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multiparty negotiation

What is a Multiparty Negotiation?

Multiparty negotiation offers considerable benefits. Most notably more opportunities for making tradeoffs and creating value than are usually found in bilateral negotiations.

What is a multiparty negotiation? They are more common than you may realize. Think of department heads dividing up scarce resources, or a group of consumers launching a class-action lawsuit.

More than just the increased number of parties at the table, there are key differences in how negotiators a manage two party versus a multiparty negotiation. For example, power disparities can be exacerbated in multiparty negotiations.

There are also unpredictable factors. Sometimes groups cohere, reaching novel solutions to nagging problems, and sometimes infighting causes them to collapse.

Three issues in particular can make a multi­party negotiation more complex than two-party talks: (1) coalition formation, (2) process-management issues, and (3) the fluctuating nature of each party’s best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA).

As the number of parties increases, BATNA calculations and resulting considerations of possible settlements takes on a kaleidoscopic quality. In a multiparty negotiation, you must recalculate your BATNA every time you imagine a new coalition that might strand you on the outside of an agreement.

By preparing for these differences in negotiating strategy, you will be well positioned to thrive in your next multiparty negotiation.

How does that happen?

Lobby for support from key constituents from the start. Rather than just talking to the usual players, reach out to those whose support you will need before, during, and after your negotiation.

Have each side choose a representative with a proven track record for evenhandedness and collaboration, then have these representatives lead the negotiating process together.

Work together on a draft agreement. This collaboration can improve the odds of finding common ground and closing the deal in a multiparty negotiation.

Discover how to manage even the most complex negotiations with this free special report, Managing Multiparty Negotiations, from Harvard Law School.

The following items are tagged multiparty negotiation:

Planning for Cyber Defense of Critical Urban Infrastructure

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

Save Fairport: Planning for Social Cyber Defense of Critical Urban Infrastructure Cybersecurity for critical urban infrastructure is a major public safety issue for cities. Cyber-attacks can cause major physical damage, as well as sow chaos and undermine public faith in government. Cyber criminals constantly develop new types of malware, which may not be detectable by current … Read More

Harvard Negotiation Master Class: Advanced Strategies for Experienced Negotiators – May 13–⁠15, 2024

Posted by & filed under Harvard Negotiation Master Class.

Strictly limited to 60 participants who have completed a prior course in negotiation, this first-of-its-kind program offers unprecedented access to experts from Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School, and the Harvard Kennedy School—all of whom are committed to delivering a transformational learning experience. … Read More

Beyond the Back Table: Working with People and Organizations to Get to Yes

Posted by & filed under Beyond the Back Table.

NEW ONLINE PROGRAM! BEYOND THE BACK TABLE: WORKING WITH PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS TO GET TO YES March 13-14, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET

Go Beyond the Back Table In this two-day online course, you will step back to look beyond the negotiating table and discover how to understand and manage the individuals and groups who are not … Read More

High Stakes Negotiations in the Healthcare Industry

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

Teach Your Students to Negotiate One of the Most Critical Global Industries With the COVID-19 pandemic devastating communities around the world, the acute importance of the healthcare industry to community welfare has become even more apparent. Healthcare is one of the biggest economies in the world, with billions of dollars spent on treatments and associated research. … Read More

Renegotiation Lessons from the NAFTA Talks

Posted by & filed under Dealmaking.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump blamed the trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among Canada, Mexico, and the United States for the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and for lost American manufacturing jobs. Upon taking office, Trump said he was determined to either engage in renegotiation of NAFTA or walk away from the … Read Renegotiation Lessons from the NAFTA Talks

Three-Party Coalition All-In-One Curriculum Package Now Available!

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

Introducing a new way to go in-depth on the fundamental negotiation concepts and measure learning outcomes.  If you are new to teaching negotiation or are looking to go in-depth on the fundamental negotiation concepts, the Three-Party Coalition All-In-One Curriculum Package will provide you with everything you need to teach negotiation. Three-Party Coalition, one of the Teaching Negotiation Resource Center’s most popular … Read More

Harborco All-In-One Curriculum Package Now Available!

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

Introducing a new way to go in-depth when teaching the most important negotiation concepts and to measure learning outcomes. If you are new to teaching negotiation or are looking to go in-depth in teaching key concepts about multiparty negotiation, the Harborco All-In-One Curriculum Package will provide you with everything you need. Harborco, one of the Teaching Negotiation … Read More

New Negotiation Tactics for Your Multiparty Negotiation Toolkit

Posted by & filed under Dealmaking.

“Confessionals.” “Informal informals.” “Indabas.” Delegates from the 196 nations participating in the U.N. Climate Change Conference, held in Paris at the end of 2015, cycled through an eclectic variety of negotiating formats in their race to make binding commitments to lower greenhouse-gas emissions. According to media reports, the participants’ willingness to shake up the complex … Read More

Why Nonaggression Pacts Often Fail

Posted by & filed under Dispute Resolution.

