected] .

Educators can register at the Harvard Law School Case Studies web site to check out these role plays used in the course:

Run for the Border!

Balance the Budget!

The Final Furlough

Family Property Dispute Resolution

Star Pond Community Meeting

Amity Island Focus Group

Share this:

About Lisa Brem

• Search for:

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive weekly notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Follow HLS Case Studies

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to our RSS feed

• Et Seq., The Harvard Law School Library Blog
• Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program
• HLS Berkman Center for Internet and Society
• HLS Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation
• HLS Program on the Legal Profession
• Program on Negotiation

Recent Posts

• Worker Centers & OUR Walmart: Case studies on the changing face of labor in the United States
• Robbing the Piggy Bank? Moving from mutual to stock form at Friendly Savings Bank
• The Argument for Active Learning
• Spotlight on: International and Comparative Law
• Fair Use Week: 5 Questions with Kyle Courtney

Top Posts & Pages

• Law Professors: Still Stuck in the Same Old Classroom?
• Summer Reading: Legal Education’s 9 Big Ideas, Part 3
• #1 Role Play Gets An Update
• For-Profit Law Schools: Impacting the Future of Legal Education
• HBS Shares: How to Make Class Discussions Fair
• Case Development Initiative Blog Posts
• Case Study Program Blog Posts
• Experiential Learning and the Case Study Method
• Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program Blog Posts
• Legal News and Debate
• Problem Solving Workshop Blog Posts
• Program on International Law and Armed Conflict Blog Posts
• Uncategorized

Any opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Harvard University.

Product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within this manuscript are the property of their respective trademark holders. These trademark holders are not affiliated with the author or any of the author's representatives. They do not sponsor or endorse the contents and materials discussed in this blog.

Outside images are used under a Creative Commons license, and do not suggest the licensor's endorsement or affiliation.

Comments are encouraged. Blog administrators will use their discretion to remove any inappropriate, uncivil, slanderous, or spam comments.

Email the site administrator at [email protected]

Negotiation

The teaching cases in this section introduce students to the theory and practice of negotiation by emphasizing both analytical and interpersonal skills. Several lessons can be found, including how to trade on differences to create value, overcome a status and power imbalance, build a multi-party coalition, and balance the demands of internal vs. external negotiations.

Confronting Constraints: Shashi Verma & Transport for London Tackle a Tough Contract Sequel

Publication Date: December 19. 2023

This sequel accompanies HKS Case 2275.0, "Conflicting Constraints: Shashi Verma &Transport for London Tackle a Tough Contract."  The case introduces Shashi Verma (MPP 97) in 2006, soon after he has received a plum appointment: Director...

Confronting Constraints: Shashi Verma & Transport for London Tackle a Tough Contract

The case introduces Shashi Verma (MPP 97) in 2006, soon after he has received a plum appointment: Director of Fares and Ticketing for London's super agency, Transport for London. The centerpiece of the agency's ticketing operation was the Oyster...

Evelyn Diop

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

 Evelyn is a seasoned nonprofit fundraising professional with roots in the corporate world, who thrives when faced with a strategic challenge. While she had been successfully leading change as a chief development officer (CDO) at...

Leadership and Negotiation: Ending the Western Hemisphere’s Longest Running Border Conflict

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

For centuries, Ecuador and Peru each claimed sovereignty over a historically significant, but sparsely inhabited tract of borderland in the Amazonian highlands. The heavily disputed area had led the two nations to war—or the brink of...

Galvis City Schools Collective Bargaining Simulation

Publication Date: June 8, 2022

This is a seven-party exercise, with six negotiators and one facilitator. Representatives from a large school district and its affiliated teachers’ union must negotiate for three rounds. The Mayor serves as a facilitator and convening...

Briefing Sheet: “Be SURE” You Are Prepared to Negotiate WELL

Publication Date: May 6, 2022

This briefing sheet reviews a four-step “Be SURE” negotiation preparation framework. It was developed to complement educational and resource materials accessible through the HKS SLATE Negotiate WELL (Work, Education, Life, and...

When Gender Matters in Organizational Negotiations

Publication Date: March 18, 2022

Learning Objective:The overarching learning objective is to help students recognize the situational circumstances that moderate gender effects in negotiation. Core lessons include: (a) A person’s gender is not a reliable predictor of their...

