Goal Achievement and Inter-Organizational Negotiation Team Dynamics

Although organizations on the same side in a negotiation often work together there is little understanding about such dynamics at the operations level. The present paper uses the "inter-organizational negotiation team" and structural theory to frame this intellectual problem, while identifying five structural factors that support inter-organizational negotiation team dynamics (i) inter-organizational relations, (ii) relations between organizational leaders, (iii) supervisory-subordinate relations and/or agent-constituent relations, (iv) inter-organizational negotiation team member relations and group dynamics, and (v) inter-organizational negotiation team relations with their environment. This typology of structural factors is then applied to a complex inter-organizational case study that contains commercial, governmental, political and international characteristics. Case analysis of inter-organizational negotiation team behavior assists in identifying how these five factors effect negotiation process and outcome, while prescriptive guidance for negotiation management is offered. Analysis and discussion considers inter-organizational relationship formation and negotiation planning, inter-organizational relations and power, inter-organizational control, and inter-organizational unity and goal achievement. An inventory of factors that enhance or diminish inter-organizational negotiation team unity is developed through the present study. Research questions that further our understanding of inter-organizational negotiation team behavior are proposed.