Taming the Jungle of Negotiation Theories

Abstract

To identify the range of issues covered in negotiation theory, this chapter surveys negotiation texts from various disciplines including law, business, economics, labor, international relations, and social sciences. This chapter demonstrates that, although there is considerable overlap between the texts, there is little overall coherence and nothing approaching a consensus about the structure and content of negotiation theory or even a definition of negotiation. It provides a general framework for negotiation theory by synthesizing the content of the texts.

Keywords: negotiation, theory