Choosing communication media for negotiation
Communication is one of the most essential and fundamental parts of being human. Therefore, it also plays a major role in the way we solve issues in a work environment, and it is especially important to have clear an constructive communication in a context where two parties either disagree or both want a certain outcome of a situation – for instance during negotiation. The communication media has proven to have an essential impact on the outcome of a negotiation [1], and is therefore an important concept for a project manager to be aware of. Negotiation is a key part of the role of a project manager which acquires certain Negotiation Skills. It is a process of communicating back and forth with the goal of making a joint decision, a way of finding a solution to a shared problem that suites all involved parties and hopefully achieve an ideal outcome [2].
Our communication media have evolved greatly since the invention of the telephone in 1876 [3] and later even greater with the introduction of the internet in 1969 [4]. These technologies made it possible for people to communicate at a long distance, which has opened up to globalization. But with the new communication media, brought by these technologies, also came a challenge – we no longer need to be face-to-face in order to interact with each other, which strips away some of the most important communication mechanisms we poses as human beings [1].
This article will strive to give an insight into the different available types of communication media and how they each work as a tool in negotiation. It will give an overview of the important aspects of communication and how each media satisfy these aspects as a tool for projects managers to use, when deciding on which media to use in negotiation.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jill M. Purdy (University of Washington), Pete Nye, P. V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan (University of Washington. Communication media on negotiation outcome. [1]. Accessed 13-02-2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Englund, Randall L. Negotiating for success are you prepared?. [2]. Accessed 13-02-2021.
- ↑ Wiki article. [3]. Accessed 13-02-2021.
- ↑ Wiki article. [4]. Accessed 13-02-2021.
- ↑ Williams, L, Lumen Learning. Introduction to Business: Reading: McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. [5]. Accessed 13-02-2021. License: CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial.