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Implicit negotiation beliefs and performance: experimental and longitudinal evidence.
Laura J Kray1, Michael P Haselhuhn
1Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. kray@haas.berkeley.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|July 4, 2007
Summary
Negotiators who believe their negotiation skills can improve (incremental theorists) perform better than those who believe skills are fixed (entity theorists). This finding highlights the impact of implicit beliefs on negotiation success.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Implicit negotiation beliefs, concerning the perceived malleability of negotiating ability, are hypothesized to influence negotiation outcomes.
- The study differentiates between incremental theorists (belief in malleability) and entity theorists (belief in fixed attributes).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the convergent and discriminant validity of the implicit negotiation belief construct.
- To examine the impact of implicit beliefs on negotiators' achievement goals.
- To explore the causal relationship between implicit beliefs and negotiation performance, considering perceived ability as a moderator.
Main Methods:
- Four studies were conducted, including construct validation, examination of achievement goals, experimental manipulation of beliefs in dyadic negotiations, and a long-term classroom-based study.
- Negotiation performance, bargaining surplus, and integrative outcomes were measured.
- Perceived ability was assessed as a potential moderator.
Main Results:
- Across all studies and performance measures, incremental theorists consistently outperformed entity theorists.
- Incremental theorists captured greater bargaining surplus and demonstrated more integrative negotiation strategies compared to entity theorists.
- Perceived ability moderated the relationship between implicit beliefs and negotiation performance.
Conclusions:
- Implicit negotiation beliefs are significant determinants of negotiation performance.
- Fostering an incremental mindset in negotiators can lead to improved outcomes and more effective negotiation strategies.
- Future research should explore further implications and applications of implicit negotiation theories.
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