Groups in Negotiations

Abstract

Groups interact in settings that shape both the group and the negotiations. Further, the internal structure of a group affects its relations with the external world and its ability to negotiate. This chapter examines the effects of bargaining environment, group structure, and group leadership on negotiation and mediation. An analysis of the highly structured setting and groups of industrial relations, the formal setting of international affairs, and the less structured settings and groups of environmental-development disputes shows how society, custom, and law can shape an organization and its ability to bargain effectively. The disputants in these settings include a diverse range of groups. They include labor unions, management associations, national governments, and advocacy groups that differ in their objectives, leadership structure, and membership rules.