Editing Negotiation (section)

=== Distributive negotiation ===
{{See also|Zero-sum game|Win-lose game}}

'''Distributive negotiation''' (also known as '''Win-lose game'''), compromise, positional negotiation, or hard-bargaining negotiation attempts to distribute a "fixed pie" of benefits. Distributive negotiation operates under zero-sum conditions, where it is assumed that any gain made by one party will be at the expense of the other. Haggling over prices on an [[open market]], as in the purchase of a car or home, is an example of distributive negotiation.

In a distributive negotiation, each side often adopts an extreme or fixed position that they know will not be accepted, and then seeks to cede as little as possible before reaching a deal. Distributive bargainers conceive of negotiation as a process of distributing a fixed amount of value. A distributive negotiation often involves people who have never had a previous interactive relationship with each other and are unlikely to do so again shortly, although all negotiations usually have some distributive element.<ref name=":0">Saner, Raymond. ''The Expert Negotiator'', The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, 2000 (p. 40)</ref> Since [[prospect theory]] indicates that people tend to prioritize the minimization of losses over the maximization of gains, this form of negotiation is likely to be more acrimonious and less productive in agreement.<ref>{{cite book|last=McDermott | first=Rose | title=Prospect Theory and Negotiation | editor-last=Avenhaus | editor-first=Rudolf | editor2-last=Sjösted | editor2-first=Gunnar | chapter=Negotiated Risks | publisher=Springer | location=Germany | date=2009 | isbn=978-3-540-92992-5 | pages=372 }}</ref>