Relationships, Rules and Roles: Applying the 3rs to Negotiation Processes in the British Maritime Industry

28 Pages Posted: 13 Jul 2006

See all articles by Gordon Boyce

Gordon Boyce

Macquarie University - Faculty of Business and Economics; Queensland University of Technology

Cheryl Rivers

University of the Sunshine Coast

Abstract

Negotiators in the real world are embedded in complex social systems, so it is important to understand how negotiators operate within their relationships, within procedural rules and how they manage the dialectic between personal relationships and their organizational roles. This paper extends current understanding of the interaction of these 3Rs of negotiation by examining an historic set of negotiation communications where we have a long run of data and the complexities and challenges of relationships are apparent. We identify that the negotiations in the British maritime networks followed six phases. Negotiators chose partners within their network, but only if economic considerations were met. Personal relationships were used both to limit time invested in negotiation and to resolve differences in positions. Negotiators moved freely between their personal relationship role and their organizational role throughout the negotiation but worked hard to preserve their personal relationships. The theoretical implications and future research directions that emerge from our analysis are discussed.

Keywords: Negotiator relationships, Rules, Negotiator Roles

Suggested Citation

Boyce, Gordon and Rivers, Cheryl, Relationships, Rules and Roles: Applying the 3rs to Negotiation Processes in the British Maritime Industry. IACM 2006 Meetings Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=915936 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.915936

Gordon Boyce (Contact Author)

Macquarie University - Faculty of Business and Economics ( email )

Sydney, New South Wales 2109
Australia

Queensland University of Technology ( email )

Brisbane, 4001
Australia

Cheryl Rivers

University of the Sunshine Coast ( email )

90 Sippy Downs Dr
Sippy Downs QLD, 4556
Australia

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