What is Negotiation?

What is negotiation? “Negotiation occurs when two or more people and groups come together to try and reach a mutually satisfactory agreement over a conflict. Negotiation skills are used in creating suitable environments for reaching such agreements.”(B. Elder 1994 P112) Arguing on the other hand is a form of conflict; any conflict situation has the potential to involve destructive conflict or constructive conflict. Conflict resolution is often achieved by negotiation. Arguing is a term used …

…win situation. Arguing on the other hand is a form of conflict; the aggressive person will almost always win an argument. This would be a win/lose situation. Consequently it would be safe to say that there are significant differences between negotiation and arguing. References Bolton R. 1987 People Skills, Simon & Schuster, Australia Elder B. 1994 Communication Skills, McMillan Education, Australia Maddux R. 1986 Successful Negotiation, Crisp, USA Rossignol K. 1999 Communication Skills for the Workplace, Eastern House, Australia