Page 200 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Notes lower the price any more—it’s already $2,000 less than what we sold the last one for, and
I matched your concession, which I think is only fair, so do we have a deal?”

Box 9.2: Fairness Norm Example

9.8 Reciprocity Norm

The reciprocity norm, or the human tendency to respond to the actions of others with equal or
similar actions, is a third major type of norm. Someone who believes that “an eye for an eye” is
the most reasonable response to another party is applying the reciprocity norm. For example, a
seller who drops her price by $2,000 may expect the buyer to counter with a $2,000 higher offer.
At the negotiation table, a single act of hostility—or one of respect and cooperation—can be
responded to with like action, and start an ongoing cycle that can last for years, even after the
individuals who initiated it are long gone. Such cycles, which often grow from a perception of
hostility or unfairness, can become vicious. Alternatively, they can be positive or virtuous if the
negotiation process itself is perceived to be fair and the outcomes are perceived to be fair. Such

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