Negotiation strategies: hardness wins - mostly

Study examines the success of different approaches - for coalition talks is not good compromise

Who uncompromising evident in negotiations so that drives better than representatives of a "soft" line usually. But that is not necessarily true when negotiating with the female sex is - then a strategy of mutual concessions possibly more promising. The show researchers the University of Lüneburg and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in a recent study. Another result: Uncompromising hardness can indeed be short sensible compromise the long-term cooperation but. For coalition talks as now in Schleswig-Holstein, this strategy therefore rejects probably less. The publication will be published shortly in the prestigious Journal of Management, but is already available online.

How should I negotiate, if I want to achieve the best possible success for me? There are basically two strategies: I stand tough and uncompromising on; I make concessions - if at all - only after a long and tough struggle. Or I try by willing concessions (which can be quite one-sided first) to move the opposing party also to compromise.

It is difficult to predict which strategy is better in each individual case. However, "tough dogs" seem to be more successful than "softies" in many arguments. But that's not always true. The researchers from Münster and Lüneburg have now investigated in a broad-based meta-study on which factors the success of the chosen negotiation tactic depends. In it they analyze publications from the last few years that deal experimentally with the topic of "negotiation strategies". In total, more than 7.000 people took part in the respective experiments.

Know your opponent

The main result: Hard bargaining strategies are on average significantly more successful than soft. This is especially true under certain conditions: "to show hardness, works just then very good, if the partners can see - if they so actually sitting at a table, rather than, for example, to communicate by telephone or Internet," says Dr. Joachim Hüffmeier of the University of Münster. "In this situation it is probably easier to signal dominance and to show the opposite, that is not much get out."

It is also extremely important to know the scope for negotiation by the counterparty as precisely as possible. "The better you are prepared, in this respect, the compromise can try to impose its own position," says Professor Dr. Alexander Friend of the University of Lüneburg. "The key is to success: Know your opponent!"

to show hardness, but is not always the right way. Women, for example, are on average much less of it than men to demonstrate their power position. Instead, they are cooperative and willing to compromise. Once the negotiation opponents female sex is, therefore, a soft negotiating strategy can certainly more promising.

Basically, the scientists recommend not to lose the medium-term impact of the chosen strategy of the eye. Thus, the studies show also that uncompromising hardness may cause the Counterparty to upsets. This can strain the relationship between the parties clearly - and thus also the future cooperation. Budding coalition do therefore probably be well advised to compromise to show, if not to be under a bad star of the beginning of their political marriage.

Source: Lüneburg [Leuphana University]