The shadow negotiation
Under every negotiation over terms runs a second one about who proposes and who evaluates, and it is decided before the first draft exists. I won on the merits for years inside a shadow structure I had already lost, and
Program on Negotiation
Meaning
The Program on Negotiation is an interuniversity consortium based at Harvard Law School, dedicated to the study and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution. It serves as a hub for scholars, practitioners, and students from various disciplines to research, teach, and publish on all aspects of negotiation. The program aims to advance understanding of how parties interact to resolve differences and create value.
Institutional Role
This program fosters collaboration among faculty from Harvard, MIT, and Tufts, creating a multidisciplinary environment for negotiation scholarship. It hosts conferences, workshops, and courses that explore both theoretical models and practical applications of negotiation principles. The Program on Negotiation acts as a central body for developing and disseminating insights within the field.
Its continued existence reinforces the importance of structured approaches to conflict.
Research Contribution
A significant aspect of the Program on Negotiation’s work involves producing influential research, including the foundational theories of the shadow negotiation by Deborah Kolb. The institution provides the academic and collegial setting where such frameworks are developed and tested. Research emerging from this program frequently examines the hidden dynamics of power, process, and identity that affect negotiation outcomes.
This output helps to refine the understanding of complex human exchanges.
Founder Resource
For a founder navigating the intricate discussions of venture building, the Program on Negotiation represents a valuable intellectual resource. The theories and methodologies developed here offer founders tools to understand the unspoken power dynamics that influence investor relations, co-founder agreements, and client negotiations. Leveraging these insights can help a founder to identify implicit challenges and respond effectively, reducing the energy cost of dealing with misaligned expectations.
It provides a formal knowledge base for informal interactions.