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Week 3 - Reading Webcast - Negotiation, Emotions, and Conflict Styles

Jul 24, 2025

Overview

This lecture covers the role of mood and emotion in negotiation, introduces conflict styles, and emphasizes self-reflection and adaptability in conflict situations.

Mood, Emotion, and Negotiation (Chapter 6, Licki Text)

  • Positive emotions usually improve negotiation outcomes and lead to smoother processes.
  • Negative emotions like anger can play an important role, especially in deep-seated conflicts.
  • Emotions—both positive and negative—significantly influence negotiation dynamics and dispute resolution.
  • The reading summarizes key research on emotional impact in negotiation processes.

Conflict Styles and the Dual Concerns Model (Shell Reading)

  • The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) assesses individual conflict style tendencies.
  • The Dual Concerns Model considers concern for self versus concern for others, leading to five behavioral conflict styles.
  • Conflict styles are influenced by personal, gender, and cultural differences.
  • The five conflict modes demonstrate tendencies but are not fixed; adaptability is key.
  • Self-reflection on conflict style is more important than rigidly adhering to one style.
  • Adaptability in conflict style allows more effective engagement depending on context and negotiation partner.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Negotiation — a process where parties discuss to reach a mutually agreed-upon solution.
  • Positive Emotion — feelings like happiness or optimism that tend to improve negotiations.
  • Negative Emotion — feelings such as anger or frustration, which can shape negotiation outcomes, sometimes positively.
  • Conflict Style — an individual's habitual approach to handling conflict.
  • Dual Concerns Model — a framework balancing concern for self and others to classify conflict styles.
  • Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI) — a tool to identify personal conflict mode tendencies.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Read the assigned chapters on mood, emotion, and conflict styles.
  • Complete the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI).
  • Reflect on your own conflict style and consider how you can adapt it in different negotiation situations.