Author: Dr. Remigiusz Smolinski

AI in Negotiation: Theory, Evidence, and Practice

We kindly invite scholars to submit their original work to the Special Issue on AI in Negotiation: Theory, Evidence, and Practice hosted by the Negotiation and Conflict Management Research.

Call for Papers

Special Issue of the Negotiation and Conflict Management Research

AI in NEGOTIATION: Theory, Evidence, and Practice

Artificial intelligence now shapes how negotiations are prepared, conducted, and evaluated. Are negotiation theory, practice, and pedagogy ready? This special issue seeks rigorous work on how negotiation theory and practice should evolve to integrate AI responsibly. We welcome research on mechanisms (information asymmetry, trust, value creation/claiming), human-AI teaming and autonomous agents, and ethics and governance (transparency, accountability, fairness). Submissions (theoretical, empirical, methodological, or pedagogical) should propose practical implications, boundary conditions, and, where feasible, follow open and reproducible practices.

Overview

AI is changing who or what participates in negotiation, how proposals are generated and evaluated, and how agreements are monitored. These shifts raise unresolved questions about validity (what counts as a “good” outcome), agency and responsibility in human-AI constellations, and appropriate disclosure and oversight. This special issue of Negotiation and Conflict Management Research (NCMR) seeks work that clarifies these questions and develops standards, methods, and policies that align AI-enabled negotiation with professional and societal norms-building cumulative knowledge that informs practice and pedagogy.

Scope and Objectives

We welcome submissions that delineate the when, where, and how of AI in negotiation across various settings. We invite work that sharpens concepts, strengthens inference, and improves evaluation, across individual, team, organizational, platform, and international levels. Submissions may be conceptual, empirical, methodological, or pedagogical, provided they:

  • Specify the negotiation setting and AI role (decision support, co-pilot, autonomous agent) and state clear boundary conditions.
  • Define constructs and outcomes (e.g., substance, process, relationship) and defend measurement choices.
  • Use transparent, reproducible methods (e.g., documented data, code, logging/protocols) appropriate to the design.
  • Address ethics and governance (e.g., disclosure, accountability, safety) as relevant to the research question.
  • Articulate actionable implications for theory, practice, and pedagogy.

Interdisciplinary perspectives are encouraged (e.g., computer science, law, economics, organizational behavior, psychology, political science, ethics).

Potential Topics

The following examples illustrate the breadth of questions suitable for this special issue. They are illustrative, not exhaustive: submissions may address adjacent topics, introduce new constructs or benchmarks, or challenge prevailing assumptions, provided they advance cumulative knowledge about AI in negotiation.

  • Foundations and mechanisms – Identify how AI reshapes information asymmetry, power, trust, and value creation/claiming and specify when these effects help or harm outcomes.
  • Human-AI negotiations – Compare human-only, human-AI, and agent–agent negotiations; map complementarities, substitution effects, role allocation, and accountability.
  • Agents, simulation, and design – Use multi-agent environments to test mechanisms and protocols; establish calibration methods linking simulated results to human behavior.
  • Data, measures, and benchmarks – Create/shared datasets, logging schemas, and benchmark tasks (e.g., offer design, scoring, deception detection) with validity and reliability evidence.
  • Methods and evaluation – Run field/experimental studies that assess substance, process, relationship, and legitimacy; include replications, negative results, and causal designs.
  • Ethics, safety, and governance – Propose disclosure norms, auditability, and safeguards against manipulation, bias, and privacy risks; align organizational and sectoral standards.
  • Pedagogy and assessment – Develop AI-enabled training and scalable feedback/assessment tools; evaluate effects on learning, equity, and instructor practice.

Submissions may also propose standards (datasets, protocols, checklists), tooling for reproducible research, or policy/practice frameworks that enable cumulative progress in the field.

Editors

For further inquiries, please contact any member of the editorial team.

Submission Guidelines

We anticipate one or more paper-development workshops aligned with this Special Issue. One is already scheduled at the INTRA Conference at IÉSEG School of Management in April 2026, and an AI Negotiation stream will be integrated into the IACM Annual Conference in Vienna. Additional opportunities will be announced. Participation in any PDW or stream is neither a requirement for submission nor a guarantee of special consideration. Our aim is to convene like-minded scholars for collegial reflection and constructive feedback that helps shape stronger papers.

