ABSTRACT
At an inter-business and market level, negotiation is considered to be a process of critical importance. The variety of ways negotiation is conceptualised correspond to the different ways human nature is portrayed by the various disciplines that study negotiation. This chapter briefly describes some of the more common conceptualisations. Negotiation is one of several types of communication that employ a decision-making strategy. Other forms of decision-making communication, like bargaining, are sometimes conflated with negotiation and the terms used interchangeably. The chapter distinguishes between negotiation, bargaining, and these other forms of communication while highlighting the features they have in common. Key considerations in any negotiation process are the attributes individual negotiators bring to a negotiation process. The chapter explores five influential and inter-related attributes: gender, cognitive bias, motivation, emotion, and negotiation styles. It addresses a selection of theories and models of negotiation to allow the reader to appreciate the ways negotiation can be portrayed.
