Negotiation: Communication for Diverse Settings

Michael L Spangle · Myra Warren Isenhart

Sept 2002 · SAGE Publications

About this eBook

Negotiation is not formulaic. How we negotiate is determined largely by the context in which the negotiation process takes place. Negotiation: Communication for Diverse Settings provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of the negotiation process as it applies to a wide variety of contexts. Skillfully weaving practitioner interviews and real world examples throughout the book, Michael Spangle and Myra Warren Isenhart emphasize the day-to-day relevance of negotiation skill. The authors provide knowledge vital to successful negotiation in a variety of situations, including interpersonal relations, the workplace, shopping and other consumer settings, community relations, and international affairs. Discussions of the moral and ethical dilemmas of negotiation-as well as the detail provided in various sections, such as international negotiations will undoubtedly prove useful to novice and seasoned negotiators alike.

Features of this text

Takes a communication perspective, analyzing the negotiation process and how different settings and elements affect negotiation strategies and techniques;

Discusses the cultural context of conflict in U.S. society throughout;

Introduces basic theoretical principles and practical steps in the negotiating process;

Moves on a continuum from micro (interpersonal) to macro (international) levels of negotiation;

Addresses the interpersonal skills necessary for effective negotiation, factors that cause negotiations to break down, and what to do when that happens;

Includes "Professional Profiles" interviews with professional negotiators from a variety of backgrounds;

Brings concepts to life for students through the use of boxed negotiation examples from a variety of contexts.

Recommended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in conflict management and negotiation. Also useful for students in applied programs, such as training and adult education courses in management development, conflict management, and negotiation.

About the author

For more than two decades, Michael Spangle, Ph.D. has provided training or consulting for a wide variety of organizations including J.D. Edwards, Time/Warner, I.B.M., Inflow Inc., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The National Association of Realtors, and the U.S. Navy, as well as schools, churches, and hospitals. He served as Director of Graduate Studies in Applied Communication and Alternate Dispute Resolution at the University of Denver and Director of Faculty and Curriculum for the School of Professional Studies at Regis University. In addition to a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Denver, he completed an M.S. in Education from Kearney State College and an M.Div. from Luther Theological Seminary. He teaches university courses in negotiation, mediation, facilitation, team communication, and leadership. He is co-author of two other books, including Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict, also published by Sage.

Myra Warren Isenhart teaches, writes, and consults about topics in organizational communication. Currently a faculty member at the University of Denver, she has also served on faculties at the University of Colorado at Denver and St. Thomas Theological Seminary. Her MA & PhD are in Human Communication. She is a speaker and author on conflict management in the workplace. She has published a articles in communication journals and coauthored Collaborative Approaches to Conflict Management also published by Sage. Her clients are broad based, with concentrations in health care, software development, and government. She serves on several nonprofit boards.