Communication
Objectives
Communication in Negotiation
Communication processes, both verbal and nonverbal, are critical to achieving negotiation goals and to resolving conflicts.
•Negotiation is a process of interaction
•Negotiation is a context for communication subtleties that influence processes and outcomes
Communication Mechanisms
Basic Models of Communication
Communication is an activity that occurs between two people: a sender and a receiver
•A sender has a meaning in mind and encodes this meaning into a message that is transmitted to a receiver
•A receiver provides information about how the message was received and by becoming a sender and responding to, building on, or rebutting the original message (processes referred to as “feedback”)
Distortion in Communication
1. Senders and receivers
– The more diverse their goals or the more antagonistic they are in their relationship, the greater the likelihood that distortions and errors in communication will occur
2. Transmitters and receptors
– The choice of transmitter can affect outcomes
• Some messages may be better spoken, others written
• Poor eyesight, faulty hearing, etc. diminish the ability of a receiver to receive a message accurately
Distortion in Communication
3. Messages
– The symbolic forms by which information is communicated
– The more we use symbolic communication, the more likely the symbols may not accurately communicate the meaning we intend
4. Encoding
– The process by which messages are put into symbolic form
– Senders are likely to encode messages in a form which receivers may not prefer
Distortion in Communication
5. Channels
– The conduits by which messages are carried from one party to another
– Messages are subject to distortion from channel noise or various forms of interference
6. Decoding
– The process of translating messages from their symbolic form into a form that makes sense
– When people speak different languages, decoding involves higher degrees of error
Distortion in Communication
7. Meanings
– The facts, ideas, feelings, reactions, or thoughts that exist within individuals and act as filters for interpreting the decoded messages
– Those filters can introduce distortions
8. Feedback
– The process by which the receiver reacts to the sender’s message
– Absence of feedback can contribute to significant distortions
– Feedback can distort communication by influencing the offers negotiators make
What Is Communicated
during Negotiation?
Five different categories of communication that take place during negotiation
ØOffers, counteroffers, and motives
ØInformation about alternatives
ØInformation about outcomes
ØSocial accounts
ØCommunication about process
Offers, Counteroffers & Motives
Information about Alternatives
Information about Outcomes
Social Accounts
Communication about Process
How People Communicate
in Negotiation
• Use of language: language operates at two levels
– Logical level (proposals, offers)
– Pragmatic level (semantics, syntax, style)
§ Researchers identified five linguistic dimensions of making threats-
Ø Use of polarized language
Ø Conveyance of verbal immediacy
Ø Degree of language intensity
Ø Degree of lexical diversity
Ø Extent of high/low power language style
How People Communicate
in Negotiation
How People Communicate
in Negotiation
Communication Channel Selection
Communication Channel Selection
Communication Channel Selection
Communication Channel Selection
Communication Channel Selection
Communication Channel Selection
Communication Channel Selection
Four Biases that Threaten
E-mail Negotiations
How to Improve
Communication in Negotiation
How to Improve
Communication in Negotiation
How to Improve
Communication in Negotiation
How to Improve
Communication in Negotiation
Special Communication Considerations at the Close of Negotiations