Skills in Negotiation - Essay Example

? LITERATURE REVIEW- SKILLS IN NEGOTIATION Literature Review- Skills in Negotiation Negotiation can be generally be defined as a process through which individuals reach an agreement in order to settle their differences. This process is guided by fairness, seeking mutual benefit and maintaining relations. Different forms of negotiation are recommended for different disputes. Therefore, negotiation skills can be learnt and applied to help resolve these differences. Indeed, disagreement and misunderstandings are inevitable in our society due to the presence of individuals and their interrelationships. These in most cases are caused by different need, or ideologies that we experience when we are brought together. Absence of negotiation can worsen the differences hence unstable relationships between societal members. This paper presents a thoughtful literature review of the importance of negotiation skills with reference to various scholarly articles and books. ElShenawy views negotiation as an important managerial skill which the success of the global environment relies on. Additionally, most interactions need the aspect of negotiation. This makes skilful negotiators are perceived as useful assets that are capable of increasing the financial performance, maintain good customer relations and ensure worker’s satisfaction (ElShenawy, 2010). Arguably, skills are very essential in the growth of any organization as it promotes understanding and inter-relationship among individuals in the organization. Today, most organizations are interested in employing individuals that are well equipped with appropriate skills like listening skills, and negotiation skills. According to Taylor, Mesmer-Magnus and Burns individuals’ ability to effectively negotiate with others like their coworkers, superiors and their juniors hence effective global workforce (Taylor, Mesmer-Magnus, & Burns, 2008). The success of any organization can be driven by the presence of diverse workforce and skilled labour. It is necessary to adopt appropriate negotiation style in order to come up with key negotiation skills necessary for solving disputes or differences. One can use different approaches to develop key skill required to make any negotiation process successful and sustain relationships. Ideally, skills in negotiations involve the ability to be persuasive and assertive and not confront other parties. These skills promote the effectiveness in negotiation process. Generally, communication skills are very essential in our daily activities and relationships. The only way to solve a dispute is exert the key negotiation skills in the process. However, negotiation is in most cases influenced by the power of the two parties, how they are able to influence others matters. According to Ahn, Sutherland and Bednarek, how the parties influence each other enhances the willingness to reach an agreement (Ahn, Sutherland & Bednarek, 2010). This simply means that the agreement reached to solve the differences between two parties is ideally based on the level of influence that the parties involved have towards each other as well as the case presented, and the third parties present. Briefly, steps followed while negotiating include preparation, discussion, and clarification of goals, win-win outcome, agreement, and implementation of the course of action. Equally, all parties involved have to participate in the negotiation process. The venue to discuss the problem, time limit, and presence of all facts of the situation need to be clarified in order to avoid further conflict and wastage of time. Then, parties involved are given opportunity to air out their views of the situation. Here, they are encouraged to listen, question and ensure clarification of ideas as each side given equal chance to present their cases. Thereafter, the two parties’ goals, interests and viewpoints need to be clarified to found a common ground. Followed by negotiation for a win-win outcome where both parties feel that their views have been taken into consideration and that they have at least gained from the negotiation process. Then, an agreement is achieved once both parties’ interests have been put into consideration; lastly, a course of action is implemented. This process has been adopted by the Chinese government during the enforcement of Chinese culture and business strategies as proposed by Pranee (Pranee, 2009). Effective negotiation skills play significant roles in the promoting certain cultural values and good business strategies. However, there are other forces that hinder the process of peaceful and productive negotiation. Forces like demonization whereby, one party vies the other as rotten and the cause behind the conflict (“Negative & Positive Traps That Affect Negotiation”, 2013). In this scenario, settling disputes can be a very hectic task. Page & Mukherjee suggest critical skills like active learning, critical thinking, and negotiation skills that are very essential when it comes to solving problems (Page & Mukherjee, 2007). More so, an effective negotiator needs to prepare well to be able to negotiate peacefully and ensure that these skills have been applied appropriately. In addition, scholars like propose that negotiation skills are necessary in diverse workforce because conflict is inevitable in such place due to the existing introduction (Spears and Parker, 2009). In most colleges and universities nowadays, there are specific courses offered on bargaining and negotiation, (Schafer, 2011). These courses are meant for imparting students with skills that can help them solve their problems, agree and sustain their relationships. According to ElShenawy, negotiators need to be well equipped with necessary skills. ElShenawy posits that skillful negotiators perform best as compared to unskillful negotiators. They are known by their outcome and behaviour during the process of negotiation (ElShenawy, 2010). Basically, negotiation skills can be expressed or seen through the performance of an individual. Page and Mukherjee presented their argument that individuals are able to articulate their goals and strategies as well as their expectations when they are equipped with negotiation skills (Page & Mukherjee, 2007). ElShenawy argues further