Describe the negotiator's dilemma. How is it created? How can it be remedied?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer:

Negotiation theorists refer to the negotiator's dilemma, which focuses on the question of how a party can achieve the best result, or biggest piece of pie, he possibly can. To maximize his gains, a negotiator's natural instincts are to claim value by gaining as much as possible in the negotiation for himself and leaving as little as possible for the other party. To do this he typically withholds information, assumes an aggressive posture, and adopts other strategies common in the distributive negotiation model. This approach naturally creates resistance in the other party, causing him to also withhold information and concede as little as possible.

In contrast, many negotiators realize that achieving the best possible outcome depends on creating value for both parties. To maximize gains, the parties recognize that they are interdependent and that cooperating is preferable to no agreement. Each party recognizes that it is in his or her best interests to see that the other party's interests are also met. Working together to achieve mutual gains requires them to communicate openly and to share information about their bargaining positions. This requires them to be vulnerable.
The negotiator's dilemma asks: How can the parties be brought to a level of trust where they can seek to meet each other's interests and foster a cooperative relationship without jeopardizing their own interests? The integrative, or interest-based, model of negotiating attempts to address this dilemma.