Authors should submit their manuscripts through the NCMR online submission system. Please ensure that your submission adheres to the Journal’s formatting and style guidelines.

We eagerly anticipate your submissions and the opportunity to advance the dialogue on AI in negotiation.

Timeline

  • Call for Papers issued – November 2025
  • Submission of abstracts for the paper development workshop at INTRA Conference at IESEG School of Management – February 2026
  • Paper development workshop at INTRA Conference – April 9, 2026
  • AI negotiation stream at IACM in Vienna – July 5-8, 2026
  • Paper submission deadline – September 30, 2026
  • Peer review process – October-December 2026
  • Decision notification – December 2026
  • R&R and publication processes – 2027

What Makes a Great Negotiator, According to Research

For nearly 20 years, Peter Kesting and I have observed thousands of negotiations conducted by some of the brightest negotiators on the planet. We’re thrilled that our findings are now out in Harvard Business Review in an article titled “What Makes a Great Negotiator, According to Research.” This post shares the core ideas behind the piece plus a few personal reflections on why they matter for leaders, teams, and organizations.

Our research draws on almost 1,000 documented negotiations from The Negotiation Challenge (TNC), a global competition we’ve run for years with meticulously designed scenarios, structured scoring, and expert judging. Each negotiation produces both substantive outcomes (what was achieved) and relational outcomes (trust, credibility, working climate). This dual lens lets us test a long-standing assumption in our field.

The traditional view says negotiators must choose: push hard for results or play it soft to preserve the relationship. Our data doesn’t support that. The best negotiators consistently achieve both strong outcomes and trust. In other words: great negotiation isn’t about temperament; it’s about competence.

We saw top performers who were quiet and reflective; others were energetic and highly expressive. Style varied widely. What didn’t vary among the best was skill—the ability to read the room, manage emotion, frame issues clearly, and sequence moves that create value while safeguarding credibility.

Great negotiators balance assertiveness with empathy, knowing when to compete, when to cooperate, and how to blend both without losing trust. They stay flexible, adapting strategy as new information emerges rather than clinging to a script. They make their thinking visible by structuring the conversation, naming issues, surfacing interests, and proposing options so progress is trackable. Throughout, they protect the relationship while creating value, separating people from problems without separating people from respect.

Across cases, four higher-order competencies predicted excellence:

  • Language and Emotionality – Clear framing, precise language, and emotional self-regulation. These negotiators can put complex issues into simple words and keep the temperature of the conversation productive.
  • Negotiation Intelligence – Strategic sense-making: diagnosing the situation, mapping interests, and choosing tactics that fit the context. It’s the ability to combine analysis with timing.
  • Relationship Building – Trust is not an afterthought. Top performers invest in credibility, follow-through, and psychological safety—because those are the preconditions for creating value.
  • Moral Wisdom – Empathy-guided ethical clarity and fairness instincts; these negotiators protect long-term reputation and avoid short-term wins that poison future cooperation.

Even among exceptionally capable participants, only about 5% consistently achieved both strong substantive and relational outcomes. “Integrated achievers” are rare—and that rarity is instructive. Excellence is not a personality trait; it’s the result of deliberate practice, feedback, and measurement.

Measurement matters! If we don’t assess how we negotiate, as individuals, teams, and organizations, we limit learning and progress. Use clear rubrics to define what “good” looks like, combine metrics that capture both results and relationships, and track performance repeatedly over time rather than relying on one-off scores.

For leaders and their organizations, the evidence suggests treating negotiation as a core leadership discipline, one that can be measured, taught, and improved. It may be valuable to invest in capability building around the four meta-competencies and to emphasize structured, feedback-driven practice. Incentives could be aligned to recognize outcomes that create value and sustain relationships, and it can be helpful to cultivate a “data habit” by regularly capturing negotiation performance across projects, suppliers, and internal talks to inform coaching and continuous improvement.

