Testing the relationships among negotiators’ motivational orientations, strategy choices, and outcomes

Abstract

Previous research has established two-way relationships among negotiators’ motivational orientations, strategy choices, and outcomes. This article focuses on the less often investigated three-way relationship among these variables. A log-linear analysis demonstrated that in individualistically oriented dyads, low joint gain was associated with high levels of substantiation, demand, and proposal modifications. Joint gain improved when negotiators made multi-issue offers, used positional arguing, and introduced non-reciprocal sequences based on priority information. In cooperatively oriented dyads, high levels of priority information, process management, and reciprocal sequences characterized optimum outcomes. We conclude that optimum outcomes result from (a) multi-issue offers and indirect information under an individualistic orientation and (b) reciprocity and direct information under a cooperative orientation.