Hot or cold: Is communicating anger or threats more effective in negotiation?

Marwan Sinaceur, Gerben A. van Kleef, Margaret A. Neal, Hajo Adam and Christophe Haag ()
Additional contact information
Marwan Sinaceur: INSEAD - Institut Européen d'administration des Affaires
Gerben A. van Kleef: UvA - University of Amsterdam [Amsterdam] = Universiteit van Amsterdam
Margaret A. Neal: Stanford University
Hajo Adam: Northwestern University [Evanston]
Christophe Haag: EM - EMLyon Business School

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Abstract: Is communicating anger or threats more effective in eliciting concessions in negotiation? Recent research has emphasized the effectiveness of anger communication, an emotional strategy. In this article, we argue that anger communication conveys an implied threat, and we document that issuing threats is a more effective negotiation strategy than communicating anger. In 3 computer-mediated negotiation experiments, participants received either angry or threatening messages from a simulated counterpart. Experiment 1 showed that perceptions of threat mediated the effect of anger (vs. a control) on concessions. Experiment 2 showed that (a) threat communication elicited greater concessions than anger communication and (b) poise (being confident and in control of one's own feelings and decisions) ascribed to the counterpart mediated the positive effect of threat compared to anger on concessions. Experiment 3 replicated this positive effect of threat over anger when recipients had an attractive alternative to a negotiated agreement. These findings qualify previous research on anger communication in negotiation. Implications for the understanding of emotion and negotiation are discussed.

Keywords: anger; negotiation; conflict; threat; emotion communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-09-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Published in Journal of Applied Psychology, 2011, 96 (5), 1018-1032 p. ⟨10.1037/a0023896⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02312626

DOI: 10.1037/a0023896

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