Negotiate WELL (Work, Education, Life, & Leadership): A Strategic Preparation Workbook

Publication Date: October 5, 2021

The Strategic Preparation Workbook guides students in preparing for a work or life negotiation so that they are more likely to succeed in negotiations. The Workbook outlines a four-part process in preparing for a negotiation and finishes with...

Maryam Hassan

Publication Date: March 8, 2021

Maryam and Sameer, brother and sister, were searching for an apartment in Hitech City, Hyderabad. Recent college graduates who were now starting jobs with high-profile technology firms, they wanted to lease an apartment together. The case...

Shahana Patel

Shahana had just received a job offer from a trendy global startup in India, but she was getting married in five months and wanted to negotiate for a short leave for the wedding and a transfer to the company’s Hong Kong office to be with...

Priya, a graduate student of public policy, was offered internships from two units within the International Development Fund. One offered a good salary, took advantage of her past work experience but was longer than she wanted; the other,...

Angel Torres Sequel

The Angel case was developed from accounts by students and managers about challenges and opportunities in early career employment opportunities for students in technology and engineering jobs, particularly those from less privileged and...

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, wielding power in multiparty negotiations: the impact of communication medium and assertiveness.

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN : 1044-4068

Article publication date: 2 October 2021

Issue publication date: 11 January 2022

The medium negotiators choose for communication will influence both process and outcome. To understand how medium influences power expression, this paper aims to compare value claiming by asymmetrically powerful negotiators, using face-to-face and computer-mediated messaging across two studies. Following up on long-standing conjectures from prominent coalition researchers, the authors also directly tested the role of the apex negotiator's personality in coalition formation and value expropriation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted two laboratory experiments which manipulated communication medium (computer-mediated vs face-to-face) in three- and four-person bargaining. They also varied asymmetry of power so the apex negotiator either could not be left out of a winning coalition (Study 1) or could be (Study 2). The authors measured trait assertiveness along with multiple indicators of hard bargaining behavior.

Communicating using instant messages via a computer interface facilitated value claiming for powerful negotiators across both studies. Trait assertiveness correlated with hard bargaining behavior in both studies. An index of hard bargaining behavior mediated the effect of assertiveness on value expropriation but only in the context where the powerful negotiator held a genuine monopoly over coalitions.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to the literature on multiparty negotiations by demonstrating persistent media effects on power utilization and by finally confirming the conjectures of prominent coalition researchers regarding personality. Though personality traits generate consistent effects on behavior, their influence on negotiation outcomes depends on the power structure. Negotiation theory needs to incorporate structural and situational factors in modelling effects of enduring traits. Negotiation research should move beyond a rigid focus on dyads.

• Personality
• Communication medium
• Multiparty negotiation

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Barbara Gray for her helpful feedback on an earlier version of the manuscript and Kurt Silver for his assistance with the programming for their studies. They also thank Richard Posthuma and three anonymous reviewers for their many constructive comments.

Lee, J.I. , Jang, D. , Luckman, E.A. and Bottom, W.P. (2022), "Wielding power in multiparty negotiations: the impact of communication medium and assertiveness", International Journal of Conflict Management , Vol. 33 No. 1, pp. 132-154. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-01-2021-0002

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

We’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here

at Harvard Law School

Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program

Strategies in multi-party negotiations (a video presentation).

O ne of those practitioners is Susan Carney Lynch, JD, DrPH, NREMT-P , a lawyer, public servant, and   F ellow with Harvard’s Advanced Leadership  Initiative (ALI). Dr. Lynch has built a career around law and public health while centering the principles of effective multiparty negotiation throughout her work. Given the global focus on public health imperatives in the COVID–19 crisis , we  were grateful when Dr. Lynch offered to share some of her experiences and thoughtful analysis with our students and our broader community. Below is  a presentation that she graciously delivered concerning  her experience with  multiparty negotiation theory at the forefront, followed by an interview further exploring her perspective.  

