Conversation Structure

Abstract

Studies of bargaining behaviors have drawn largely on a content analysis approach to describe the messages conveyed during negotiations. This article examines this approach to bargaining behaviors and suggests that content analysis cannot account for important aspects of bargaining behavior. Conversation structure provides essential information in the analysis of bargaining behaviors. A total of 30 buyer-seller negotiations were taped, transcribed, and coded, and an exploratory factor analysis was run on the data. The results of the factor analysis suggest that the use of conversation structure to interpret communication in negotiations yields important information inaccessible through content analysis alone.