Page 203 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Unit 9: Distributive Bargaining

value”), or in a non-judgemental manner that states the issue as a question and invites the parties Notes
to search for a solution (“How can we objectively estimate a fair price?”). This latter method of
framing is less antagonistic and moves discussions toward a process of creative problem solving
if both parties are open to using it Herb Cohen suggests that issues should be presented in terms
of three critical elements:
1. Information: What do you know about the priorities, limits, and strategy of the other
side?

2. Time: Is either side operating under a deadline? Is there pressure from an outside party to
settle quickly?
3. Power: Who has the ability to exercise control over the situation? Power can originate
from different sources: (a) competition—if three parties make offers on the same house,
who has the power? the seller, of course; (b) expertise—a third party supports your position
and thus gives it validity; (c) persuasive capacity—experienced negotiators clearly present
the issues, provide strong evidence to support their positions, and offer proposals that
meet the needs of both sides. The framing of an issue can greatly affect the outcome of the
bargaining. Even a one-word change can significantly alter how both sides view the
issues. For example, in negotiations to merge two organizations, the managers were
reviewing the personnel files of each key person. In each case only one person would be
retained. In the case of one high-ranking position, a manager stated, “Now in thinking
about Taylor, he is too valuable not to keep him, and in the HR director’s job.” The second
manager who wanted his own person, Lane, in that position needed to quickly reframe
the issue of Taylor and repeated the statement with a one-word insertion: “In thinking
about Taylor, he thinks he is too valuable not to keep him, and in the HR director’s job!”
The issue of Taylor’s worth in the new organization was totally changed from fact to only
his lofty opinion of himself, and Lane ended up in the position.
Negotiation scholar David Venter suggests four types of frames to consider in a negotiation
situation: reframing the issue, focus framing, contrast framing, and negative framing (see
Table 9.2).

Table 9.2: Four Types of Frames

Reframing Offers To be perfectly clear, the value of two offers can be identical but the manner in
which they are framed or worded can substantially affect how they are received and thus possibly

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