Summarize Essentials of Negotiation chapter : 7 Ethics in Negotiation

This chapter focuses on the primary factors that negotiators consider when they decide whether particular tactics are deceptive and unethical. The negotiation process raises several critical ethical issues. Much of what has been written on negotiating behavior has been strongly normative about ethics and has prescribed “shoulds” and “should nots.” We do not believe that this approach facilitates the understanding of how negotiators actually make decisions about when and where to use specific tactics. We have approached the study of tactic choice from a decision-making framework, examining the ethical overtones of these choices. Negotiators can respond to another party who may be using deceptive tactics: ask probing questions, recognize the tactic.
We proposed that negotiators who choose to use an unethical tactic usually decide to do so to increase their negotiating power. Power is gained by manipulating the perceived base of accurate information in negotiation, getting better information about the other party’s plan, or undermining the other party’s ability to achieve his or her objectives.
Research on negotiators ethics and on various aspects of this model leads us to the following conclusions:
1. While individual negotiators may disagree as to which negotiating tactics are ethical and which are unethical, the research reported here suggests that there is much more convergence than might have been expected.
2. The decision to use a deceptive tactic can probably best be understood through a decision-making model. It is clear that many individual differences and situational variables are also likely to affect that decision.
3. In deciding to use a deceptive tactic, a negotiator is likely to be more heavily influenced by
a) His or her own motivation,
b) Expectations of what the other negotiator will do,
c) The expected future relationship between the negotiator and the other party.
4. Negotiators who have considered the use of deceptive tactics in the past or who are considering their use in the future should ask themselves the following questions:
a) Will they really enhance my power and help me achieve my objective?
b) How will the use of these tactics affect the quality of my relationship with the other party in the future?
c) How will the use of these tactics affect my reputation as a negotiator?
Negotiators frequently overlook the fact that, although unethical or expedient tactics may get them what they want in the short run, these same tactics typically lead to diminished effectiveness in the long run.