Writing the HBR piece reminded me how persistent the false binary remains: “win the deal” versus “protect the relationship.” Our evidence shows you can do both and the best do. It also reinforced how rare integrated excellence is. That rarity, however, is an invitation: with the right practice and measurement, more negotiators can join that 5%. Finally, the work reaffirmed a simple truth: progress requires feedback. Without structured assessment, we’re left with anecdotes and overconfidence.

This project would not exist without the vibrant community around The Negotiation Challenge: the participants who put their skills to the test, the judges who generously share their expertise, and the scholars and practitioners who have debated, challenged, and refined these ideas with us over the years.

Thank you!

Source: What Makes a Great Negotiator, According to Research

Negotiators Who Changed the World: Timeless Lessons on Leadership and Negotiation

After a year and a half of intensive research and project work, I am happy to share that our new book: “Negotiators Who Changed the World: Timeless Lessons on Leadership and Negotiation” has just been published by Springer Nature.


This project was born from a simple but powerful observation that leadership and negotiation are inseparably connected. The most effective leaders are also exceptional negotiators. They know how to balance interests, build trust, and mobilize people toward shared goals. They don’t avoid conflict; they transform it into progress.

Yet, too often, negotiation is still seen as a peripheral skill, something to be used occasionally, rather than a core capability of impactful leadership. Our book challenges that view. It shows that negotiation is about shaping history, driving change, resolving conflicts, and inspiring others to act together in times of uncertainty.

From Moral Philosophy to Modern Diplomacy

The book is organized into five parts, each reflecting a distinct facet of leadership through negotiation.

Part I – Philosophers and Strategists takes us back to the origins of moral and strategic thought. Figures like Confucius, Jesus Christ, Machiavelli, and Talleyrand reveal how negotiation draws both on ethics and power. These chapters explore the enduring tension between moral persuasion and pragmatic maneuvering — a tension that defines negotiation to this day.

Part II – State Builders and Unity Architects turns to leaders who forged nations and unified divided peoples. From Johann Rudolf Wettstein at the Peace of Westphalia and Jacques Delors shaping Europe, to Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, and Angela Merkel, these chapters illustrate how negotiation can bind fragmented communities into cohesive, visionary projects.

Part III – Peacemakers and Mediators highlights those who confronted entrenched conflict and built peace from division. Through the stories of Nelson Mandela, Anwar Sadat, Tommy Koh, Kofi Annan, Ibrahim Rugova, Emma Leslie, and Juan Manuel Santos, readers witness negotiation as a bridge between moral leadership and practical resolution — an instrument of both empathy and courage.

Part IV – Changemakers and Reformers brings negotiation closer to the individual level — where social reform and moral conviction meet. From Sakamoto Ryoma shaping modern Japan to Lech Wałęsa leading Poland’s transformation, Shirin Ebadi’s fight for justice, and Jacinda Ardern’s empathetic leadership, this section shows how dialogue and determination can spark systemic change.

Part V – Diplomats and Dealmakers explores the high-stakes world of global politics and business. Madeleine Albright, Catherine Ashton, Jens Stoltenberg, and Ratan Tata exemplify how negotiation — whether in diplomacy or corporate leadership — can shape alliances, markets, and the course of nations.

Finally, Daniel Druckman’s concluding reflections remind us that the question “Are leaders important?” is not merely historical but timeless: effective negotiation remains a cornerstone of leadership and progress in every era.

What You’ll Find Inside

Throughout its 28 chapters, Negotiators Who Changed the World takes readers on a journey across philosophy, politics, peacebuilding, reform, and diplomacy, tracing how negotiation has served as both an art and a science of human progress. From the moral teachings of Confucius to the strategic maneuvering of Talleyrand, from Mandela’s reconciliation efforts to Merkel’s quiet strength, each story reveals how individuals have shaped defining moments in world history through their ability to listen, persuade, and build bridges where others saw divides.

Beyond recounting history, the book distills the strategies and mindsets that made these transformations possible. It examines how empathy and ethical conviction coexist with power and pragmatism, how great leaders align their values with their circumstances, and how negotiation can become a tool for progress even in the most polarized environments.

