With Feeling: How Emotions Shape Negotiation

Abstract

Recognition of the role played by emotions in negotiation is growing. This article synthesizes current research around four broad themes: moves and exchanges, information processing, social interaction, and context. The authors' review reveals that much of the research on this topic has focused on two key emotions, anger and happiness. More recently, negotiators have turned to other emotions such as guilt and disappointment, demonstrating that not all negative emotions have the same consequences, or activate the same regions of the brain. Focusing on social interaction, the authors note that negotiators may influence each others' emotions: whether negotiators converge to anger or happiness has different consequences for agreement. Researchers have broadened their examination of emotion by considering how external factors such as power, the number of negotiators, culture, and gender influence the impact of emotional expression. The authors also consider the function and impact of expressing authentic emotions, or choosing to use emotions strategically to gain an advantage — an issue that raises important ethical questions for negotiators. The article concludes with some practical implications of the research.

Take the Right Turn: The Role of Social Signals and Action–Reaction Sequences in Enacting Turning Points in Negotiations

“…Thus, they are also more likely to influence beliefs and behavior (Forgas 1992;Lazarus 1991). Research has established strong empirical evidence that emotions affect a negotiator's own decisions and behavior, the reaction of the counterpart and, as a consequence, the outcome of the negotiation (for reviews, see, Druckman and Olekalns 2008;Griessmair et al 2015;Olekalns and Druckman 2014).…”

Theory to Practice: Reflections on a Consulting Life

“…My doctoral dissertation dealt with the effects of emotional attachments to groups on negotiation. More recent work on emotions with Mara Olekalns includes an edited special issue of Group Decision and Negotiation (Druckman & Olekalns, 2008) and a review article in Negotiation Journal (NJ) (Olekalns & Druckman, 2014). The special issue included contributions on anger in social conflict, positive affect, cultural variation in strategic emotions, and a state of the art review on negotiator affect.…”

The Impact of Mixed Emotions on Creativity in Negotiation: An Interpersonal Perspective

“…Negotiators’ expressed emotions can affect joint gain. Extant work mainly focused on the displays of anger and happiness (Olekalns and Druckman, 2014). The use of these emotions in negotiations has both advantages and disadvantages (see Olekalns and Druckman, 2014; Hunsaker, 2017).…”

“…Extant work mainly focused on the displays of anger and happiness (Olekalns and Druckman, 2014). The use of these emotions in negotiations has both advantages and disadvantages (see Olekalns and Druckman, 2014; Hunsaker, 2017). For instance, an angry negotiator tends to appear tough (Van Kleef and De Dreu, 2010).…”

“…We manipulated negotiators’ expressed emotions in a dyadic negotiation that has hidden integrative potential. Given the emphases on anger and happiness in the negotiation literature (Olekalns and Druckman, 2014), we manipulated negotiators’ expression of anger and happiness. Each negotiation dyad had either mixed or same emotions between two interacting partners.…”