Distribution of Benefits In Negotiation

Gilbert R. Winham and H. Eugene Bovis
Additional contact information
Gilbert R. Winham: Centre for Foreign Policy Studies Dalhousie University
H. Eugene Bovis: Department of State

Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1979, vol. 23, issue 3, 408-424

Abstract: Since 1972 the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of State has used a simulation to train officers in negotiation techniques. This simulation models a negotiation between two fictitious countries over six issues. Earlier research (Winham and Bovis, 1978) explored the reasons for agreement/nonagreement m this simulation. This research analyzes the results of agreed games (N = 24), principally to assess the importance of utility-maximizing behavior in negotiation. Results indicated that participants tended to equalize benefits between nations and between individuals at the expense of pursuing a strategy of utility-maximization. This research confirms the importance of norms of reciprocity and equality in negotiation. The research also suggests, particularly because of the variety between game outcomes, that the range of alternatives that negotiators will consider to be an acceptable solution is very wide indeed. The entire simulation is reproduced in the above citation. It is suitable for practical training, as well as for conducting further research on negotiation.

Date: 1979
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002200277902300302 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jocore:v:23:y:1979:i:3:p:408-424

DOI: 10.1177/002200277902300302

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Conflict Resolution from Peace Science Society (International)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().