Sometimes parties to a dispute disagree on key facts and forecasts but lack the technical or scientific expertise needed to come to a consensus. Suppose, for instance, that a developer is seeking to build a high-rise condominium building in a village that is experiencing a development boom. Longtime residents fight the proposal, arguing that another tall building would increase congestion … read more »

Paola Cecchi Dimeglio is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at PON. She studies the effects of gender, culture and organizational behavior on international strategic alliances using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Currently, at PON, Dr. Cecchi Dimeglio is focusing on three research projects: 1) the effects of gender and culture on the decision-making, negotiation and conflict management processes in international partnerships … read more »

If you’ve ever had a minor car accident in which neither you nor the other driver was obviously at fault, familiar advice may have run through your head as you got out of your car: Don’t say you’re sorry! Don’t say you’re sorry!
Most of us have been cautioned in such contexts that an apology can be equivalent to an admission … read more »

Significant business disputes typically involve more than one issue—including disputes that appear to be “just about the money.” Who pays and when? In what form is payment made, with what level of confidentiality, and with what effect on future disputes?

In the heat of the moment, disputants too often focus on one conspicuous issue (such as money), a mistake that risks … read more »

The Dark Side: Reporting on the War on Terror
with Roger Cohen, New York Times Foreign Correspondent, and
Carlotta Gall, New York Times Reporter
Date: December 5, 2011
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM
Where: CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge Street, Room S-030 (Concourse Level)
… read more »

Q&A with Professor Susskind, MIT’s Ford Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning, and Vice Chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School

Q: You’ve taught for years about overcoming organizational obstacles. What are the most common roadblocks to effective negotiations?

Typically, obstacles occur at all four stages of the negotiation process. First is the preparation stage. Frequently, people under-prepare, even … read more »

Workplace disputes are inevitable. Employees air grievances, consumers file lawsuits, and strategic partners threaten to fire you and hire your competitor. All too often, such conflicts end up in the courts. In addition to consuming incredible amounts of time and energy, lawsuits often ruin long-standing relationships with suppliers, customers, and shareholders.

Increasingly, organizations are applying the principles of dispute system design … read more »

It’s often the case that when two people or organizations try to resolve a dispute by determining who is right, they get stuck. That’s why so many disputes end up in court.

There is a better way to resolve your dispute: by hiring an expert mediator who focuses not on rights but on interests—the needs, desires, or concerns that underlie each … read more »

Manage your anxiety and overconfidence
Negotiate effectively online
Avoid disputes through careful contracting
Deal with a vocal opposition
… read more »

“Beyond diplomacy:  Embedding peace and conflict transformation processes in Nepal and Lebanon”

 with

Jeff Seul
Chairman, Peace Appeal Foundation
and

Martin Wahlisch
International Lawyer and Researcher, Common Space Initiative (Beirut) 
 
Date: November 8, 2011
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM
Where: Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
1737 Cambridge Street, Room K-354, Cambridge MA
Contact Chair: Donna Hicks (dhicks@wcfia.harvard.edu).

Speaker Bios
Jeff Seul, Chairman of the Peace Appeal Foundation, is a partner in the international law firm Holland … read more »