Face threat sensitivity in distributive negotiations: Effects on negotiator self-esteem and demands

Ece Tuncel, Dejun Tony Kong, Judi McLean Parks and Gerben A. van Kleef

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2020, vol. 161, issue C, 255-273

Abstract: Face threat sensitivity (FTS) is defined as reactive sensitivity to threats to one’s social self-worth. In negotiations, such threats may come from a counterpart's competitive behavior. We developed and tested the argument that individuals high in face threat sensitivity, when negotiating with a competitive (vs. cooperative) counterpart, exhibit psychological responses that inhibit them from claiming value in distributive negotiations. Employing a face-to-face interaction paradigm, Study 1 revealed that higher counterpart competitiveness was negatively associated with high (but not low) FTS negotiators’ global self-esteem, which in turn led them to be less demanding and obtain worse negotiation outcomes. In Study 2, employing a simulated on-line interaction paradigm, we manipulated counterpart’s behavior (cooperative vs. competitive) to establish causality and examined specific aspects of negotiator global self-esteem that may account for the effect. We found that the effect of counterpart’s competitiveness on high FTS negotiators’ demand levels was mediated by their performance self-esteem, but not by their social self-esteem. In Study 3, we manipulated performance self-esteem to establish it as a causal underlying psychological mechanism. For high FTS negotiators, when performance self-esteem was low, demand levels were significantly lower with a competitive (vs. cooperative) counterpart. However, when performance self-esteem was high, there was no significant difference in demand levels depending on counterpart’s behavior. This finding suggests that negotiating with a competitive (vs. cooperative) counterpart reduces high FTS negotiators’ performance self-esteem, which in turn leads them to make lower demands. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords: Face threat sensitivity; Negotiation; Global self-esteem; Performance self-esteem; Competitiveness; Demand level (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:161:y:2020:i:c:p:255-273

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.07.004

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