ABSTRACT
The early experimental research was refined and elaborated in later work. Particular attention was paid to theorizing about such group representation effects as boundary role conflicts (BRC), pinning down the key influences in a meta-analysis of 80 studies of compromising behavior, synthesizing diverse approaches, including behavioral and cognitive psychology, for deeper insights into decisions made to take unilateral initiatives, and understanding the difference between focal and turning points as salient bargaining solutions. Viewed more holistically, flexibility can be understood in terms of negotiating stages where different variables have more or less impact in the earlier or later periods, for example, more flexibility for studying the issues in the earlier stages and for limited media attention in the later stages. The focus of the early research on bargaining was extended to study mediation. But rather than simply adding more experiments to that literature, we thought we could provide a novel approach in the form of an electronic mediator.