The lessons are not reserved for diplomats or heads of state. They speak to everyone navigating today’s complex realities, from business and governance to education and community life. Each chapter concludes with reflections that translate historical insight into practical guidance for anyone who seeks to lead more effectively, communicate more thoughtfully, and negotiate more wisely.

If you’re passionate about leadership, negotiation, diplomacy, or history, I hope you’ll find this book both thought-provoking and deeply relevant to your own work.

Explore, preview, and order your copy here: Springer Nature – Negotiators Who Changed the World

Use code SPRAUT for 20% off your copy (available only on Springer’s website).

Table of Contents

The structure of Negotiators Who Changed the World reflects the evolution of leadership and negotiation across history. Each part captures a different dimension, from the philosophical and moral foundations of influence, to the pragmatic challenges of building nations, mediating peace, and navigating global diplomacy. Together, they show that while the contexts may change, the essence of negotiation: empathy, clarity, and purpose, remains constant.

Part I – Philosophers and Strategists

  1. Confucius: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Negotiators — Shougang Zhang
  2. Jesus Christ: The Ultimate Servant Leader — Jan Smolinski and Remigiusz Smolinski
  3. Machiavelli as Negotiator and Leaders’ Adviser — Alain Lempereur
  4. Talleyrand, Firm But Flexible — Paul Willem Meerts and I. William Zartman
  5. Avoiding a Nuclear Catastrophe: John Fitzgerald Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis — Angelo Monoriti and Antonio Attolico
  6. Henry Kissinger: Metternich, Messenger, Mediator, or Meddler? — Carrie Menkel-Meadow

Part II – State Builders and Unity Architects

  1. Johann Rudolf Wettstein and the Art of Diplomacy: Negotiating Swiss Independence at the Peace of Westphalia — Raymond Saner
  2. Jacques Delors: Orchestrating Europe’s Transformation — Spyros Blavoukos, Dimitris Bourantonis, and Savvas Papadopoulos
  3. Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan: The Father of the United Arab Emirates — Horacio Falcão and Anja Merz
  4. Mikhail Gorbachev: Lion in the West, Pariah in the East — Mark Young and Julian Wittkamp
  5. The Chancellor of Dual Unity: Helmut Kohl and the Path to German Reunification in a United Europe — Andreas Winheller and Denis Kittl
  6. Angela Merkel: The Quiet Powerhouse of Global Negotiation — Peter Kesting and Remigiusz Smolinski

Part III – Peacemakers and Mediators

  1. Bridging Divides: Nelson Mandela’s Legacy of Leadership and Negotiation — Barney Jordaan and Mark Anstey
  2. The Unpredictable Negotiator: A Look into Sadat’s Leadership — Mohamed Abdelaziz Shehab Eldin
  3. Tommy Koh: Negotiating with Mind and Heart — Joel Lee and Matilda Mag
  4. Leading Through Negotiation: The Humble Power of Kofi Annan — Antonio Attolico and Remigiusz Smolinski
  5. The Invictus Negotiator for Freedom, Democracy, and Peace: Ibrahim Rugova of Kosovo — Valon Murtezaj
  6. Emma Leslie: Confronting the Hard Realities of Peacemaking Head-On — Joshua N. Weiss
  7. Santos’s Legacy as a Peace Negotiator Leader — Margarita Canal Acero, David Aponte Castro, and Mario Puerta

Part IV – Changemakers and Reformers

  1. Master Alliance Builder: How Sakamoto Ryoma’s Negotiation Moves Shaped Modern Japan — William W. Baber
  2. Negotiating the Dawn of Democracy: Lech Wałęsa and Poland’s Triumph Over Communism — Remigiusz Smolinski
  3. Negotiating Against Oppression: Shirin Ebadi’s Fight for Justice — Joana Matos
  4. Empathy and Strength: Jacinda Ardern’s Leadership and Negotiation Prowess — Beth Fisher-Yoshida

Part V – Diplomats and Dealmakers

  1. Madeleine Albright: The Original Madam Secretary — Andrea Kupfer Schneider
  2. Catherine Ashton, and Then What? — Hans van den Berg
  3. Building Bridges, Shaping Futures: Jens Stoltenberg’s Negotiation Mastery — Roar Thun Wægger
  4. Ratan Tata: A Visionary Leader and a Powerful Negotiator — Anuj Jagannathan

Part VI – Concluding Remarks

  1. Are Leaders Important? — Daniel Druckman

Gratitude

I am deeply grateful to all the authors and contributors for their intellectual generosity and collaboration, and to Dr. Prashanth Mahagaonkar and the Springer Nature team for their exceptional support throughout this journey.