CASE STUDY PRESENTATION:  STRATEGIES IN MULTI-PARTY NEGOTIATIONS USING A FALSE CLAIMS ACT LONG-TERM CARE CASE-STUDY     

Prior to her fellowship with ALI, Susan Lynch spent 20 years at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) where she led healthcare fraud prosecutions and elder justice policy work. She leads the Department’s Nursing Home Initiative and is the DOJ prosecution lead for all federal civil long-term care quality prosecutions and, as Senior Trial Counsel for elder justice, she founded and was the national lead for the Department’s ten regional Elder Justice Task forces, comprised of cross-sector, multidisciplinary teams which combat financial exploitation and elder abuse, and conduct elderly outreach. Dr. Lynch also served as senior lead on all rural and tribal issues related to elder abuse and exploitation, and has devoted years of service to the Native American population in South Dakota through the nonprofit ReMember Organization at Pine Ridge. Dr. Lynch also volunteers as a Paramedic in Maryland on weekends.

INTERVIEW w/Susan Lynch and HNMCP Clinical Instructor, Morgan Michelle Franklin

Morgan Michelle Franklin:  Susan, thank you so much for being with us. I’d love to ask a couple of questions to complement your presentation. First, I’m wondering if you wouldn’t mind talking with us a little bit about your career path. How did you get involved in this work?   

Susan Lynch:   Absolutely. So my biggest motivation for  working in  the health care fraud  space  came in law school where I was fortunate enough to have a professor that became a mentor who taught  first year Torts as  a  health  care  law  class. And so  he discussed  various torts involving medical issues. I then had a property professor  who discussed property as a health care law class , as well . And so I got greatly interested in health. And then after law school, I went to a law firm back in the ’90s when everybody was focused on Hillary Clinton’s health plan. So that interest continued .   I then  decided to get my  D octor of  P ublic  H ealth, which pushed me completely into the area of policy and health and went on to the Justice Department with a particular focus on health care  law .  

MMF:   Oh, wow. Well, that is fascinating and great for the law students who are engaging with your work to think about how law school passion can inform a career. What do you think is most challenging about your work?  

SL:   So I think a couple of things are challenging in this work.  W hen you look at some of the nursing homes across the country, particularly now in the context of  COVID-19 , there’s a lot of residents suffering. And in some of  cases where the quality of care is really poor, you review the medical records and you see resident suffering, it is difficult. I think the other thing that can be challenging, as I mentioned, is the multi-party nature of these cases. And so while one result may be easier to achieve if there were just two parties sitting across the table from each other, these cases can involve  many, many stakeholders.  This  multi-stakeholder aspect can  make things challenging and complicated to  reach  a solution.  

MMF:    Well, that’s an excellent segue to the next question I’d like to ask you which is specifically about the alternative dispute resolution context. You’ve talked a bit now and also in your presentation about multi-party work. You’ve done so in a context in which people might not immediately think of multi-party negotiation. How did you come to think of your work within the multi-party frame?  

SL:   Sure.  Some  of these larger cases that I’ve been involved with that have included federal and state government s, and have included  from two  relators  up to  five or six relators.  The   multi-party nature of the work be comes clear when you engage in the cases where you see that, you know, it may be that the federal government has a particular interest that overlaps 80% with the state’s interests. But there is that one piece that isn’t exactly aligned and you have to then step back and say, well, what is the greater goal? What is the greater interest? And it really does, I think, fit the model of multi-party negotiations and making sure that you have common interests satisfied.  

MMF:   OK, thanks for that.   I was also really happy to hear about the importance of strategies related to conflict within your own negotiating team, as that’s often an area that’s overlooked particularly by students who are studying negotiation. I’m wondering if you would mind just saying a little bit more about your experiences navigating same-side conflict and what you think is most important to consider in that context.  

SL:   Sure. So I think the most important thing to consider on the same side is stepping back and saying, what do we ultimately want from this case? Do we ultimately want from this case—and let’s go back again to our example—a C orporate  I ntegrity  A greement to continue the quality monitoring and a certain amount of damages, and how do we keep our eye on the ball ?  So one is to keep your eye on the ball. I think the second is to recognize that there are many ways to  get from  one end of the town to the other town, you can go down many different roads and to not be too rigid about the way in which you get there, but to be sure that you  actually get  there together. And the last thing is to be really open to many different ideas and positions along the way,  because in  a negotiation, particularly one that goes on for a  year things  will change. The regulatory environment can change.  Look at  the situation with C OVID-19 .   I t upends priorities, and everything.   

MMF:   Fantastic. And you know, you said earlier that you had certain experiences in law school that really kind of shifted your thinking around career or informed them. I’m wondering if you have thoughts about how law schools might train students to effectively navigate this sort of work that you discussed here and in your presentation.  

