Publications

Negotiations are often conducted in the context of ongoing contentious behavior by members of the adversarial sides. In some cases such behavior prevents the adversaries from reaching or implementing a negotiated agreement. In other cases, some behavior beyond the negotiations table hastens reaching an agreement or improves its qualities. This article focuses on large scale conflicts and examines the coercion-related conduct of the leaders and the negotiating teams of the opposing sides, of various factions within the opposing sides, and of parties not directly engaged as partisans in the conflict. It then considers how those sets of people can behave more constructively and reduce the destructive coercion of other stakeholders in the conflict. It concludes with six policy recommendations.