This book is a testament to what negotiation can achieve when practiced with purpose: connecting minds across borders, time, and disciplines.

I look forward to hearing your reflections and perhaps, discovering together who you believe are the negotiators still changing our world today.

Das erste Angebot in Vertragsverhandlungen: Ankerwirkung und strategische Implikationen

We are delighted to share that our new article „Das erste Angebot in Vertragsverhandlungen: Ankerwirkung und strategische Implikationen“ has just been published in ZKM – Zeitschrift für Konfliktmanagement (Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt).

Together with my co-authors Peter Kesting (Aarhus University) and Wolfram Lipp (Hochschule Landshut), we explore one of the most critical, yet often underestimated, moments in negotiations: the first offer.

Research consistently shows that first offers exert a powerful anchoring effect, shaping not only the direction of the discussion but also the final outcome. Our article examines:

  • Why the first offer matters so much in both economic and legal contexts
  • When it is wise to make the first move – and when strategic restraint pays off
  • How counteroffers can function as a “second anchor” with their own powerful effects
  • Why asking for the “best price” can be a surprisingly effective negotiation tactic
  • How the tension between cooperation and anchoring plays out in real-world negotiations

The article offers both psychological insights and practical guidance for anyone involved in complex contract negotiations, whether in business, law, or public settings.

Full article available in ZKM via Verlag Dr. Otto Schmidt.

The Negotiation Challenge for Students 2025

The Negotiation Challenge (TNC) 2025 marked a historic milestone by hosting its finals in Cape Town, South Africa, the first time the event was held on the African continent. From April 25 to 26, the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business welcomed top student negotiators from around the globe for an intense series of face-to-face negotiation rounds. This followed three online qualification rounds held earlier in the year, from February 13 to March 1.

A Global Stage for Negotiation Excellence

TNC, often regarded as the unofficial World Championship in Negotiation, brought together elite teams from prestigious institutions such as Yale, Columbia, the University of Cape Town, and many other schools from nearly all continents. The competition tested participants’ abilities to apply negotiation strategies across diverse scenarios, emphasizing both analytical and interpersonal skills.

Celebrating the Champions

After rigorous rounds, the Reykjavík University Executive MBA team emerged victorious, earning the title of 2025 Negotiation World Champions. The team, comprising Rósa Anna Björgvinsdóttir, Tim Marting, and Tobiasz Skwarczyński, showcased exceptional negotiation skills. They were closely followed by the American University Washington College of Law, which secured the silver medal, and HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, which took home the bronze.

A Collaborative Effort

The success of TNC 2025 was made possible through the collaboration of various sponsors and partners. Notable contributors included Columbia University’s Negotiation and Conflict Resolution program, Falk Academy, Derek Pead & Associates, Corporate Insights, and Rational Games Inc. Special appreciation was extended to the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, particularly Catherine Duggan and Morea Josias, for their hospitality and support. The event was wonderfully orchestrated by Siham Boda and Derek Pead, our Negotiation World Champions 2020.

The Negotiation Challenge 2025 would not have been possible without our amazing judges! We explicitly thank: Christian Glade, Siham Boda, Derek Pead, Anja Merz, Yaniv Ofek, Frieder Lempp, Reymond Ndlovu, Nicole Marshal, Alexander von Reden, Shougang Zhang, Rodrigo Gouveia, Sebastian Schäfer, Matthias van Hullebusch, Michal Putyra, and Horacio Facao (not in the picture).