SL:   Sure. That’s a tremendous question.  Negotiation is  like learning to play an instrument or riding a bike. And you can read about the theory. You can watch somebody do it, but you really don’t get your voice in the process, get your strategy in the process until you’ve done  the skill in a number of different  negotiations  because every negotiation is going to be different. So I think one way in which schools could really educate  students  is to start out with the theory.  This  is  the  theory of multiparty negotiation. This is the theory  of the  way to resolve conflict on your own  side. We  get the basic principles. Now, let’s watch some negotiations, be they video ,  virtual, be they in person. And let’s try to dissect  first what’s  going on here. How is this  person identifying  a BATNA ? (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) ? How is this person trying to resolve the conflict? What are they doing well and not so well and engage in that process for a while and then move to trying  the negotiation  yourself.  The  National Institute of Trial Attorneys, NITA, has a very effective way in which they work with  students  on simulations.  I have taught Trial Advocacy with NITA for years. Their  model is playback and prescription, so somebody goes in to a negotiation— two students or five, you’ve got a multiparty negotiation—and they negotiate. And then they do a bunch of things well, but they do a few things not so well. The NITA  instructor then looks at the student and says, OK, you did the following three things well, good for you. Now let’s focus on the things you need to improve and play back what they did that could be improved, where there is an opportunity for improvement . You did X, what you could have done is Y, and the idea of showing people what they could have done better, I think is absolutely critical. And sometimes that’s missing in  student training in  simulations because you say those three things were fantastic and here this thing could be improved, but we don’t really  don’t show the student HOW to improve . But by modeling that improvement, I think you really do get somewhere. And when the student has seen the theory so they have that to callback and then they’ve watched a number of negotiations, they’ve got that to recall. So they have something to model.  

MMF:   Yeah, great. You know, I’m just thinking about given all the things that you’ve done over the course of your career, if you could give yourself one piece of advice, knowing what you know now, at the beginning of your career, what would that piece of advice be?  

SL:   It would be that skill and experti s e takes time to develop. You cannot develop wisdom in a day. I started out  my career  in a law firm  and  can remember  as a young Associate going to court with law firm partners and watching them argue motions, particularly my first two years before I got to do it myself, thinking, the gulf between what I learned in law school and what these   partners are doing is an impossible task. I cannot get across that bridge. This is really far. But what you realize is it’s not that far. And that as you get into the process, you start to develop your own voice.  I need  to give myself the time and the patience and the compassion to develop my own skill and my own style. But I think that my feeling when I came out of law school and started seeing these people arguing these motions was, that’s impossible. But it is not, it is just a process.   

MMF:   That is wonderful and I’m sure that will help quite a few people who are engaging with this and think, oh, I’ll never be able to be this astute. So that’s excellent. Let’s see, so earlier in our conversation, I asked you about the most challenging aspect of your work. Now I’d love to hear what you think is the most rewarding part.  

SL:   Sure. Well, when you get a large group of people together, like in the  Extendicare case  and you’re able to engage in negotiations and come up with a solution that you think is going to make a positive  difference in the lives of residents in nursing homes, that is tremendously rewarding. And  I feel that in those cases you are making a tremendous difference in people’s lives.  

MMF:   Fantastic. Thank you for sharing that. Are there any final thoughts that you have that you’d like to share with those who are reading this interview/have engaged with your presentation?  

SL:   Sure, I think that as you go forward in your career, whatever you choose, always remain the captain of your own ship and make sure that you steer your career both substantively and in the area of practice, be it litigation, counseling, what have you, in the direction that you want it to go. There’ll be many people trying to pull you in various directions, and so make sure you remain the captain of your own ship and really show up every day doing your best and being ethical in the pursuit.  

MMF:   Well, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it.   

