Abstract
This chapter examines the ways in which negotiators might tighten and usefully apply the concept of focal points. Discussing a wealth of practical examples, it highlights two primary applications of focal points in negotiations: (1) their role in framing and reframing the issue(s) and thereby in the shaping of the negotiation, and (2) their role in facilitating concession and compensation. The authors exhibit the practical importance of focal points by demonstrating the utility of focal points in streamlining multi-party, multi-issue negotiations. They conclude that both negotiators and mediators stand to benefit from a thorough knowledge of the ways focality functions and the manner focal points can be used to facilitate or manipulate the successful outcome of negotiations.
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Notes
- 1.
What happens when there is two or more will be discussed below.
- 2.
Schelling also suggests public opinion as a defining characteristic, but that sounds rather imprecise. If public opinion plays a role, it is in recognizing the four characteristics mentioned, here and by Schelling.
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Brown, J., Zartman, I.W. (2019). Focal Points and Salient Solutions. In: Schuessler, R., van der Rijt, JW. (eds) Focal Points in Negotiation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27901-1_4
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