DNEAE-C4: Entrapment in Negotiation §

Class: IS404 Created Time: November 30, 2021 2:09 PM Database: Class Notes Database Last Edited Time: December 14, 2021 2:14 PM Type: Presentation Notes

Entrapment in International Negotiation is a form of escalation

• Both common an d conflicting interests situations
• International system could become entrapped and get out of control

💡 Ex: confrontation between US and USSR: entrapped in balance of power competition. Lose out on negotiations.

• Entrapment: is a decision making process, where people use reasons to justify actions they cannot back down from

Characteristics §

• Choice: entrapment is a result of choices made. The more you choose the narrower your freedom of choices are.
  • Member of ASEAN: less freedom of norms, rules, trade regulations…
  • Process choices or Situation choices
• Uncertainty: some negotiators doesn’t know their own situations and other’s, end up making wrong decision due to time limitation.
• Investment: Some think emotional investment is more important than material investment.
  • Making decisions to destroy one sector to gain from another sector
• Repetition: entrap others & sometimes themselves into the negotiation process overtime, losing out.

Levels §

1. Intrapersonal
   • Be aware of one’s own culture, experience, and impact on one’s behavior
   • Investigate the opponent’s background to observe their behavior, to know when they’re entrapping you.
   • The gap of similarities can bring miscommunication, misperception, and entrapment
2. Interpersonal
   • Chemistry between negotiators determines success or failure, negative or positive feeling
   • Negative feeling: careful of entrapment because of rationality
   • Positive feelings: likely to fall for entrapment because personal views
   • Frequently happens in the international sphere, when negotiators have same thinking (group think & lobbying)
3. National
   • Individualistic: entrapment is less likely
   • Collectivist: entrapment is more likely
   • Competitive: entrap others
   • Cooperative: caring for others
4. International
   • Entrapment begins with misjudgment of the intentions of enemies, hostilities
   • More serious consequences of entrapment than other levels
   • However, less likely to occur because of the naturally less intimate relationships
   • Powerful states: use entrapment for smaller states and use the threat of exit
   • Seeking Allies: create more entrapment

Factors §

1. Planning: carefully plan out, to reveal potential traps, linkages, potential deals (Thomas-Kilimann Model)
   • Competition and Accommodation is more likely to fall to entrapment
   • Avoidance, Compromise, and Collaboration is better to avoid entrapments
2. Information: is important to avoid entrapment
   • Full information is very difficult
   • Having reliable source of information
3. Communication: lack of communication, not the whole truth
4. Control: to manage risk of entrapment
   • Join coalitions or ally with a stronger

Case Study §

• Lesson 1
  • make sure you have received a clear mandate from those who have the legitimate power
  • Internal information flows and communication are transparent and effective
• Lesson 2:
  • have realistic perception of the strength of other party
  • Develop an overall strategy and set deadlines
• Lesson 3:
  • check your assumptions about relationships and create good, clear, workable relationships
  • but avoid becoming too close to avoid the possibility of emotional black mail
• Lesson 4:
  • Make sure you’re well represented in the power center of your organization
  • Make sure those in power sees your priority as their priority