PON Live! Negotiating from a Distance: The Impact of Communication Media and Negotiator Characteristics
The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School is pleased to present:
PON Live!
Negotiating from a Distance:
The Impact of Communication Media and Negotiator Characteristics
Dorcas Quek Anderson
Associate Professor of Law,
Singapore Management University
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET (US and Canada)
Click here to Register Now
Free and open to the public.
About the Talk:
How does the communication medium shape negotiation outcomes? As negotiations increasingly take place by video, audio, or text, the choice of medium has become an essential negotiation skill.
Drawing on her experimental study of 400 participants, Dorcas Quek Anderson examines how four communication modes influence both economic and relational outcomes. The effectiveness of a communication mode can also depend on negotiator characteristics, including conflict management style, communication style, and personality.
Join us to explore how negotiators can make more informed decisions about when to meet face-to-face, and when different communication media may work just as well, or even better.
About the Speaker:
Dorcas Quek Anderson is Associate Professor of Law at Singapore Management University and has more than two decades of experience in mediation and dispute resolution research. Her previous roles include Justices’ Law Clerk and Assistant Registrar at the Singapore Supreme Court, Assistant Director of the Singapore Mediation Centre, and District Judge of the Singapore State Courts. Dorcas currently serves as a mediator with several institutions, including Asian Development Bank and the Singapore International Mediation Centre.
Dorcas holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School and subsequently returned as a Visiting Researcher under the supervision of the late Professor Frank Sander, a pioneer of the modern mediation movement. Dorcas’ research bridges dispute resolution practice and theory, addressing areas such as mandatory mediation and more recently, the impact of communication modes on negotiation. Dorcas also contributes actively to the international development of mediation. She has been a member of International Mediation Institute’s Ethics Committee and is a Fellow of the National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution.
Accommodation Statement:
The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School (PON) is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation(s) for persons with disabilities in connection with its programs and activities. Accommodations must not fundamentally alter applicable PON programming and are not retroactive.
Event participants should request accommodations at least two weeks prior to the start date of a program or event, as accommodations may take time to implement. Please note that PON will make every effort to secure services, but these are subject to availability.
To request accommodations please e-mail ponevents@law.harvard.edu.
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