Understanding trust development in negotiations: An interdependent approach

Jingjing Yao, Zhi Xue Zhang*, Jeanne M. Brett

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

What affects the way that trust develops in negotiations? In two studies, we used an actor–partner interdependence model to investigate how both negotiators' trust propensity prior to the negotiation and two types of behavior during the negotiation affect negotiators' trust development. Study 1 demonstrated that both focal negotiators' (actors') and their counterparts' (partners') trust propensity were positively associated with negotiators' trust development. Study 2 showed that actors' and partners' trust propensity had an indirect effect on trust development via both actors' and partners' negotiation behaviors. Negotiators' trust propensity positively affected their use of Q&A (questions and answers about interests) and negatively affected their use of S&O (substantiation about positions and single-issue offers). Actors and partners' negotiation behaviors in turn affected their own and their partners' trust development. Our studies propose and test a model to understand how negotiators' trust propensity and negotiation behaviors affect the development of trust in negotiation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)712-729
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Organizational Behavior
Volume38
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2017

Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71372023) to Zhi-Xue Zhang and a fund from the Dispute Resolution Research Center (DRRC) at Northwestern University. We thank the editor Dr. Suzanne Masterson and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive help throughout the review processes.

Keywords

  • actor–partner interdependence model
  • information sharing
  • negotiation
  • substantiation
  • trust development
  • trust propensity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • General Psychology
  • Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

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