Negotiation in the Operational Environment

Abstract

Negotiation has become for many military leaders a daily task in their role of stabilizing, securing, transitioning, and reconstructing in military operations overseas. Negotiation provides commanders with an alternative to solutions involving the use of force. Whether used in the context of conflict or cooperation, negotiation is a powerful tool for operational commanders in promoting stability and in fostering fruitful, cooperative relations. Successful negotiation outcomes are most prevalent when both parties to the negotiation feel that they have gained part of their desired outcome. This is known as a non-zero sum, or win-win, outcome. This is achieved through multiple interactions between actors using bargaining power, psychology, and negotiation strategies. Three case studies were selected to evaluate the hypothesis that successful negotiation outcomes are the result of iterative interactions between actors who choose to minimize relative power differences to create favorable interpersonal interactions, thereby leading to accommodating strategies through which both parties achieve some measure of their desired goal: The strategic arms control negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union, 1979-1991; The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) mission in Bosnia, 1992-1995; and Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2004-2005. The U.S.-Soviet Union strategic arms control negotiations case study was chosen because it represents an example of equal relative or perceived power distribution between actors in a negotiation. The UNPROFOR case study was chosen because it depicts a power dynamic in which one party has a clear relative power advantage and decides to dominate the negotiation. Finally, Operation Iraqi Freedom was chosen because it demonstrates a power dynamic in which one party has a clear relative power advantage, but chooses not to dominate the negotiation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 06, 2012
Accession Number
ADA569996

Entities

People

  • Wade A. Germann

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Arms Control
  • Game Theory
  • Governments
  • International Organizations
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Negotiations
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy
  • Recreation
  • Social Psychology
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Warfare
  • Zero-Sum Games

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Mathematical Modeling and Probability Theory.
  • Systems Analysis and Design