An Empirical Quest to Identify the Most Dominant Negotiating Styles Among American Sales Managers

Abstract

SUMMARY This study addresses the proposition as to whether the collaborative negotiation style is the most prevalent among American sales managers in the competitive landscape created by the global economy. It also examines whether there are relationships between the sales managers' negotiation styles and selected personal and organizational characteristics that may affect negotiation styles. The findings of the study reveal that the collaborative style is indeed the most predominant. However, some sales managers do still emphasize the competitive style. This variation may imply Weitz's (1981) adaptive behaviors. There are also significant relationships between the sales managers' negotiation styles and personal and organizational characteristics.