Related Content

The Fight for Boston’s GLX and CLX: Stakeholder Mapping and Integrative Negotiation – Part II

The Fight for Boston’s GLX and CLX: Stakeholder Mapping and Integrative Negotiation — Part I

Knowing and Navigating Decision Rules

Dealing in Justice: System-Level Solutions for Plea Bargaining Inefficiencies in Massachusetts Municipal and District Courts

Negotiators x PATHWAYS: A Collaboration to Facilitate Negotiations Training to Students Across the World

This time, let’s not talk about process

What does Putin Want?: Assessing Interests in the Invasion of Ukraine

Introducing the HNMCP Spring 2022 Student Blogger

• Search Menu
• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Urban Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Emotions
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Acquisition
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Religion
• Music and Culture
• Music and Media
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Lifestyle, Home, and Garden
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Politics
• Law and Society
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Oncology
• Medical Toxicology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Medical Ethics
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Security
• Computer Games
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business Strategy
• Business History
• Business Ethics
• Business and Government
• Business and Technology
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic Systems
• Economic Methodology
• Economic History
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Theory
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Politics and Law
• Public Administration
• Public Policy
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Developmental and Physical Disabilities Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

• < Previous chapter
• Next chapter >

6 (page 91) p. 91 Complex multi-party multi-issue negotiations

• Published: September 2022
• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

This chapter explores the variations of numbers of parties and issues and how negotiations involving more than two parties (dyadic) negotiations are different. With three or more negotiation parties there will be coalition formations, defections, problems of commitments, need for decision rules (voting), and determinations of what constitutes an agreement (consent of two is not enough). Complex negotiations require process and decision rule management—ground rules for speaking, voting rules for decision and agreement. There will be log rolling, partial agreements, and trades from one party to another, making negotiated agreements less stable without clear rules of process. This chapter provides examples from historical and common areas for group and complex negotiation—constitution making, democratic decision making, corporate and group action; governmental processes. In larger groups there may be choices about consensus rules, dissent, and a need to have a third party (leader, mediator, facilitator) manage the negotiation and decision process.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

• GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]
• Google Scholar Indexing

Personal account

• Sign in with email/username & password
• Get email alerts
• Save searches
• Purchase content
• Activate your purchase/trial code

Institutional access

• Sign in with a library card Sign in with username/password Recommend to your librarian
• Institutional account management
• Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

• Click Sign in through your institution.
• Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
• When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
• Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Sign in with a library card

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

• Click Sign in through society site.
• When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

• View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
• View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Rights and permissions
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

• About our Courses
• Sales Negotiation Training
• Procurement Negotiation Training
• Essential Negotiator
• Negotiation Simulation Game
• Advanced Negotiation Training
• Customized Negotiation Training
• Open Enrolment Calendar
• Course Comparison
• All Resources
• Case Studies
• Definitions

Home » Resources » Articles » Multi-Party Negotiations (part 1)

Multi-Party Negotiations (part 1)

Part 1 of this article discusses the challenges imposed by multiple negotiators at the negotiation table.

Many business partnerships that are forged in today’s increasingly specialised business milieu, often involves 3 or more partners who are co-joining into complex agreements. This bubbling stew pot of positions , needs, and ambitions requires dexterous handling of the right ingredients. This ambitious blend makes the difference between savouring a rich and inviting texture of tastes, or storming out the door in disgust. It’s a delicate balancing act where everyone is jostling, both delicately and aggressively, on the same high wire act, and all at the same time. Making it work and run smoothly requires a level head and keen vision.

The first part of this article tackles the dark mix of problems we may encounter. The second part of the article brings some light, to guide us along the high road to manage our way through this maze.

What are the differences?

When we have multiple people sitting at the table, there is greater potential for turbulence to seethe beneath the apparent calm. For one thing we will have more people jockeying and clamouring for attention. It can be a volatile mixture of mismatched representatives. Some negotiators may be acting as primary representatives, while others may be agents or third party negotiators who are acting on behalf of someone else, and may even have a separate and hidden agenda of their own.

We might have to brazen out the dilemma posed by the ‘ pecking order ‘ conundrum. Some negotiators may have a high level of executive status, while others are lower down in the corporate food chain with lesser status. Status can have meaningful implications as the authority levels of the representatives might be mismatched. This could result in a power struggle that might tie up the various discussions, that interplay throughout the discussions and at different levels. It is a complex drama where the actors may ad-lib their lines throughout the entire play, with mixed results.

The Information Puzzle

When we have more parties at the table, we will also face a multi prism of issues, viewpoints and perspectives. Like a demented chef madly throwing their ingredients into the pot, let us also add a multiple myriad of facts and figures, projections, expert opinions, and extraneous analysis into this culinary brew. We should be quite pleased to find the resulting mix eatable, while secretly being happy it didn’t explode in our face. This is simply a melodramatic way of saying that multiparty negotiations are complex and challenging, given all the factors we have to consider and keep in mind at all times.

