Negotiating via information technology: Theory and application

Thompson, L., & Nadler, J. (2002). Negotiating via information technology: Theory and application. Journal of Social Issues, 58, (1), 109-124.

Abstract

In this review paper, we examine how people negotiate via e-mail and in particular, how the process and outcomes of e-negotiations differ from traditional face-to-face bargaining. We review the key tasks of negotiation and then undertake a review of the research literature that has examined e-negotiations. We outline four theories of interaction that provide insights about social behavior in e-media: rapport building, social contagion, coordination, and information-exchange. Our research program has focused on the interpersonal factors and social-identity factors that can enhance the quality of e-negotiations. E-negotiators often succumb to the temporal synchrony bias, the burned bridge bias, the squeaky wheel bias, and the sinister attribution bias. We discuss social-psychological factors that can reduce these biases and the future of research on e-negotiations.