Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • June 2008
  • Article
  • Journal of Management

Psychological Influence in Negotiation: An Introduction Long Overdue

By: Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:23
ShareBar

Abstract

This paper discusses the causes and consequences of the (surprisingly) limited extent to which social influence research has penetrated the field of negotiation and then presents a framework for bridging the gap between these two literatures. The paper notes that one of the reasons for its limited impact on negotiation research is that extant research on social influence focuses almost exclusively on economic or structural levers of influence. With this in mind, the paper seeks to achieve five objectives: (1) Define the domain of psychological influence as consisting of those tactics which do not require the influencer to change the economic or structural aspects of the bargaining situation in order to persuade the target; (2) Review prior research on behavioral decision making to identify ideas that may be relevant to the domain of psychological influence; (3) Provide a series of examples of how behavioral decision research can be leveraged to create psychological influence tactics for use in negotiation; (4) Consider the other side of influence, i.e., how targets of influence might defend against the tactics herein considered; and (5) Consider some of the ethical issues surrounding the use of psychological influence in negotiation.

Keywords

Social Issues; Research; Framework; Negotiation Tactics; Decisions; Power and Influence; Behavior; Ethics

Citation

Malhotra, Deepak, and Max H. Bazerman. "Psychological Influence in Negotiation: An Introduction Long Overdue." Journal of Management 34, no. 3 (June 2008): 509–531.
  • Find it at Harvard

About The Authors

Deepak Malhotra

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

Max H. Bazerman

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • 2022
    • Behavioral Science & Policy

    Leadership & Overconfidence

    By: Don A Moore and Max H. Bazerman
    • 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop

    By: Max H. Bazerman
    • August 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Rocket Science

    By: Joshua Schwartzstein and Deepak Malhotra
More from the Authors
  • Leadership & Overconfidence By: Don A Moore and Max H. Bazerman
  • Complicit: How We Enable the Unethical and How to Stop By: Max H. Bazerman
  • Rocket Science By: Joshua Schwartzstein and Deepak Malhotra
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College