In its negotiations for a new business contract with entertainment companies back in 2017, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) delivered at the bargaining table what many film and TV viewers crave onscreen: plenty of suspense and a hard-won, if imperfect, victory.
The WGA, which represents more than 12,000 film and TV writers, negotiated for seven … Read More 
Discover step-by-step techniques for avoiding common business negotiation pitfalls when you download a copy of the FREE special report, Business Negotiation Strategies: How to Negotiate Better Business Deals, from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
business contract
The following items are tagged business contract:
Dear Negotiation Coach: Making a Deal When You Have Anxiety
One of the issues many negotiators have is anxiety about making a deal. Will it be a fair process? Will you get what you want? Or will you damage a relationship in the process if you’re too aggressive or incompetent? In these situations, you may find that your palms are sweaty, your heart is racing, … Read More
Dear Negotiation Coach: What Happens When a Business Contract Falls Apart?
We recently received a question from a reader regarding a business contract conflict. Robert Mnookin, Williston Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, chair of the Program on Negotiation, and author of Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight (Simon & Schuster, 2010), explains that you may have more options than it … Read More
Dear Negotiation Coach: How Do I Handle Reverse Auctions in a Business Contract Negotiation
Reverse auctions are becoming a more frequent reality of business contract negotiations as companies work to cut expenses. In most negotiations, however, price is not the only issue. Guhan Subramanian, Joseph Flom Professor of Law & Business at Harvard Law School and Douglas Weaver Professor of Business Law at Harvard Business School, answered a question … Read More
In Employment Contract Negotiation, “No Haggling” Isn’t the Answer
Back in spring 2015, Ellen Pao, the former CEO of social networking and news website Reddit, revealed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that her company had taken a bold move in its efforts to create an “equal opportunity environment for everyone” at the company. Specifically, Reddit no longer negotiates salary with job … Read More
How to Negotiate a Business Deal
In late 2016 and early 2017, news stories abounded of companies that were having second thoughts about planned mega-mergers. Abbott Laboratories began looking for ways to exit its acquisition of Alere, citing investigations of the medical test maker, for example. And Verizon started rethinking its acquisition of Yahoo! following a data breach at the tech … Read More
Business Contract Mistakes—and How to Avoid Them
When negotiating a business contract, parties are often so focused on reaching agreement that they don’t think enough about how the deal will unfold after the ink has dried. This type of short-term thinking leads to real problems down the road. The following three business negotiation tips can help you adopt a long-term perspective the … Read More
How to Write a Contract that Lasts
Joint ventures, strategic alliances, purchasing agreements, and other types of partnerships between organizations often begin with a great deal of promise—and a hefty amount of risk. Serious misunderstandings and opportunistic behavior are relatively common in such relationships. Formal contracts offer a method for reducing such risk, but negotiators and their attorneys are often unsure about … Read More
Dealmaking and the Trade Deal: Obama’s Uphill Battle with Congress
Sometimes in dealmaking, reaching agreement would require us to make compromises that we know will displease those who need to authorize the deal, such as our superiors back at the office. Fail to compromise, and impasse may be inevitable. Compromise and save the deal, and accept the difficulty of closing the deal in negotiations with … Read More
Program on Negotiation Welcomes Visiting Scholar Stefanos Mouzas
Stefanos Mouzas is Professor of Marketing and Strategy at Lancaster University Management School in England, where he is also affiliated with the Center of Law and Society. He received his B.Sc. (Economics) from the University of Athens, LL.M. (Contract Law) from University of Bristol, and Ph.D. (Marketing) from Lancaster University. He was Visiting Professor … Read More
Spring 2022 Programs
Fall 2022 Programs
NOVEMBER 2022 HARVARD NEGOTIATION MASTER CLASS
Articles & Insights
BATNA
- Business Negotiations
- Conflict Resolution
- Crisis Negotiations
- Dealing with Difficult People
- Dealmaking
- When Good Negotiations Go Sour: When Mark Wahlberg Asked for More
- Six Strategies for Creating Value at the Negotiation Table
- The Art of Negotiation: Anger Management at the Bargaining Table
- Negotiation Techniques: The First Offer Dilemma in Negotiations
- Understanding Exclusive Negotiation Periods in Business Negotiations
- Dispute Resolution
- International Negotiation
- Cross Cultural Negotiations in International Business: Four Negotiation Tips for Bargaining in China
- Famous Negotiators: Tony Blair’s 10 Principles to Guide Diplomats in International Conflict Resolution
- International Negotiations and Agenda Setting: Controlling the Flow of the Negotiation Process
- Famous Negotiators: Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin
- Overcoming Cultural Barriers in Negotiations and the Importance of Communication in International Business Deals
- Leadership Skills
- Mediation
- When Lose-Lose is the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)
- What Makes a Good Mediator?
- Mediation Training: What Can You Expect?
- Dear Negotiation Coach: Can External Advisers Hinder a Problem Solving Approach?
- Arbitration vs Mediation: The Definition of Mediation as a Problem Solving Process
- Negotiation Skills
- Negotiation Training
- Best Negotiation Books: A Negotiation Reading List
- Use a Negotiation Preparation Worksheet for Continuous Improvement
- The Importance of a Relationship in Negotiation
- Ethics and Negotiation: 5 Principles of Negotiation to Boost Your Bargaining Skills in Business Situations
- 10 Negotiation Training Skills Every Organization Needs
- Salary Negotiations
- Teaching Negotiation
- Managing Emotions in Negotiation: Teaching Students to Turn Emotions into an Opportunity for Mutual Gain
- Teaching with Multi-Round Simulations: Balancing Internal and External Negotiations
- Teaching the Fundamentals: The Best Introductory Negotiation Role Play Simulations
- Planning Your Syllabus for Next Semester? Check Out the Brief Course Outlines from the TNRC
- Teaching Critical Leadership Skills
- Win-Win Negotiations