Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 218
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-4422-3107-8 • Hardback • June 2015 • $121.00 • (£93.00)
Brigid Starkey is senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science and assistant director of the Global Studies Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Mark A. Boyer is Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Connecticut.
Jonathan Wilkenfeld is professor in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland and director of the ICONS Simulation Program.
List of Illustrations
Preface
1 Introduction
Negotiation in Broad Context
Negotiation in International Relations
Negotiation as a High-Stakes Game
Structuring Negotiation
Summary
2 The Board
The International System
Negotiation Characteristics: A Checklist
Summary
3 The Players
Sovereign States as Negotiators
Transnational Actors
Actor Dynamics
Summary
4 The Stakes
The Traditional Issue Framework
Issue Salience in a Changing International System
Two-Level Negotiations
Summary
5 The Moves
Modeling Strategic Choices
Weighing Strategic Choices
Implementing Strategy
Summary
6 Outcomes
Identifying Important Trends
Analyzing Real-World Cases
The U.S.-Iraq Protracted Conflict: Balancing Force and Diplomacy
Looking Forward
Appendix 1: Instructors Guide to ICONS International Negotiation Simulation
Simulation as Active Learning in International Relations
Understanding the ICONS Simulation Process
Appendix 2: Student Guide: It’s Your Turn to Play the Game
Participation in ICONS Exercises: Understanding the Process
Phase 1: Preparation
Phase 2: Negotiation
Phase 3: Debrief
References
Index
About the Authors
As international negotiations proliferate, so too does the need to understand their context, structure and process. This book provides a useful account of the myriad challenges facing negotiators today, addressing the changes in technology, actors and agendas. . . .The book’s value is in its easily accessible approach to explaining negotiations using a range of real-world examples. The authors aim not only to explain the processes, but also to provide a tool in the teaching and practice of negotiations. . . .The book is therefore of interest to those teaching and learning about the complexities involved in the ‘give-and-take’ processes of international negotiations.
— South African Journal of International Affairs
This excellent text introduces students to the basic concepts, structures, processes, and outcomes involved in international negotiations in the complex global environment in which we live. The authors do an excellent job of presenting the basic components of international negotiation theory in a clear and engaging fashion, while also drawing on the latest scholarly research in a user-friendly manner. One comes away recognizing that negotiated agreements require a mutual ability to forego the optimal for mutually satisfactory terms that meet the fundamental needs and interests of all negotiating parties. Therefore, compromise and creative invention of mutually beneficial formulas that transcend conflicting interests are required in order to achieve joint benefits; achieving these outcomes requires patience, creativity, and a lot of hard work. This text is thus of value for both students approaching the subject for the first time as well as for experienced practitioners who may gain new insights into strategies for negotiating better, fairer, and more durable international agreements on some of the most complex but important issues of our time.
— P. Terrence Hopmann, Johns Hopkins University
By adopting a gameboard analogy and drawing on a wide range of recent case examples woven throughout the text, International Negotiation in a Complex World provides an approachable yet rich coverage of negotiation processes. The authors present a clear structural framework for discussing negotiations, incorporating a broad range of applicable literature. This text would fit very well into classes covering negotiation topics ranging from the environment and development to conflict and post-conflict issues.
