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Beyond Instrumentalism: A Relational Approach to Negotiation
Author(s) -
Ingerson MarcCharles,
DeTienne Kristen Bell,
Liljenquist Katie A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
negotiation journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.238
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1571-9979
pISSN - 0748-4526
DOI - 10.1111/nejo.12078
Subject(s) - instrumentalism , negotiation , philosophy of law , through the lens metering , epistemology , relational view , positive economics , sociology , law and economics , social psychology , psychology , political science , economics , law , lens (geology) , social science , philosophy , management , engineering , public law , petroleum engineering
Instrumentalism, the philosophy that rational people will behave in ways that promote self‐interest, is often the default assumption that scholars and practitioners rely upon when interpreting and predicting human behavior in negotiations. Instrumentalism, however, need not be the only lens through which negotiators and negotiations are viewed. In this article, we discuss some of the problems associated with too heavy a reliance on instrumentalism and propose an alternative relational approach, one in which negotiators see themselves as agents embedded in a system of relationships, who are motivated to understand and advance the welfare of others. We discuss some of the characteristics that differentiate negotiators who adopt a relational versus instrumental approach and invite scholars and practitioners to consider the implications of viewing negotiations through a more relational lens.