Any potential barriers that might prevent agreement from occurring are discussed, such as strategic behavior that is displayed through hard bargaining. Wheeler defines bargaining power as the strength or weakness of one company's BATNA. He uses the example of Iranian hostage negotiations to describe how power could possibly be turned upside down in negotiations. In this example, bargaining power is the reflection of both knowledge and skill. Finally, the article discusses the element of ethics, or what the right thing to do in each situation is. For example, candor, moral reasons and equity may be discussed in this aspect. For example, force with weapons is illegal, just as unethically tying a parties...

Another issue that arises is the impact of the negotiation on bystanders, and how fair the negotiation process is to those directly affected by the potential agreement. One of the most important issues discussed in this article are the moral issues that can come up when one is negotiating on behalf of another. For example, what happens if a lawyer sincerely believes that a settlement offer is far better than the chances of the client winning in court, and the client refuses the settlement offer? These an other questions are addressed by Wheeler, who stresses in the article that negotiation strategy must be based on carefully considered principles.