Question
One may argue that the most important information in a negotiation is the opponent's BA TNA. Why do you think this argument is correct? I can compare my BATNA with the opponent's BATNA so that I would know which party is more powerful Knowing this allows me to make an offer that is close to the opponent's BATNA enough so that I can reap more benefit from the negotiation Knowing the opponent's BATNA enables an agreement to be reached more quickly I can judge if an offer made by the opponent is a fair one
Answer
4.7
(208 Votes)
Xavier
Professional · Tutor for 6 years
Answer
I can compare my BATNA with the opponent's BATNA so that I would know which party is more powerful. Knowing this allows me to make an offer that is close to the opponent's BATNA enough so that I can reapmore benefit from the negotiation. Knowing the opponent's BATNA enables an agreement to be reached more quickly.I can judge if an offer made by the opponent is a fair one.
Explanation
BATNA stands for "Best alternative to a negotiated agreement." If a person can predict or make a reasonable estimation of their opponent's BATNA in a negotiation, they would get a sense of were the opponent's boundary line might be. This can allow them to strategize their negotiation more effectively. This particular question, however, leans more toward discussion and requires person's own judgment and reasoning.• Comparing BATNAs: If a negotiator knows both his own BATNA and his counterpart’s, it can provide a good sense of who has more power to walk away from the discussed deal. Quite simply, the party with the better BATNA has more negotiating power.• Making sensitive offer: If a negotiator knows the opponent's BATNA, that can enable the negotiator to aim their proposal just above the BATNA of their opponent. This can result in a better result for him, as long as that proposal is also better than his own BATNA.• Swift agreement: If the BATNA from both sides is known, it might speed up the negotiation process, since the boundary lines are more clearly defined early on. • Identifying fair offers: Knowing the opponent's BATNA might aid in discerning a good deal from a bad one. If your opponent proposes something that's equivalent or better than their believed BATNA, staring with objectivity could indicate that it is likely a fair offer.