Factors in Bargaining That Affect Negotiation and Mediation Success

Abstract

The bargaining procedures and protocols that structure negotiations can differ as dramatically as the organizational structures of the groups involved in negotiations. These features of the bargaining environment can range in formality from those set by law or custom to those adopted on an ad hoc basis. In each bargaining setting, the presence or absence of certain features can affect the likelihood of bargaining progress. These includes:

• The existence of both common and competitive interests linking the groups;

• How groups are recognized as participants in a dispute;

• The balance of power between the competing groups;

• The frequency of negotiations;

• The number of bargaining groups:

• The existence of bargaining deadline;

• The existence of binding agreements to conclude formal negotiations.