Conflict Resolution

Turning to litigation when disputes arise can be costly and time consuming. Instead of using the courts to resolve your dispute, negotiation offers a myriad of benefits for disputants who are seeking to resolve their conflict, create value, and save time and money. … Learn More About This Program

When disputes arise between international negotiators, sometimes a simple gesture of reciprocity can turn a boiling conflict into an amicable resolution. In this article the Program on Negotiation explores how a “simple handshake” between the leaders of Japan and the People’s Republic of China helped ease long-held tensions between the two countries. … Learn More About This Program

When you’re getting ready to meet with more than one party, the usual steps of two-party negotiation apply. … Read Preparing for Multiparty Negotiation

After years of gridlock, the U.S. Congress surprised many observers by passing a $1.1 trillion spending bill in December due to the formation of an unlikely coalition made up of moderate Republicans and Democrats. … Learn More About This Program

Medical-malpractice litigation can be a lengthy, expensive, and contentious process.
Lawyers on both sides might spend months or years conducting discovery and deposing
witnesses. As for settlement negotiations, they tend to occur late in the process and are often treated as a perfunctory step before a trial. … Learn More About This Program

The issue of bidder collusion raises a larger question for negotiators: What ethical responsibility do we have to those who aren’t seated at the table with us?
Harvard Business School professor Max H. Bazerman uses the term “parasitic value creation” to describe the common tendency of negotiators to focus so narrowly on identifying benefits for … Learn More About This Program

When financial disputes arise between longstanding partners, both insiders and outsiders often note, “It’s not about the money.” Simmering resentment, mutual blame for ongoing problems, poor communication, and other deep issues often underlie arguments over money and make conflict management all the more difficult. Parties may reach agreement on monetary issues, but if they fail … Learn More About This Program

The following question given to Program on Negotiation faculty member and a Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School Hannah Riley Bowles: I recently figured out that I am one of the lowest-paid people at my level in my organization—even though I am one of the top performers. I am also one … Learn More About This Program

First adapted from “Do You Stretch the Truth?,” first published in the September 2012 issue of Negotiation.

Tell the truth: Have you lied to a salesclerk or service provider lately? Maybe you blamed a restaurant for messing up your reservation, though you suspect
you probably provided the wrong date over the phone.

Or, after missing a deadline to return … Read Conflict Management: Do You Stretch the Truth?

In our politically charged era, most Americans—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike—seem to be able to agree on one thing: in recent years, Congress has been a poor model of negotiation behavior. Battles sometimes seem to be fought less on principle than on a vindictive desire to beat the other side. Mutual respect is in short … Learn More About This Program