Accordingly, text article notes that "international negotiation is often not just between individual people, but between large delegations, each of which is well organized and where every person has specialized and skilled work. There may be cultural experts, linguists and subject specialists as well as a chief negotiator and support negotiators. In a complex negotiation, there may be multiple and interlined sub-negotiations going on at the same time, for example where a trade negotiation includes deal involving various industries and interests." (Changing Minds, 1)
This denotes that negotiations are typically an extremely complex and nuanced process. Such mediation may occur over an extended period of time and require multiple face-to-face encounters and the constant recasting of terms and conditions. This is because such negotiation is confounded by the true challenge of establishing an equilibrium between parties. Ideally, a negotiation will produce a compromise that is viewed as essentially favorable to the interests of both sides, even where some sacrifice may be necessary. As noted above, this equilibrium is particularly challenging to establish because 'both sides' is something of an oversimplification of the countless stakeholders with interest in the final outcome.
An example of this that is particularly layered and complex is the ongoing process of negotiation for a shared compromise on
As McMahon (2008) notes, "In 2012, the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol will be concluded. In the next two years a follow-on treaty will be negotiated. This process was started in earnest in Bali in 2007, with the agreement of the Bali Action Plan. . . The Plan also adds that developed countries will provide technology, finance, and capacity to support their mitigation actions. Determining how these actions and support will be measured, reported and verified is a key part of the current negotiations." (McMahon, 1)
Conclusion
This is a demonstration of need for extended negotiations. To an extent, these negotiations are projected to continue well into the future as the various parties and their differing needs are factored into a realistic timeline. Here, we can see that the roles, responsibilities, sacrifices and gains differ considerably according to each countries needs and capabilities. It is thus that a cross-cultural theory of negotiations can serve as a valuable framework for understanding these processes. Each of the stakeholders represented in these negotiations has a unique set of political, sociological, ecological and ideological conditions to contend with even as the collective parties set to the negotiation share a common goal.
Works Cited:
Changing Minds. (2002). International Negotiations. Changing Minds.org.
McMahon, H. (2008). Fact Sheet: International Negotiations on Climate Change. World Resources Institute.
