Business negotiations on web: experiences at IIMB

Abstract

Both policy makers and managers in developing countries are passing through new challenges in many a fields: labor management, international affairs, business relationships and environmental regulations. Government, Judiciary and public are learning new grounds in decisions related to environment, ecology and policy making (Zartman, 1994). Negotiation and bargaining are one of the most common forms of making decisions and resolving conflicts at every organizational level, between countries and small and large organizations and between individuals. It is well known to every culture but the negotiation processes significantly vary among cultures. The old colonialist tradition was that it was up to the nobles, and representatives of the rich and well educated to interact and negotiate (Mumford, 1996). This tradition was based on the naive and short sided assumption that blue blooded and nears were more competent to negotiate and furthermore, it wrongly assumed that the North (or West) knew more or was superior in specific areas. The results of this tradition were also visible in negotiation, or rather, the assumptions that there is no need for any negotiations because one side knew what is good for the other. Second half of the 20th" century clearly showed how naive this approach was and how wrong were its underlying assumptions. It also showed that the past divisions are inadequate and the business, educational, and other links are now going across all directions and not from West to South and back.