Looking Ahead

Building on the momentum of this year’s event, TNC announced that the 2026 finals will be held at IÉSEG School of Management in Paris from April 9 to 11. Aspiring negotiators worldwide are encouraged to prepare for another opportunity to demonstrate their skills on an international stage.

For more information on The Negotiation Challenge and upcoming events, visit students.thenegotiationchallenge.org.

N-Conferance X Forbes: ,,The Art and Science of Negotiation” with Remi Smolinski 

A short summary of our research on negotiation performance recorded at the N-Conference 2024 in Zurich.

Part 1

Part 2

More about negotiation performance can be found in our paper that introduces the Negotiation Competency Model: Smolinski, R. and Xiong, Y.; In Search of Master Negotiators: A Negotiation Competency Model. Negotiation Journal 2020; 36 (3): 365–388. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/nejo.12332.

Start-up funding negotiations with venture capitalists: understanding the behaviors and strategies of experienced entrepreneurs

Delighted to share that our paper: Start-up funding negotiations with venture capitalists: understanding the behaviors and strategies of experienced entrepreneurs has been published in International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research!

This study investigates how seasoned entrepreneurs negotiate to obtain VC funding, identifying three key dimensions of their behavior: negotiation competencies, power tactics, and negotiation style. The findings offer practical insights for entrepreneurs aiming to improve their negotiation skills and suggest that training programs can be developed to foster these behaviors, potentially leading to better funding outcomes. Based on our research, we’ve designed and refined our negotiation training for aspring entrepreneuers and have successfully tested it with first clients.

Many thanks to my co-authors: Christian Glade, Peter Kesting, and Dominik Kanbach for a great collaboration and to the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and feedback.

We look forward to receiving your feedback and read your thoughts! Please reach out to us if you’re interested in collaborating on this or related topics.

Source: Start-up funding negotiations with venture capitalists: understanding the behaviors and strategies of experienced entrepreneurs

Modernes Innovationsmanagement: Chancen und Herausforderungen zwischen Fortschritt und Wachstumsgrenzen

Endlich ist es soweit! Pünktlich zum Jahreswechsel ist mein Sammelband: Modernes Innovationsmanagement: Chancen und Herausforderungen zwischen Fortschritt und Wachstumsgrenzen nun als eBook verfügbar und bald auch als Paperback erhältlich! Der Produktionsprozess hat zwar etwas länger gedauert als erwartet, aber das Ergebnis kann sich sehen lassen.

Dieses Buch bietet sowohl tiefgreifende Erkenntnisse als auch innovative Ansätze, die verdeutlichen, wie Innovationsmanagement erfolgreich zur Beantwortung zeitgenössischer und zukünftiger Herausforderungen beitragen kann. Namhafte Autoren aus Wissenschaft und Praxis debattieren über die Wirksamkeit des Innovationsmanagements und stellen die zentrale Frage: Wie können wir von technologischen Entwicklungen profitieren und nachhaltig Innovationen vorantreiben und somit den langfristigen Erfolg unserer Unternehmen sichern? Daneben steht die Dringlichkeit globaler Herausforderungen, wie die Klimakrise, die ein Umdenken und eine Neugestaltung unserer Innovationsansätze unumgänglich macht, im Vordergrund. Die Erschließung neuer Technologien bietet nicht nur Lösungsansätze, sondern auch signifikante Wachstumschancen für Unternehmen, die bereit sind, sich proaktiv auf diese Veränderungen vorzubereiten. Das Ziel dieses Werkes ist es, eine Plattform für Diskussion, Reflexion und Inspiration zu schaffen, um die Zukunft des Innovationsmanagements kritisch zu reflektieren und aktiv mitzugestalten.

Der Sammelband zielt darauf ab, Handlungsimpulse zu geben und ist entlang zentraler Themen der Innovations- und Fortschrittsforschung gegliedert:

  • Aktuelle Trends im Innovationsmanagement
  • Innovationsmanagement: Frameworks und transformative Praktiken für die Zukunft
  • Nachhaltigkeit und Innovationsmanagement: Strategischer Überblick, Methoden und ihre Umsetzung
  • Berichte aus der Praxis

Das Buch richtet sich an alle, die Innovation als Schlüssel zur Bewältigung gesellschaftlicher und wirtschaftlicher Herausforderungen betrachten und Impulse für nachhaltiges Wachstum und Fortschritt suchen.

