Applying System Dynamics to a Negotiation Diagram

This chapter introduces the negotiagram as a tool that contributes to the study of the negotiation process. The negotiagram is a construct that facilitates an understanding of interactions between negotiators and their temporal context. Given that the negotiation process can be seen as a system, system dynamics (SD) are used to explore the interactions and complexities in the proposed construct, especially when it comes to circumstances with a high degree of uncertainty, such as an economic crisis or disruptive innovation in the industry. The results suggest that the causal configurations that SD establish lead to non-linear relationships and feedback loops that direct behavior within negotiation, an understanding that further leads stakeholders to a holistic vision and the opportunity to change, manage, and control a negotiation as a system.