Business Negotiations

Paper Summary:

This paper compares the positional method of bargaining to the new, more thought-out method of Fisher and Ury. The paper explains positional bargaining as a bargaining approach where each party takes a stance, or position, that reflects everything he or she desires, thereby putting each party in an adversarial position and fostering a win-lose situation. In contrast, Fisher and Ury's method is defined as a rational way to approach negotiating, which creates an atmosphere where both parties benefit, thereby creating a win-win situation.

From the Paper:

"Positional bargaining can almost be thought of as the "cartoon version" of bargaining. It's the sort, though, that most people think of when the term bargaining arises. The image is one in which each party takes a stance, or position, that reflects everything he or she desires. The other party does the same. Fisher and Ury note that haggling over a price is typical of this kind of bargaining (p. 11) with both sides hoping to meet closer to their own starting position than the other party ends up. This makes the parties into adversaries and can, say Fisher and Ury, harm the parties' relationship. They suggest that a far better way to carry out negotiations is from the basis of principles, and they outline four that should be used in all negotiations, indeed, at each stage of the process of reaching an agreement."

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