Who Can Break the Barriers in Power-Imbalanced Negotiatons? An Analysis Based on Negotiators' Individual and Cultural Characteristics
20 Pages Posted: 15 Jun 2012
Date Written: June 15, 2012
Abstract
In this study we examined the influence of power and how individual cultural characteristics affect the distributive and integrative outcomes in negotiation between Chinese negotiators. Two individual traits (extroversion and agreeableness) and two cultural characteristics (traditionality and modernity) are adopted. With a simulated negotiation between human resource managers and job candidates, we found that the powerful party, i.e., managers, gained better payoffs than the candidates. The candidates with higher modernity values acquired better gains through setting higher aspirations; but the candidates’ extroversion had no significant effect on their individual gains after controlling the gains of their opponents. In addition, for the powerful party, the findings indicate that managers with higher traditionality values benefited joint gains, and the indirect information sharing mediated the effect. However, contrary to the prediction, the managers' agreeableness was not significantly related to the joint gains. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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