The Social Context of Negotiation: Effects of Social Identify and Accountability on Negotiator Decision Making

The present research investigates how social identification and interpersonal accountability affect decision making during negotiations. We hypothesize that when a share social identity is salient and feelings of interpersonal accountability between negotiators are high, negotiators will prefer more equal outcomes cover those that maximize their own gains alone. To investigate these hypotheses, we conducted a laboratory study. The study employed a 2 x 2 design, in which we varied the salience of individuals’ level of social identification (low versus high) and interpersonal accountability (low versus high). The results supported the major hypotheses. The findings of the study are discussed in terms of demonstrating the important influence social context exerts on negotiator judgment and decision making.