The People Puzzle

During multiparty negotiations, we have to deal with a variety of agendas . We are no longer dealing with one-on-one discussions where there is usually some degree of ebb and flow. Now, the negotiators will be more challenged as they strive to achieve their individual objectives, while facing the pressing issues of staying cohesive and maintaining a unified direction.

Personalities may interact either melodiously, or abrasively. Negotiators may face a variety of tactics or even unethical gambits, as they evaluate and measure each other in pressing home their points. Conflicts will have to be overcome, as the group wrestles to achieve a uniform solution that is satisfactory, to not only the participants, but the constituents they represent as well.

The focus must always be on finding an effective agreement, a common vision that satisfies all their needs, in the best possible manner. The one caution that must be inserted here, is to be wary of making an agreement for an agreements sake. A weak or patched agreement is like threading your way through rush hour, wearing a blindfold and hoping for the best – it seldom works out very well.

Chaotic order or ordered chaos?

In the simple world of a two party negotiation, each party generally takes turns in their exchanges, as they proceed along the way. In a multiparty negotiation, finding order and process can be harder than finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Who starts? Who does what next? Who determines the agenda? Since there are many differing issues, and of relative importance, we need a way to figure out how we will separate the wheat from the chaff, and visualize a common design. How do we establish order amongst this complex group, so that it doesn’t result in some civilised form of a taproom brawl, minus the fisticuffs? This is especially blaring when we meet head-on with the hard nosed negotiator, or when faced with a highly dominant personality pressing to have their way, and to heck with the rest of the group.

There obviously needs to be a means to manage the process so that there is order in how things are performed. Otherwise, nothing could ever be accomplished. As many multiparty negotiations do succeed, we can safely be assured, there are means and tactics to address the potential dilemmas we might face in the preceding paragraphs described above.

Let the games begin

Needless to say, each negotiation representative may invoke their own negotiation strategy and tactics to achieve their objectives. The more players involved, the more the interplay of strategies become increasingly and even perilously complex. Each player also will be responding to the strategy and tactics of the other players at the negotiation table. To succeed in this environment demands a high level of negotiation skills .

One of the challenges facing us in these thorny negotiations, is deciding how we will counter the differing strategies used by our counterparts. We may either deal with them on a one on one basis, or collectively as a group. We might be faced with hard bargaining issues while trying to find ways to develop creative solutions.

Attitudes could range from being confrontational and positional. This will sculpt their approach in whether they have the desire, or become reluctant to offer or consider concessions . All of this combined will affect the overall and ongoing dynamics of the interactions between the skilled negotiators, both individually and collectively.

There is also the challenge where a negotiator might face the coalition(s) of two or more negotiators. So now we must also deal with the added stress and pressures of coping with the coalitions attempt to dominate our position. Or, they may contrive to force their own resolution of issues between themselves or, by making side agreements during a break in talks. Sometimes, these coalitions can force the group into complying with a common perspective, while trampling on our own views about an issue or agreement.

Multiparty negotiations add many levels of both challenges and complexities that are normally less prevalent in a two party negotiation. In part 1 of this 2 part article, we considered the types of challenges and problems we may encounter. Although these challenges can appear daunting, there are ways and means to address this myriad of problems. Part 2 will offer a variety of solutions to address these dilemmas.

Continue to part 2 of Multi Party Negotiations .

• Harvard Business Essentials ‘Negotiation’ Harvard Business School Press, (2003).
• Max H. Bazerman, Margaret A. Neale, ‘Negotiating Rationally’, The Free Press – MacMillian, (1992).
• Leigh Thompson, ‘The Heart and Mind of the Negotiator-2nd Edition’, Prentice Hall Business Publishing, (2001).
• J. Lewicki, A. Litterer, W.Minton, M. Sauders, ‘Negotiation’, 2nd Edition, Irwin,(1994).

As the author says, multiparty negotiations add many levels of both challenges and complexities… Managers don’t always see the complexity of such negotiations as vital for success. I have recently been participating in such types of negotiation, trying to give advance warning to the board of one party, presenting the complexity and different levels of interests of the other party. Hence they were able to move from hardly believing in such a situation into realizing that such a spectrum faced them in their negotiations.

Share your Feedback Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Newsletter Signup