ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief overview of conventional approaches to negotiations. It explores concepts of emotional intelligence, leverage and Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Depending on the complexity of the project, project managers may employ different negotiating approaches throughout the life cycle of the project. It is, however, important to emphasize that there is a distinct difference between conventional negotiations settings and complex negotiations. The prevailing models on negotiations, which employ rational and deterministic approaches, are designed to work in straightforward projects. Complexity can be found in biological, social, economic and political systems. The current conflict between Cyprus and Turkey and the overall Eastern Mediterranean political dynamic has been and will continue to be an obstacle in any future negotiations. SSM researchers and practitioners argue that problems are directly correlated to individuals’ different interpretations of the world. In project negotiations, emotional responses arise as social interactions through which certain patterns emerge.