Source: Modernes Innovationsmanagement: Chancen und Herausforderungen zwischen Fortschritt und Wachstumsgrenzen

Best Lecturer Award 2024

I am truly honored and humbled to receive the Best Lecturer Award from the incredible students at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. This recognition means the world to me because it reflects the meaningful connection we’ve built throughout this journey.

Thank you to all the brilliant minds I’ve had the privilege to teach and learn from. Your curiosity, dedication, and passion drive me to continuously grow and give my best. I’m excited to see where your talents take you, and I’m grateful to be part of your journey.

Please reach out to me if you would like to continue your journey as doctoral students or support our research at the Center for International Negotiation.

Sustainability and Socially Responsible Negotiation

We kindly invite scholars to submit their original work to the Sustainability and Negotiation Special Issue hosted by the Negotiation Journal.

Call for Papers

Special Issue of the Negotiation Journal

SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE NEGOTIATION

Are negotiation theory, practice, and pedagogy up to the task of ensuring that all negotiations: public and private, and whether or not explicitly focused on an issue of sustainability, address sustainability in socially responsible ways? This special issue invites original and rigorous scholarship that addresses whether and how our contemporary frameworks for interest-based negotiations can, do, or should take broader societal interests into account.

Overview

Sustainability, defined as fulfilling present needs without compromising the ability to meet future needs, is a crucial topic in contemporary research and discourse. Since 2020, over a million publications on sustainability have been indexed by Google Scholar, reflecting its growing prominence.

Negotiation can play a critical role in advancing sustainability goals. Well-designed processes can help to foster collaboration, reconcile diverse interests, and open creative space to address complex environmental, social, and economic challenges. This is perhaps most visible in the context of long, multi-stakeholder negotiations seeking progress on sustainability issues. But it also occurs in simpler, bilateral negotiations when social responsibility and sustainability are criteria for wise and just decision making.

This positive role for negotiation in sustainability emerged from a shift in theory, conceptualized by Mary Parker Follett a century ago and then revitalized most prominently by Fisher et al. (1982), that emphasized joint problem-solving over positional bargaining. This interest-based approach, which seeks efficient outcomes that satisfy all parties’ preferences and needs, has shaped the contemporary field of negotiation.

However, the emerging consensus that all actors share social responsibility for sustainability outcomes introduces new challenges for negotiation theory, practice, and pedagogy. Conventional approaches prioritize the interests of those at the table, and thus may overlook broader impacts on third parties, future generations, or the environment. Agreements that emerge may inadvertently perpetuate social and environmental harm, neglect historical injustices, or reinforce imbalances of power and oppression, for example, racism, sexism, or structural violence, even while meeting the articulated interests of the parties to that agreement.

These issues raise fundamental questions about how to ensure all stakeholders’ interests, including those not at the table, are integrated into negotiations. To achieve truly sustainable outcomes, negotiation processes must account for long-term impacts on a broad array of affected groups and societal interests.

This call builds from the proposition that such socially responsible negotiations that dependably consider and effectively address sustainability interests may well require new theory, frameworks, mechanisms, and approaches. These may need to address diverse perspectives on social responsibility; systemic inequalities; how to avoid reproducing historical injustices; or how to incorporate social value into even private negotiations. Additionally, insight is required on how to manage the friction and transaction costs that may accrue as parties pursue more inclusive and socially responsible agreements in a shift from optimizing private value to optimizing broader social value.

Scope and Objectives

This special issue of the Negotiation Journal seeks to explore these complexities at the intersection between sustainability and negotiation. At this intersection sit negotiations directly about sustainability, such as those over climate risk mitigation or advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. But in a socially responsible world, so do negotiations on other matters, for example, commercial or financial transactions, governmental or inter-governmental policy making, or political mobilization and institutional change, even though sustainability may not be explicitly recognized or articulated as an interest by the parties.  

