Achieving Consensus Despite Apposing Stakes: A Case of National Input for an ISO Standard on Sustainable Wood

Henk J. de Vries, Beke Winter and Harmen Willemse
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Henk J. de Vries: Erasmus University, Delft, Netherlands
Beke Winter: Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Harmen Willemse: Netherlands Standaridzation Institute, Delft, Netherlands

International Journal of Standardization Research (IJSR), 2017, vol. 15, issue 1, 29-47

Abstract: Decision-making in many standardization committees is consensus-based, but this can be difficult to achieve if stakeholders have conflicting interests. This article develops an approach to consensus-building in standardization by applying the Harvard method of negotiation to standardization. The authors apply this method in a single case study using action research. The case concerns the first meeting of a national standardization committee aimed at preparing national input for a new ISO standard on sustainable wood. Some stakeholders were in favor of a new standard, others opposed it strongly. Consensus was achieved during the first meeting by adopting the Harvard method and by adding a role play exercise. This outcome is promising for similar standardization cases. Both topic and research method are new in standardization research.

Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:igg:jsr000:v:15:y:2017:i:1:p:29-47

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