In many online price negotiations, instant messaging (IM) and audio channels rival each other in use, but IM's use is on the rise. In these contexts, people who are strangers to each other are inclined to act more competitively. They are driven by self-interest and strive for greater gains from agreement in the form of what is termed Òending concessions.Ó To date, however, researchers have focused on striving for agreement as the main goal of negotiators. This study uses a selfishness theory to explain how individuals using IM, as compared to those using audio, can encourage their negotiation partners to make ending concessions, and thereby increase individuals' gains when agreement is reached. We use data from a negotiation laboratory experiment to test a model of ending concessions that is predicted by unrestricted offers and comments that negotiators make over IM and audio. We base our analyses on the contents of the resulting communications. The objects of negotiation are simulated lottery tickets. Our results provide three key insights. First, when using IM, partners appear to interpret offers that include concessions from individuals as attempts to manipulate partners into accepting non-equitable agreements; as a result partners decrease their ending concessions. These interpretations do not appear to occur when using audio, and as a result individuals' concessions do not decrease partners' ending concessions. Second, using IM, when individuals disagree with anger directed at partners' bidding behaviors, partners respond by increasing their ending concessions. Ending concessions are further increased when using audio. Third, and in contrast, using IM, when individuals disagree with emotion that does not include anger, partners respond by decreasing their ending concessions. Ending concessions are further decreased when using audio. These insights provide guidance for practice, and are bases for future research on the use of IM and audio for negotiation. > >
Negotiation is increasingly being conducted over computer media, such as e-mail and instant messaging, because of the potential for time savings and monetary benefits. However, these media can affect negotiators' behaviors as they engage in what is called concession making, which is a process by which they make offers that yield benefits to their opponents. In this paper, we focus on how and why conducting negotiations via computer media can affect this process, especially when negotiators have unequal power. Our research model is based on theories from the information systems, negotiation, and social psychology literatures. Via a laboratory experiment, we find that concessions made by the first individual to make an offer (the first mover) were not typically reciprocated by his/her negotiating opponent (the second mover). Thus, in the context of computer-mediated negotiation, it appears that second movers are, among other things, more likely to violate the well-established norm of reciprocity. This can result in significant disadvantages for the first mover, independent of power differences between negotiators. In addition, we find that, contrary to face-to-face negotiations, increased power of one negotiator resulted in his/her having less influence in terms of getting larger concessions from the other negotiator. In general, these findings support the notion that computer-mediated negotiation can be significantly different than face-to-face negotiation.
Employing media richness theory, a model is developed to open the black box surrounding the impact of computer-mediated communication systems on decision quality. The effects on decision quality of two important communication system factors, cue multiplicity and feedback immediacy, are examined in light of three important mediating constructs: social perceptions, message clarity, and ability to evaluate others. A laboratory experiment examining two tasks and employing face-to-face, electronic meeting, electronic conferencing, and electronic mail communication systems is used to assess the model's validity. Results provide consistent support for the research model as well as media richness theory. Richer media facilitate social perceptions (total socio-emotional communication and positive socio-emotional climate) and perceived ability to evaluate others' deception and expertise. Leaner media (electronic mail and electronic conferencing) facilitate communication clarity when participants have less task-relevant knowledge. The impacts of these mediating constructs on decision quality were found to depend on the levels of participant expertise and deception. In general, it was found that richer media can have significantly positive impacts on decision quality when participants' task-relevant knowledge is high. Moreover, effects of participant deception can be mitigated by employing richer media.
Many calls for reengineering suggest that information technology (IT) can be employed to enable significant organizational change. However, organizational inertia typically inhibits such change, resulting in IT development that reflects the organizational status quo. Of interest, then, are strategies and techniques that can be employed to support IT-enabled reengineering. Key to such reengineering is creativity. Therefore, this paper attempts to better understand creativity during IT requirements and logical design phases, at which time reengineering can be devised. A creativity model is adapted from the organizational literature and used to interpret the requirements gathering and logical design experiences of a firm attempting to reengineer its operations through the use of imaging technology. A comparison of creativity and traditional IT development viewpoints reveals significant differences as well as similarities. Insight resulting from this exercise is offered to help managers and researchers identify important variables and relationships in the IT development creativity management process. The model, and future associated research, can help researchers and managers: (1) determine to what degree creative IT requirements and logical design is feasible in a given organizational context and (2) plan and execute a creative IT requirements and logical design process.
This study develops and tests a model of relationships among computer-mediated communication systems (CMCS), group processes, and group outcomes. The group outcomes examined are agreement and acceptance. Agreement is the extent to which members of a problem-solving group hold similar views and solutions about the problem at the end of their task. Acceptance is the extent to which members of a problem-solving group acquiesce to the views and solutions of other members, while holding reservations about those views and solutions. The distinction between agreement and acceptance is important because members in agreement are more likely to support the implementation of their solution than are those who merely accept the solution. Based on a laboratory experiment, the authors find that socioemotional communication (both positive--showing friendliness and supportiveness--and negative---showing hostility and rejection) as well as task-oriented communication play important mediating roles between CMCS use and acceptance and agreement. The findings suggest ways to promote agreement through management intervention and CMCS design. In addition, their findings suggest some intriguing avenues for further research, such as the lack of symmetry between the effects of positive and negative socioemotional communication.