— Carolyn Shaw, Wichita State University
A welcome addition to the large and growing literature on negotiation. The authors have had a long association with the International Communication and Negotiation Simulation Project (ICONS) at the University of Maryland, and a strong desire to develop an approach to the study of negotiation that is based on simulation exercises, utilizing sophisticated network techniques. Their short book is both substantially rich and a valuable tool for students and policy makers alike. (Previous Edition Praise)
— International Affairs
Starkey, Boyer, and Wilkenfeld update their textbook and tutorial to incorporate new events and new developments in continuing conflicts during the five years since the first edition. Their approach does not pivot on the case studies, however, but on concepts in negotiation: the board, the players, the stakes, the moves, and outcomes. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Reference and Research Book News
Unique . . . is the emphasis placed on simulations and 'virtual diplomacy,' including the listing of myriad web sites devoted to negotiation. A well-designed book with many references to contemporary examples of negotiation, it is more appropriate to the beginner than the expert. The bibliography is quite good. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Choice Reviews
The authors use the metaphor of games as a way of understanding the central aspects of international negotiation. [The book] provides a broad overview of the field, without losing its sensitivity to the problems and issues facing different negotiation situations. The theoretical parts are nicely backed by empirical illustrations. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Journal of Peace Research
This engaging book moves us to a new era of international relations characterized by global diplomacy, non-state actors, and complex, interlinked issues. Using interesting case examples, the authors bring concepts to life for the practitioner, scholar, and general reader alike. Capturing key ideas in the contemporary literature on negotiation, they show how the changing international context interacts with specific negotiating situations in shaping processes and producing outcomes. The authors' use of a board game metaphor for negotiating processes and strategies enables the reader to appreciate the complexity and uncertainty of negotiation without being mired in technical details. Useful chapter summaries, glossaries, web sites, and references further enhance the book's value. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Daniel Druckman, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Negotiating a Complex World is more than merely 'an introduction to international negotiation.' Starkey, Boyer, and Wilkenfeld have presented a sophisticated framework for understanding international negotiation that will be a valuable tool for students, scholars, and policy makers alike. The authors' Afterword on virtual diplomacy is a timely addition that should be required reading for students and practitioners of the art of diplomacy in the twenty-first century. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Linda Brady, The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology
Despite the importance of international negotiation there are remarkably few texts that can unconditionally be recommended for international relations courses. Professors Starkey, Boyer, and Wilkenfeld are to be congratulated for producing an authoritative introduction to international negotiation that is at once clear, interesting, innovative, and enjoyable. The authors have produced an excellent, user-friendly text for students that brilliantly succeeds in getting across key features of the negotiating process. They cover the major concepts, approaches, and theories in the field in a concise and highly readable way. Their synthesis of case study and theoretical analysis is just what is called for. What particularly impressed me was the ability of the authors to explain the context and mechanics of international negotiation while at the same time placing negotiation exactly where it should be—at the heart of international relations. As well as enthusiastically endorsing the adoption of this fine study as an introduction to international negotiation, I would also wish to recommend it most highly as an essential component of general courses on diplomacy and foreign policy. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Raymond Cohen, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; author of Negotiating Across Cultures
Written in student-friendly language while remaining well-grounded in the scholarship in the fieldProvides a robust framework for the analysis of negotiation episodesEmbeds negotiation within contemporary IR concepts such as complex multilateralism and global governanceUses understandable board game analogies to explain key elements of the negotiation process—the board, players, stakes, and movesIllustrates key concepts with both historical and contemporary case studies ranging from Iraq and Kyoto to North Korea and many othersEmploys pedagogical tools including key terms and definitions, chapter summaries, and special interest boxes of important terms, central figures, and examplesEnhanced with visually engaging photos and figuresProvides an appendix on "Students as Diplomats" showing how Internet simulations—especially ICONS—can give students a firsthand negotiation experienceNew featuresIncludes a special discount on ICONS simulations for text adopters. Discount information available at http://www.icons.umd.edu/education/negotiating_discount_detailsIncludes two new timely and dramatic case studies of contemporary diplomacy: the Warsaw Climate Conference of 2013 and the ongoing P5+1 Iranian Nuclear NegotiationsThe climate treaty negotiations focus students on the dynamics of the NGO mobilization of millions across the globe on climate action The Iranian nuclear talks highlight power politics 21st-century style as Twitter takes center stage in American-Iranian two-level game positioningAddresses the growing impact of global governance issues and institutions in the international negotiation realmConsiders the importance of social media to citizen diplomacy, communication, and mobilization in the international arena