Thus, submissions should offer new perspectives on whether and how sustainability interests, whether environmental, social, political, economic, or cultural, are or can be addressed in both public and private negotiations, even when sustainability is not the explicit focus.

We invite scholarly work that draws on diverse disciplines, such as environmental studies, political science, economics, sociology, psychology, or law. Interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge these or other academic inquiries to negotiation frameworks are especially welcome. Contributions may be conceptual, theoretical, empirical, or pedagogical.

Contributions must be intellectually rigorous, linking to existing scholarship or identifying and bridging gaps to build the intellectual capital of the negotiation field. They must also provide practical insights for negotiation scholarship, practice, or pedagogy.

Potential Topics

We encourage submissions on a wide range of topics related to sustainability and negotiation, illuminating both the strengths of dominant paradigms as well as more critical perspectives. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Scholars have shown the adaptability of the construct of interests by stretching it to include, for example, emotions, identity, justice, inclusion, basic human rights, or the shadow of the past. What are the consequences: positive or negative, intentional or not, of this broad view of interests? What might be alternative framings of what is and is not the subject of negotiations at the table? Where might there be useful extensions to negotiation scholarship with respect to interests?
  • Some sustainability issues, whether protection of the environment, worker health and safety, or indigenous rights, have been effectively enough socialized that they are broadly seen as interests to be considered even in private negotiations. What are the processes and dynamics which determine whether and how interests are considered or excluded from consideration in negotiations? The extent to which recognized interests are respected and advanced in practice?
  • Some scholars have asserted that the interest-based negotiations can be a power balancing tool, focusing parties on forward looking problem solving rather than on what they demand others do. Other scholars point out how negotiations outside the shadow of the law, in the context of oppressive laws, or where there are distinct inequalities can constitute a form of structural violence that legitimizes the taking of the lion’s share. How do we better understand and address the dilemmas inherent in this debate?
  • Negotiation scholarship intersects with other disciplines in demonstrating the superior value that can be created through the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives. Yet representativeness of a broad range of perspectives and representation of potentially conflicting constituencies pose practical challenges. There are also challenges of unit of analysis, for example, between the strategic goals of individuals at the table vs the well-being of the community. How do we better conceptualize and operationalize how interests are given voice in negotiations? How are friction costs and transaction costs are managed?
  • Diverse domains, such as stakeholder theory, organizational behavior, peace and conflict studies, ethics, social psychology, political economy, and others, speak to how social, environmental, cultural, political, and economic sustainability are or are not conceptualized and operationalized at interpersonal, organizational, inter-organizational, and societal levels. Where might negotiation studies have blind spots that may be addressed through attentiveness to well-grounded propositions from related scholarship?

The overarching goal is to build towards a more comprehensive framework for negotiation theory, research, practice, and pedagogy that addresses the social responsibility of negotiators for sustainability interests.

Guest Editors

For further inquiries, please contact any member of the guest editorial team.

Submission Guidelines

We anticipate one or more paper development workshops on the topic of the Special Issue. One is already scheduled for the at INTRA Conference at the University of Cape Town in February 2025. Others will be announced. Participation in a PDW is neither a requirement for submission nor any guarantee of special consideration for inclusion. Rather, we hope that you will join like-minded scholars in a process of collegial reflection and constructive feedback that will inevitably shape stronger papers.

Authors should submit their manuscripts through the Negotiation Journal’s online submission system. Please ensure that your submission adheres to the Journal’s formatting and style guidelines.

We eagerly anticipate your submissions and the opportunity to advance the dialogue on sustainability and socially responsible negotiation.

Timeline

  • Call for Papers issued – September 2024
  • Submission of abstracts for the paper development workshop at INTRA Conference at the University of Cape Town – February 2025
  • Paper development workshop at INTRA Conference – April 24, 2025
  • Paper development workshop at the European Negotiation Conference – June 5-6, 2025
  • Paper development workshop at AOM Meeting – July 25-29, 2025
  • Paper submission deadline – September 30, 2025
  • Peer review process – October-December 2025
  • Decision notification – December 2025