On December 12, 2018, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren had Vermont senator Bernie Sanders over to her house for a meeting, New York magazine reports. There, they each admitted what was already apparent: They were running for president. Friends as well as colleagues, Sanders and Warren agreed to try to protect the progressive movement by not attacking each … Read Why Nonaggression Pacts Often Fail

Successes & Messes: Negotiating in reverse

Posted by & filed under Dealing with Difficult People.

To get what we want, we sometimes ask more powerful parties to intervene on our behalf. But what happens if they go off course? That’s the predicament automakers in the U.S. market find themselves in after asking the Trump administration to loosen fuel-economy standards for their vehicles. Pedal to the metal When Donald Trump became president in 2017, … Read Successes & Messes: Negotiating in reverse

Best-In-Class Negotiation Case Studies

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

What’s one of the best ways to teach the art and science of negotiation? Case studies and articles that spark lively discussion or facilitate self-reflection. Based on real-world examples, these teaching resources are designed to help students envision how to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and beyond. The Teaching Negotiation Resource Center (TNRC) at … Read Best-In-Class Negotiation Case Studies

Teach Coalition Management in Multiparty Negotiations

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

Multiparty negotiations can be difficult to manage if you are unprepared for the formation of coalitions. Two-party and multiparty negotiations share some important similarities: the goal of discovering the zone of possible agreement, for example. However, there are some key differences that set them apart. As soon as the number of parties increases past two, … Read More

Teach Your Students to Manage Two Party and Multiparty Negotiations

Posted by & filed under Teaching Negotiation.

Check Out Our Bestselling Two Party and Multiparty Negotiation Simulations More than just the increased number of parties at the table, there are key differences in how negotiators manage two party versus multiparty negotiations. Power disparities can be exacerbated in two party negotiations, however the opportunities for option generation can also be increased. The formation of … Read More

Deal Design: Strategies for Complex Dealmaking

Posted by & filed under Dealmaking.

As experienced negotiators well know, the more parties involved in a negotiation, the more difficult it often is to come to agreement, due in part to the logistical challenge of making sure each voice is heard. Yet multiparty negotiation offers considerable benefits. Most notably more opportunities for making tradeoffs and creating value in negotiation than … Read Deal Design: Strategies for Complex Dealmaking

Managing Faultlines in Group Negotiations

Posted by & filed under Mediation.

Group negotiations are a fact of managerial life, yet the outcomes of teamwork are highly unpredictable. Sometimes groups cohere, reaching novel solutions to nagging problems, and sometimes infighting causes them to collapse. How can you predict when conflict will emerge in groups, and what can you do to stop it? Dora Lau of the Chinese University … Read Managing Faultlines in Group Negotiations

Top International Multiparty Negotiations: Dissent in the European Union

Posted by & filed under International Negotiation.

A European Union summit held in late October 2013 failed to make headway toward more coordination of economic policies. Facing resistance from Germany in particular, European officials grew pessimistic regarding their odds of negotiating a deal over the next year to lay the foundation for a banking union for the 17 nations that use the … Read More

Negotiation in the News: For Cruz and Kasich, A Short and Tenuous Alliance

Posted by & filed under Leadership Skills.

The failed partnership between the former rival presidential candidates points to the promise and perils of alliance building. In multiparty negotiations, it’s common – and often wise – for low-power parties to form alliances with the goal of gaining leverage or a stronger voice. In international negotiations over climate change, trade, and other issues, for example, … Read More

Negotiation in the News: Arm’s Length Peacemaking

Posted by & filed under International Negotiation.

For 70 years, the governments of Japan and South Korea disagreed over what Japan might owe the Korean women its soldiers abused during World War II. The story of how they finally came to agreement reminds us of the importance of including all interested parties in conflict-resolution efforts. An unresolved issue During the war, tens of thousands … Read Negotiation in the News: Arm’s Length Peacemaking

Grant Strother (HLS 2012) Wins Conflict Prevention and Resolution Award for Best Original Student Article

Posted by & filed under Conflict Resolution.

Recent Harvard Law School Graduate Grant Strother ’12 was selected to receive The International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR) Outstanding Original Student Article Award for his paper, “Resolving Cultural Property Disputes in the Shadow of the Law.” This award recognizes a student article or paper that is focused on events or issues in … Read More

Prof Mandell Featured on Kennedy School Website

Posted by & filed under Daily, Negotiation Skills.

PON affiliated professor Brian Mandell was interviewed for an article on the Harvard Kennedy School homepage today discussing his intersession course, Advanced Workshop in Multiparty Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. Click here to read the full article. “The class — of which the objective is to develop the next generation of master negotiators — is structured so … Read Prof Mandell Featured on Kennedy School Website

Multiparty Negotiation wins IACM Outstanding Book Award

Posted by & filed under Conflict Resolution, Daily.

Multiparty Negotiation by Lawrence Susskind and Larry Crump (2008) won the International Association for Conflict Management’s 2008-2009 Outstanding Book Award at the 23rd annual IACM Conference last week. The IACM committee stated that: – This book is one of the most ambitious set of readings in recent memory, along side the Druckman and Diehl volumes on Conflict … Read More