Negotiation via Email
By Delilah van Tol
When we think of communication via computers, e-mail correspondence is the first thing that comes to mind. E-mails have been a great way of communication, but how does this trend work in the negotiations’ context? We probably all use it or have used it. For example, negotiating the price of a product bought on the internet, or the communication between a landlord/lady and the tenant about the rent. Do we find bumps in the road of communication, or is it as smooth as real-life face to face communication, or do we experience a more efficient experience when negotiating via e-mail?
One of the disadvantages of negotiations via e-mail is that e-mails might be interpreted differently from face-to-face communication.[1] In e-mails, there is no body language, facial expressions, tone, etc. Moreover, different people interpret things in different ways, which can cause misinterpretations.[2] Nevertheless, it gives the participants a chance to process the content of the e-mail and respond at their pace.[3] There is no need to respond immediately, which gives you more time to think about the most appropriate answer and negotiations’ style.[4]
Negotiation via e-mail comes with challenges. A common challenge is that people state their wishes, solutions, and struggles via email without making an effort to reaching an agreement.[5] The focus lies on the individual party and not, as we like to see in the context of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, to a solution with which both parties are satisfied. Furthermore, the information in the e-mails is less broad than it would be in a face-to-face encounter.[6] People are more likely to leave information out because of time limitations, not wanting to type too much, etc. The pieces of information omitted could be of importance for the the purpose of reaching an agreement, but none of the parties will ever realise their potentially decisive nature if those pieces of information have never been included in the correspondence. Furthermore, research has shown that parties lack trust when e-negotiating.[7] The reason could be that people are more likely to act deceptively when communicating online, and as earlier mentioned, are not capable of identifying hints of body language of the other parties’ representatives. parties Thus, people get more cautious when it comes to expressing their trust to the other parties in negotiations via e-mail.[8]
Does this mean that negotiations via e-mail are not effective? Not at all. There is no one size fits all. These challenges can be fixed by, for example, the use of rich media.[9] This is a way to include voice audio or a video that makes it easier to show your intent and ends up being effective for negotiation.[10] It is important to remember during negotiations via e-mail that you can take your time answering e-mails, so you do not let your emotions get overhand. Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that there is another person behind the screen who might not instantly understand your point. As a result, proper communication is key.[11] It will probably lead to a series of emails exchanged until all parties are satisfied with the deal.[12] When trust issues arise or to prevent trust-related concerns from arising, it might be an idea to switch between media; you can use Skype and then continue via e-mail, or what method makes all the parties involved comfortable.[13] Overall, negotiations via e-mail can be very effective as long as you remember that this method also needs time, patience, trust, and communication skills.
[1] Daft, R. L. and R. H. Lengel. 1984. Information Richness: A New Approach to Manage- rial Behavior and Organizational Design. Research in Organizational Behavior 6: 191-233.
[2] Ebner, Noam, Negotiation via Email (2017). Ebner, N. (2017). Negotiation via email. In Honeyman, C. & Schneider, A.K. (eds.) The Negotiator's Desk Reference. St Paul: DRI Press , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2348111 > Accessed 03-02-2021
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Arunachalam, V. and W. N. Dilla. 1995. Judgment Accuracy and Outcomes in Negotia- tion: A Causal Modeling Analysis of Decision-Aiding Effects. Organizational Behav- ior and Human Decision Processes 61(3): 289-304.
[6] Ebner, Noam, Negotiation via Email (2017). Ebner, N. (2017). Negotiation via email. In Honeyman, C. & Schneider, A.K. (eds.) The Negotiator's Desk Reference. St Paul: DRI Press , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2348111 > Accessed 03-02-2021
[7] Ebner, N., A. D. Bhappu, J. G. Brown, K. K. Kovach and A. K. Schneider. 2009. You’ve Got Agreement: Negoti@ing via Email. In Rethinking Negotiation Teaching: Inno- vations for Context and Culture, edited by C. Honeyman, J. Coben and G. De Palo. St Paul, MN: DRI Press.
[8] Ebner, Noam, Negotiation via Email (2017). Ebner, N. (2017). Negotiation via email. In Honeyman, C. & Schneider, A.K. (eds.) The Negotiator's Desk Reference. St Paul: DRI Press , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2348111 > Accessed 03-02-2021
[9] Friedman, R. A. and S. C. Currall. 2003. Conflict Escalation: Dispute Exacerbating Elements of E-Mail Communication. Human Relations 56(11): 1325-1357.
[10] Ebner, Noam, Negotiation via Email (2017). Ebner, N. (2017). Negotiation via email. In Honeyman, C. & Schneider, A.K. (eds.) The Negotiator's Desk Reference. St Paul: DRI Press , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2348111 > Accessed 03-02-2021
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.