Face threat sensitivity in negotiations: Roadblock to agreement and joint gain

White, J.B., Tynan, R.O., Galinsky, A., & Thompson, L. (2004). Face threat sensitivity in negotiations: Roadblock to agreement and joint gain.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 94, 102-124.

Abstract

Negotiation scholars and practitioners have long noted the impact of face, or social image, concerns on negotiation outcomes. When face is threatened, negotiators are less likely to reach agreement and to create joint gain. In this paper we explore individual differences in face threat sensitivity (FTS), and how a negotiator's role moderates the effect of his or her FTS on negotiation outcomes. Study 1 describes a measure of FTS. Study 2 found that buyers and sellers were less likely to reach an agreement that was in both parties' interests when the seller had high FTS. Study 3 found that job candidates and recruiters negotiated an employment contract with less joint gain when the candidate had high FTS, and that this effect was mediated by increased competitiveness on the part of the high FTS candidates. The results support the Deutsch's (1961) application of face theory (Goffman, 1967) to negotiation.