ABSTRACT
Applied research on communication in the field of negotiation is in its infancy according to Smith (1988) description: “[Applied research] explores theoretical relationships for the purpose of understanding and solving problems related to everyday communicative actions and interactions” (p. 182). Although communication researchers have frequently used instruments associated with such applied communication methods as survey research, their investigations have been conducted primarily in laboratory settings with student participants. As would be expected of research in a relatively new area, almost all the communication research in negotiation has been conducted with two-party negotiations rather than with larger formats that might lead to coalition formation and related complications. As with any basic research, investigators have attempted to describe communication patterns typical of various types of negotiations and to explore the relationships between key communication variables that affect negotiation. Because the study of communication in negotiation is relatively recent, such an emphasis seems appropriate. Few researchers have attempted to make practical generalizations or to find implications for communicating during the negotiation process. However, implications for negotiators may be drawn from some contemporary communication research that has no explicit applied focus, and three lines of applied communication research have been developed by scholars studying negotiation in professional contexts.
