Classifies, reviews, and critiques current literature on the role of communication in the bargaining process. Provides a review of findings within four areas: communication opportunity, information exchange, message strategies, and categories of interaction. Concludes that communication is an essential variable in bargaining research. (PD)

During the past 15 years, most studies dealing with communication and conflict in organizational settings have used a bargaining context while integrating assumptions from game theory, information processing, developmental approaches, and systems theory into their research designs. These studies also reflect four communication topic areas,…

Examines the role of reciprocity in bargaining interaction. Focuses on labor/management differences in communication structure; their impact on bargaining outcomes; and the effect of sex-role composition on bargaining communication. Results, among other findings, demonstrated that management relied on defensive tactics while labor specialized in…