that skillful negotiators are able to avoid decision biases, minimize judgmental mistakes as well as minimizing irrationally. They are able to achieve the desired goal of any negotiators task. Good and skillful negotiators need to keep their performance at higher levels. Additionally, they have to be capable of adapting to any situation, learn and change strategy during negotiation, and understand customers in the case of sales negotiators. To be able to acquire and maintain skilful negotiators, negotiation training is recommended. Moreover, long training of negotiators enhances their performance and effectiveness (ElShenawy, 2010). Practical Application Practically, negotiation skills are very essential in increasing firm productivity. Skillful leaders and workers can be obtained when they have useful negotiation skills. It is indeed justifiable that skilful negotiators are valuable assets that should be maintained or retained. They help in negotiating important deals that increase value the firm thereby increasing the firm’s financial performance. Skilful negotiators emerge as a result of training; training promotes the formation of soft skills and experience in other managerial fields. The growth and expansion of any organization is based on the skillful negotiators that they accommodate and how they maintain these skillful workers also matters a lot. The issue of skillful versus unskilled labour affects almost all fields in the corporate world. This is so because skillful negotiators facilitate the productivity and growth of the organization. They are the key drivers of the success in diverse professions. Moreover, the financial value of a firm can be achieved by increased negotiation skills of the executives. Arguably, those engaged in negotiation role plays learn both contextual and practical aspects of negotiation together with critical thinking aspects like analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Again, negotiation enables individuals to articulate their goals, strategy and their expectation by realizing and understanding their own interests. It is advised to consider other party’s views as well. This in turn allows them to practice analysis process. Consequently, developing a solid strategy is necessarily and this gives them chance to practice synthesis. Additionally, they evaluate these strategies enabling them to exercise evaluation. At the climax of the negotiation process, participants answer many questions and in the course of finding answers, they keenly analyze the negotiation to understand the forces behind the outcome. These exercises enable individuals to learn adequate skills and put these skills into practice. The negotiation process is indeed a major tool that triggers the success of the organization especially those with skillful personnel. In conclusion, negotiation is very useful in settling our disagreements and enable us deal with our differences and misunderstandings accordingly, thereby, sustaining our relationships and deals in our daily endeavours. Skills in negotiation are the leading drivers to make any negotiation process successful. These skills can be applied by the participating negotiators to be able to reach any form of agreement that favours both parties. As noted above, various scholars have positively contributed to this are of study by acknowledging that skillful negotiators are important assets of the firm and need to be valued and maintained. They suggest training as the best way to acquire skillful negotiators. Ideally, skillful and effective negotiator has to follow a particular process or stages during negotiation. To succeed in settling disputes without fighting or creating further conflicting issues, the interests of both parties involved must be considered and reacted to positively. In any negotiation process, the difference is settled upon reaching mutual agreement. Skills in negotiation are one of the important managerial skills that individuals can afford to learn. These skills enable workers, managers, and students among others to solve their disputes and sustain their relationships as well as mutual understandings amongst them. References Ahn, M. J., Sutherland, K., & Bednarek, R. (2010). Negotiating, Power and Strategic Competition: A Teaching Case. Education & Training, 52(4), 321-339. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00400911011050981 ElShenawy, E. (2010). Does Negotiation Training Improve Negotiators' Performance? Journal of European Industrial Training, 34(3), 192-210. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090591011031719 Negative & Positive Traps That Affect Negotiation. (2013). Professional Safety, 58(3), 38. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1330852599?accountid=45049 Page, D., & Mukherjee, A. (2007). Promoting Critical-Thinking Skills by Using Negotiation Exercises. Journal of Education for Business, 82(5), 251-257. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/202820427?accountid=45049 Pranee, C. (2009). Impact of Chinese Cultural Development and Negotiation Strategies, FDI, Competitiveness, China International Business Growth, And Management practice. International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online),2(1), 13-40. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/194695291?accountid=45049 Schafer, S. E., J.D., Ammeter, A. P., PhD., Hawley, D. D., PhD., & Garner, B. L., PhD. (2011). The Impact of a Collegiate Course in Bargaining and Negotiation on Students' Perceptions of Their Own and Others' Attitudes and Behaviors: An exploratory study. American Journal of Business Education, 4(4), 31-39. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/864883484?accountid=45049 Spears, M. C., & Parker, D. F. (2009). Negotiation Recognition and the Process of Decision Making. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communication and Conflict, 13(1), 55-64. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216597966?accountid=45049 Taylor, K. A., Mesmer-Magnus, J., & Burns, T. M. (2008). Teaching the art of negotiation: Improving students' negotiating confidence and perceptions of effectiveness. Journal of Education for Business, 83(3), 135-140. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/202820131?accountid=45049 Read More