Negotiation

For our in-class exercise, we were given cases and scenarios where we role-played and negotiated with one another. For each group/pair, we were all assigned the same cases. It's interesting because each group still ended with different results and agreements. This is where the important role of negotiation comes in. Negotiation is a process that involves parties trying to agree on how to best allocate resources that work for both sides (Robbins 222). For working with negotiations, most parties want to gain as much as they could without putting out as much. However, this strategy of distributive bargaining means there will always be one party that loses at their own expense. This in conclusion may not be as ideal of a strategy since all the parties involved would not be equally happy with the decision. When I was doing the Ugli Orange case, I initially thought it would not be possible for me to walk out of the negotiation with me having more Ugli oranges than Mr. Jones. I knew for negotiations to work and be utilized up to their full potential, there had to be a compromise between us where we were both satisfied with the result.
I have noticed in my process of negotiating, I was the one asking the most questions, one after another continuously. I knew what I wanted, but I needed to know what Mr. Jones' circumstances were. I also answered honestly when I was inquired further about what I needed. Before having the talk with Mr. Jones, I didn't strategize much on what I should or should not disclose. My mindset was that in the end, we were walking away with equal amounts of ugli oranges. However, it was also due to the fact that we both honestly revealed information about our situation that led us to arrive at a unanimous conclusion. This integrative bargaining allowed both of us to realize we needed different parts of the oranges. My partner Laurel, who was playing as Mr. Jones, would ask me questions such as why it was so important for me to have these oranges and...