Cognitive Representations of Negotiation

Using a bilateral negotiation, we examined the relationship between motivational orientation, mental maps and negotiators' outcomes. Cooperative and competitive negotiators bargained with a counterpart who held either the same or a different orientation. Compared to negotiators in mixed dyads, those in same-orientation dyads placed greater emphasis on cooperation, flexibility and trust; and less emphasis on competition. Flexibility was critical to joint gain when at least one negotiator held competitive goals, but detrimental when both negotiators held cooperative goals. Negotiators in same-orientation dyads reported a more positive experience than negotiators in mixed-orientation dyads.