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Case | HBS Case Collection | May 2001 (Revised March 2008)

"To hell with the future, let's get on with the past." George Mitchell in North Ireland

by James K. Sebenius and Daniel F. Curran

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Abstract

Examines the strategies and tactics used by U.S. negotiator George Mitchell during his two-year tenure as chairman of the all-party talks in Northern Ireland. His efforts culminated in the signing of the historic Good Friday Accords.

Keywords: Policy; International Relations; Managerial Roles; Negotiation Tactics; Strategy; Northern Ireland;

Format: Print 46 pages EducatorsPurchase

Citation:

Sebenius, James K., and Daniel F. Curran. "To hell with the future, let's get on with the past." George Mitchell in North Ireland. Harvard Business School Case 801-393, May 2001. (Revised March 2008.)

Related Work

  1. Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2003

    George Mitchell in Northern Ireland (A)

    James K. Sebenius and Daniel F. Curran

    Examines the strategies and tactics that U.S. negotiator George Mitchell used during his two-year tenure as chairman of the all-party talks in Northern Ireland. His efforts culminated in the signing of the historic Good Friday Accords. A revised version of an earlier case.

    Keywords: Policy; International Relations; Agreements and Arrangements; Negotiation Tactics; Northern Ireland; United States;

    Citation:

    Sebenius, James K., and Daniel F. Curran. "George Mitchell in Northern Ireland (A)." Harvard Business School Case 904-001, December 2003.  View Details
    CiteView DetailsEducators Related
  2. Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2003

    George Mitchell in Northern Ireland (B)

    James K. Sebenius and Daniel F. Curran

    Examines the strategies and tactics that U.S. negotiator George Mitchell used during his two-year tenure as chairman of the all-party talks in Northern Ireland. His efforts culminated in the signing of the historic Good Friday Accords. A revised version of an earlier case.

    Keywords: Policy; International Relations; Agreements and Arrangements; Negotiation Tactics; Northern Ireland; United States;

    Citation:

    Sebenius, James K., and Daniel F. Curran. "George Mitchell in Northern Ireland (B)." Harvard Business School Case 904-002, December 2003.  View Details
    CiteView DetailsEducators Related

About the Author

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James K. Sebenius
Gordon Donaldson Professor of Business Administration
Negotiation, Organizations & Markets

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More from the Author

  • Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017 (Revised December 2017)

    Henry Kissinger: Negotiating Black Majority Rule in Rhodesia (A)

    James K. Sebenius and Laurence A. Green

    In 1976, a growing crisis in Southern Africa drew the attention of United States Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. White Rhodesian leader Ian Smith's refusal to accede to black majority rule threatened to widen into a regional conflict involving apartheid South Africa and newly independent leftist African states. Kissinger and others feared that the region was on the brink of becoming a new battleground in the Cold War. In light of these developments Kissinger decided to intervene, seeking a negotiated solution that might bring about a peaceful end to minority rule. The account in this case carefully describes—but does not analyze nor draw lessons from—these challenging circumstances.

    Keywords: equality and inequality; Negotiation Process; race; Negotiation Participants; Government and Politics; Africa; United States; Equality and Inequality; Race; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Participants; Government and Politics; Africa; United States;

    Citation:

    Sebenius, James K., and Laurence A. Green. "Henry Kissinger: Negotiating Black Majority Rule in Rhodesia (A)." Harvard Business School Case 918-003, September 2017. (Revised December 2017.)  View Details
    CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase Related
  • Supplement | HBS Case Collection | September 2017 (Revised December 2017)

    Henry Kissinger: Negotiating Black Majority Rule in Rhodesia (B)

    James K. Sebenius and Laurence A. Green

    In 1976, United States Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger conducted a series of intricate, multiparty negotiations in Southern Africa to persuade white Rhodesian leader Ian Smith to accede to black majority rule. Conducted near the end of President Gerald Ford’s term in office and against substantial U.S. domestic opposition, Kissinger’s efforts culminated in Smith’s public announcement that he would accept majority rule within two years. This set the stage for the later Lancaster House negotiations that resulted in the actual transition to black majority rule. The account in this case carefully describes—but does not analyze nor draw lessons from—these challenging negotiations.

    Keywords: equality and inequality; Negotiation Process; race; Negotiation Participants; negotiation deal; Government and Politics; Africa; United States; Equality and Inequality; Race; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Participants; Negotiation Deal; Government and Politics; Africa; United States;

    Citation:

    Sebenius, James K., and Laurence A. Green. "Henry Kissinger: Negotiating Black Majority Rule in Rhodesia (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 918-004, September 2017. (Revised December 2017.)  View Details
    CiteView DetailsPurchase Related
  • Article | Negotiation Journal

    Howard Raiffa: The Art, Science, and Humanity of a Legendary Negotiation Analyst

    James K. Sebenius

    Rightly known as the “father of negotiation analysis,” Howard Raiffa was my thesis advisor, colleague, and friend for over 30 years. The bulk of this article develops an account of his intellectual trajectory from game theory to statistical decision theory to decision analysis and to negotiation analysis. It suggests how these superficially separate fields relate to each other and inform the theory and practice of negotiation. I intersperse this account with nuggets of insight that I picked up from Howard for dealing with people, analyzing problems, doing research, teaching effectively, and building a legacy.

    Keywords: negotiation analysis; bargaining; Howard Raiffa; Negotiation; Personal Development and Career;

    Citation:

    Sebenius, James K. "Howard Raiffa: The Art, Science, and Humanity of a Legendary Negotiation Analyst." Negotiation Journal 33, no. 4 (October 2017): 283–307.  View Details
    CiteView DetailsFind at Harvard Related
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