With Feeling: How Emotions Shape Negotiation

Mara Olekalns, Melbourne Business School
Daniel Druckman, George Mason University

Abstract

An increasingly popular topic in current research is how emotional expressions influence the course of negotiation and related interactions. Negotiation is a form of social exchange that pits the opposing motives of cooperating and competing against one another. Most negotiators seek to reach an agreement with the other party; they also strive for an agreement that serves their own goals. This dual concern is reflected in a process that consists of both bargaining and problem solving. A good deal of the research and practice literature concentrates on ways to perform these activities effectively. In earlier writing, emotions were viewed largely as factors that impede performance, preventing successful coordination from occurring. More recently we have learned that emotions can both help and hinder progress. Expressions may convey useful information about preferences; they can also signal dislike or malevolent intentions. Whether emotions move a negotiation forward or backward -- or improve/threaten a relationship -- depends on a variety of process and context variables. We explore these variables in more depth in this chapter.