Negotiating teams: A levels of analysis approach

In light of the increasing presence of teams and work groups in organizations and their role in negotiations, the authors outline a framework for understanding the dynamics of negotiating teams. The traditional context of dyadic negotiations (i.e., one-on-one) is used as a point of departure for the analysis. The authors bring together research on negotiation, small group dynamics, and individual social cognition into a coherent framework to analyze negotiating teams. At the heart of the framework are 3 categories of psychological processes, corresponding to different levels of analysis, which highlight the contributions of individual, intragroup, and intergroup processes. These processes are discussed in terms of traditional negotiation concepts, such as integrative and distributive bargaining. Finally, guidance for future research is provided.