Chapter 1 The Nature of Negotiation Chapter Overview This chapter is the foundation for the nature of negotiations. Negotiation is something that everyone does, almost daily. Negotiations occur for several reasons: 1. to agree on how to share or divide a limited resource, such as land, or money, or time 2. to create something new that neither party could do on their own; or 3. to resolve a problem or dispute between the parties. Sometimes people fail to negotiate because they do not recognize they are in a negotiation situation.  By choosing options other than negotiation, they may fail to achieve their goals, get what they need, or manage their problems as smoothly as they might like to.  People may also recognize the need for negotiation but do poorly because they misunderstand the process and do not have good negotiating skills. o This book should prepare you to recognize negotiation situations; o understand how negotiation works; o know how to plan, implement, and complete successful negotiations; o and, most importantly, be able to maximize your results. Learning Objectives 1. Understand the definition of negotiation, the key elements of a negotiation process, and the distinct types of negotiation. 2. Explore how people use negotiation to manage different situations of interdependence— that is, that they depend on each other for achieving their goals. 3. Consider how negotiation fits within the broader perspective of processes for managing conflict. 4. Gain an overview of the organization of this book and the content of its chapters.