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Integrative Negotiation Strategy and Tactics

Integrative vs. Distributive Negotiations: What's Different? | Facilitating Successful Integrative Negotiation | The Integrative Negotiation Process | Key Steps in the Integrative Negotiation Process

Integrative vs. Distributive Negotiations: What's Different?

Integrative negotiation is much different than the distributive negotiation that we learned about last week. Instead of a win-lose outcome, such as in distributive bargaining, integrative bargaining has as its focus a win-win strategy in which both parties in the negotiation can walk away as winners. Integrative bargaining is characterized by collaboration and cooperation and is a problem-solving strategy where each of the parties in the negotiation shares in mutual gains. Resources are normally limited in negotiations, and each party would like to be able to acquire their share through bargaining. This can lead to conflict unless the focus is more on the parties' interests rather than a division of the resources.

In integrative negotiations, the goals of the parties are not mutually exclusive. If one side achieves that party's goals, the other is not necessarily precluded from achieving their goals as well. One party's gain is not necessarily at the other party's expense. The fundamental structure of an integrative negotiation situation is such that it allows both sides to achieve their objectives.

The focus of integrative bargaining is much different than in distributive bargaining. Integrative bargaining focuses on the respective commonalities between the parties and not their differences. Understanding the needs and interests of the parties is vital rather as opposed to the positions that each party has on proposals. There is an exchange of data, information, and ideas; creation of options so that each party can gain; and establishment of objective evaluation criteria for considering the negotiation outcomes for the parties.

In order for integrative negotiation to be successful, there are some factors that are important to consider. The parties must be open to communicating freely in exchanging ideas and focus more on their similarities than their differences. They must also be willing and able to be innovative and creative in considering solutions to the issues that satisfy their respective interests and goals.

Facilitating Successful Integrative Negotiation

Various factors facilitate successful integrative negotiation. The process is greatly aided by some form of common goal or objective. The goal may be mutual or unattainable unless both parties work together. Also, both parties must share a motivation and commitment to work together to make their relationship productive and must be willing to believe that each other's needs are valid. They must establish and maintain trust, state their goals clearly and accurately, and make an effort to understand each other's needs (Lewicki et al., 2010, pp. 93–95).

Integrative negotiators must have excellent problem-solving abilities and confidence that they can work in concert in addressing the issues and problems confronting them in negotiations. Integrative bargaining allows the negotiators to develop and strengthen their understanding of the issues and the potential areas of conflict and agreement in creating possible solutions to meet their bargaining goals. A common goal is one that all parties share equally, benefiting each in a way that would not be possible if they did not work together. A shared goal is one that both parties work toward, but that benefits each party differently. A joint goal involves individuals with different personal goals who agree to combine them in a collective effort. Negotiators must believe in the validity of their own position and the other's perspective. Integrative negotiation requires accepting the attitudes, interests, and desires of both sides as valid.

Collaboration between the parties is necessary rather than competition in integrative negotiations. The parties must be motivated and committed to work together in reaching an agreement. The parties must develop a sense of trust in order to be successful in the negotiations. Without that trust, it is difficult to experience the collaboration and cooperation necessary to establish the behavior that is critical for open communication between the parties.

Communication must be clear and accurate with minimal to no distortion. Both parties must be willing to divulge information about themselves, the issues and problems that they want to address must be present, and their goals and objectives for a settlement must exist. It is critical that the parties clearly understand the communication and the meaning that each party associates to their negotiation proposals.

The Integrative Negotiation Process

Honesty, forthrightness, and candidness are some qualities that are important for integrative negotiations. There should be a free flow of information that promotes the development of good integrative solutions between the parties.

As opposed to distributive bargaining, the willingness to share information is necessary in integrative bargaining. The parties must honestly communicate their true objectives and be willing to listen and consider alternatives that will address their respective interests. Between the parties there can be no distrust, concealing of information, or any other tactics that would be viewed as attempting to seek a competitive advantage.

The exchange of information can be stimulated in integrative negotiations by attempting to determine the other parties' needs, interests, and bargaining objectives. This results in the creation of a better bargaining environment, allowing better understanding of the nature of the negotiation.

The differences between the parties should be minimized and so should the commonalities emphasized in integrative negotiations. Understanding the other parties' needs and objectives necessitates a free flow of information between the negotiators. Each party's goals may be revised during this process with the intent of reaching a collaborative goal that satisfies the interests of the parties.

Key Steps in the Integrative Negotiation Process

Identifying and defining the issues and problems is the first step in the process. At this step, broad parameters are established that help the parties understand what the negotiation is about and develop a framework for establishing the discussion. It is imperative that the framework be comprehensive and consider the complexities of the issues to be negotiated.

Understanding the issues and problems is the next step in the process in which the interests of the parties need to surface. The interests of the parties can be different and should become apparent as the communication between the parties remains candid and honest and there is little distortion in the communication. However, as the communication continues, those interests may be more closely aligned and creative solutions can be considered.

There can be a danger when a group of negotiators whose consensus on a particular issue is built around a unified position rather than a more generalized set of interests. It is important to generate alternative solutions to the problem. This can be accomplished by reframing the problem or problem set. For example, expand the pie by adding resources in such a way that both sides can achieve their objectives.

Another option is the logroll. Successful logrolling requires the parties to establish (or find) more than one issue in conflict. The parties then agree to trade off among these issues so that one party achieves a highly preferred outcome on the first issue and the other person achieves a highly preferred outcome on the second issue (Lewicki et al., 2010, pp. 84–85).

Some of the creative aspects of integrative negotiations can be accomplished by considering alternative solutions that can be generated through such methods as brainstorming and surveys. The survey involves asking a large number of people to list all possible solutions that are imaginable in a particular situation. Brainstorming involves generating as many solutions to the problem as possible. Alternatives would then be evaluated and a selection made from them. Decisions should remain tentative on alternatives until all have been considered and a final proposal is completely agreed upon by the parties.

Lewicki, R.J., Saunders, D.M., & Barry, B. (2010). Negotiation (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Negotiation Strategies Tutorial

Click here to open the Negotiation Strategy and Tactics tutorial . Click on the tutorial link to view the tutorial about negotiation positions, including turns, moves, and countermoves. Be sure to review the questions on the Week 4 assignment page prior to viewing the tutorial.