CampusDownWiki CampusDown ↗
English

Negotiation Theory

💼 Business By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated
Quick answer: Negotiation theory studies how parties with differing interests reach agreement, contrasting distributive bargaining over a fixed pie with integrative bargaining that creates value, with BATNA and ZOPA as core concepts.
Contents
  1. 1. Distributive versus integrative
  2. 2. Key concepts
  3. 3. Principled negotiation
  4. 4. Psychology and game theory
  5. 5. Public and international talks
  6. 6. References

Distributive versus integrative

Walton and McKersie (1965) distinguished win-lose distributive bargaining over a fixed pie from integrative bargaining, where trading issues of different priority (logrolling) creates joint value.

Key concepts

  • BATNA: best alternative to a negotiated agreement, the source of leverage.
  • Reservation price: walk-away point.
  • ZOPA: zone of possible agreement between reservation prices.

Principled negotiation

Fisher and Ury's Getting to Yes: separate people from the problem, focus on interests not positions, invent options for mutual gain, use objective criteria.

Psychology and game theory

Anchoring, loss aversion and the fixed-pie bias shape outcomes (see behavioural finance). The Nash bargaining solution maximises the product of gains.

Public and international talks

Putnam's two-level games link international bargaining with domestic ratification; similar ideas inform public dispute resolution and deliberative polling.

References

  1. Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to Yes (3rd ed.). Penguin.
  2. Walton, R. E., & McKersie, R. B. (1965). A Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations. McGraw-Hill.
  3. Raiffa, H. (1982). The Art and Science of Negotiation. Harvard University Press.
  4. Putnam, R. D. (1988). Diplomacy and domestic politics: The logic of two-level games. International Organization, 42(3), 427-460.
  5. Nash, J. F. (1950). The bargaining problem. Econometrica, 18(2), 155-162.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '협상 이론' on CampusDown →
Deliberative PollingDeliberative polling explained: a method where a random sample of citizens learns, deliberates and is surveyed again. Covers James Fishkin's design, how it differs from ordinary polls, its stages, Korea's 2017 Shin Kori 5 and 6 case and limits.🏛️ Politics & Public AdministrationSWOT AnalysisSWOT analysis explained: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, the TOWS matrix, links with Porter's Five Forces and PEST, origins, criticisms, and how to write a SWOT report.💼 Business3C Analysis3C analysis explained: a strategy tool that examines Customer, Competitor and Company to find key success factors. Covers Kenichi Ohmae's strategic triangle, questions for each C, links to SWOT and STP, and a worked example.💼 BusinessAdams' Equity TheoryAdams' equity theory explained: comparing one's ratio of outcomes to inputs with others, reactions to under- and over-reward, six ways people restore equity, and its link to organisational justice.💼 Business

You may also like

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)Brown v. Board of Education (1954) summary: the case, Chief Justice Warren's unanimous ruling, why 'separate but equal' fell, and what happened after.⚖️ LawIntestate SuccessionWho inherits when someone dies without a will: how U.S. intestacy statutes rank spouses, children and other relatives, how per stirpes works, and how Korea's Civil Act sets heirs, shares and representation.⚖️ LawThe Rule of LawWhat is the rule of law? Its meaning and history from Magna Carta to United States v. Nixon, Dicey and Fuller's principles, and how it differs from rule by law.⚖️ LawCommon Law vs. Civil LawCommon law vs. civil law: how the two legal families differ on sources of law, precedent, trials and judges, and where Korea's mixed system fits between them.⚖️ Law

This article was last updated on October 15, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.