International Negotiation

Around the world, negotiation is the only tool people have to make collective decisions when there must be unanimity. Like any other social activity, negotiation exhibits both universal patterns determined by the finite possibilities of its nature and local variations determined by cultural practices. Universalities predominate if one digs deep enough, and peculiarities abound in surface manifestations. International Negotiation investigates how deep is deep enough, and how shallow the surface, and attempts to find the meeting line. As more and more individuals meet around the negotiation table, providing conditions for cultural encounters, and clashes, this volume examines the actors involved, the role culture plays, and the role of organizations. This book provides a fascinating look at negotiation in the political arena and the real world.

PETER BERTON is Professor Emeritus at the School of International Relations, University of South Carolina.

HIROSHI KIMURA is a Professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto.

I. WILLIAM ZARTMAN is the Jacob Blaustein Professor of International Organizations and Conflict Resolution at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.