Assignment: Trust and Negotiation

Create a 1,050-word analysis in which you address the following:

Discuss the different types and aspects of trust in relationships.

• Identify one type that you have utilized or experienced in a negotiation.
• Explain the importance of trust in business and selling relationships.
• Analyze 2-3 types of the trusting techniques used in negotiation.
• Discuss how you used these in your organization with a customer.
• Evaluate the trusting techniques in terms of which might be most effective in your organization.
• Recommend the technique that you would be most likely to use in a negotiation and explain your rationale.
• Explain how using trust techniques might lead to change in your organization's negotiation strategies.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Below are the trusting techniques.

Although there is no guarantee that trust will lead to collaboration, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that mistrust inhibits collaboration. People who are interdependent but do not trust each other will act tentatively or defensively. Defensiveness means that they will not accept information at face value but instead will look for hidden, deceptive meanings. When people are defensive, they withdraw and withhold information. Defensive people also attack the other party's statements and position, seeking to defeat their position rather than to work together. Either of these responses is likely to make the negotiator hesitant, cautious, and distrustful of the other, undermining the negotiation process (Gibb, 1961).

1. Share information and encourage reciprocity. One approach is to suggest to the other negotiator that you are willing to describe your needs and interests if he agrees to share his as well. Malhotra and Bazerman caution to ensure there is agreement about the explicit ground rules before proceeding, and to proceed incrementally to be sure.

2. Negotiate multiple issues simultaneously. Negotiating several offers simultaneously allows negotiators to identify relative priorities of the other negotiator, as well as obtain some information about his interests. Malhotra and Bazerman suggest watching for issues where the other party is very engaged, emotional and attempting to control the discussion in order to infer high priority issues.

3. Make multiple offers at the same time. A third approach to obtaining information when the other party is distrusting is to make two or three offers at the same time. These offers should be the same value to you. The way that the other negotiator responds to these offers should provide you with information about his relative interests.