hich two parties communicate with each other in order to reach an outcome on which they
NEGOTIATING STYLE
SELF-ASSESSMENT
The purpose of this self-assessment is to help
you examine your personal negotiating style.
Directions
1. PRINT THIS SELF-ASSESSMENT OUT!
2. Read the definition of negotiation above to make sure that you understand it.
3. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. There are no right or wrong answers.
Don’t try to think of the “correct” or most “desirable” response, but simply respond with
your honest reactions.
4. Respond by putting a check-mark or X in one column per question or statement.
5. Proceed to the second page where you will find a number of questions that ask you to
consider how likely or unlikely you are to behave in a certain way when you are
negotiating.
6. On the third page you are required to rate your level of agreement with a number of
statements.
7. Proceed to the fourth page where you will find the scoring key and interpretation guide.
Questions
1. Once you have completed and scored the self-assessment, profile yourself (i.e., as High, Moderate to High,
Moderate to Low, or Low) on each of the five negotiation styles. Which negotiation style or styles is/are
dominant? Is this how you see yourself and do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?
2. Profile yourself (i.e., as High, Moderate to High, etc.) with respect to Assertiveness and Cooperativeness.
Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?
3. Look at Figure 1 again. Does your dominant negotiation style(s) match up with your Assertiveness and
Cooperativeness scores on that two-dimensional matrix? For example, if you scored in the “High” category
on both Assertiveness and Cooperativeness, your dominant style should be the Collaborating style. Does
such a match exist for you?
4. If you scored most highly on Assertiveness, which of the bargaining styles (i.e., Distributive versus Mutual
Gain) are you most likely to use? What are the pros and cons of this approach to collective bargaining?
5. If you scored most highly on Cooperativeness, which of the bargaining styles (i.e., Distributive versus
Mutual Gain) are you most likely to use? What are the pros and cons of this approach to collective
bargaining?
How likely are you to do each of the Neither
following when NEGOTIATING? Very Likely nor Very
Unlikely Unlikely Unlikely Likely Likely
1. I’ll come up with a plan so that I can steer the
negotiation to go my way.
2. I’ll do things expressly to make sure that the
negotiation stays friendly and comfortable.
3. I’ll go out of my way to make sure that the
outcome for the other person is fair.
4. I’ll do things so that both of us can get what we
want from the negotiation.
5. If something needs to be negotiated, I’ll
immediately step forward to do it.
6. I’ll give some in order to get some from the
person I’m negotiating with.
7. If the negotiation is not going my way, I’ll bail
out of the negotiation.
8. I’ll suggest creative solutions that allow both of
us to get what we want from the negotiation.
9. If it seems important for the other person to
come out on top, I’ll give in to them.
10. I’ll avoid difficult issues to keep the negotiation
from getting nasty.
11. If the other person compromises their position,
I’ll compromise my position in return.
12. I’ll make sure that both of our needs are
understood so that both of us can come out on
top.
13. I’ll present information, when negotiating, even
if it doesn’t necessarily always support my
position.
14. I’ll propose a place in the middle where we both
can meet.
15. I’ll try to see things from the other person’s
viewpoint and be considerate of their needs.
Neither
Rate your level of agreement with each Strongly Agree Strongly
of these statements. Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree
Disagree
16. In every negotiation, both sides have to give
something up to get something in return.
17. What’s good for me is really all that matters
when negotiating.
18. I’ll do almost anything to keep from having to
engage in negotiation.
19. In negotiating, someone wins and someone has
to lose.
20. The feelings of the other person that I’m
negotiating with are important to me.
21. Negotiation works better when the focus is on
common agreement rather than differences.
22. I can be aggressive when it comes to getting
my way from a negotiation.
23. When you compromise in a negotiation, you
really just lose.
24. If the other person gets a “raw deal” from our
negotiation, that really doesn’t matter to me.
25. Keeping the comfort level high is very important
to me when I’m negotiating.
NEGOTIATING STYLE
SELF-ASSESSMENT – Interpretation Guide
I. Background
It is important that you, the student, review the discussion of collective bargaining behavior in
Chapter 6 of Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 8th edition, before continuing. Holley, Jennings, &
Wolters identify two distinct and very different approaches to bargaining.
Distributive Bargaining approaches negotiation as a win-lose exercise where the gains of
one party must come at the expense of the other party. The sole focus of the negotiator
is to maximize his/her own outcomes. In the negotiation literature, this orientation is
referred to as Assertiveness.
Mutual Gain Bargaining approaches negotiation as a mutual problem-solving exercise.
Relying on open communication, trust, and mutual respect, negotiators focus on fulfilling
the mutual interests of both parties. In the negotiation literature, this orientation is
referred to as Cooperativeness.
Negotiators that exhibit Assertiveness tendencies are more likely to engage in
Distributive Bargaining behavior while negotiators that are high in Cooperativeness are
more likely to use a Mutual Gain Bargaining approach. Thus, this self-assessment will
help you examine your levels of Assertiveness versus Cooperativeness.
According to the negotiation literature, the measurement of Assertiveness and
Cooperativeness requires the consideration of five distinct negotiation styles. The five
negotiation styles are:
Competing - Negotiators that exhibit this style are results-oriented, self-confident,
assertive, are focused primarily on the bottom line, have a tendency to impose their views
upon the other party, and in the extreme can become aggressive and domineering. This
style is high in Assertiveness and low in Cooperativeness.
Avoiding - Negotiators that exhibit this style are passive, prefer to avoid conflict, make
attempts to withdraw from the situation or pass responsibility onto another party, and fail
to show adequate concern or make an honest attempt to get to a solution. This style is
both low in Assertiveness and low in Cooperativeness.
Collaborating - Negotiators that exhibit this style use open and honest communication,
focus on finding creative solutions that mutually satisfy both parties, are open to exploring
new and novel solutions, and suggest many alternatives for consideration. This style is
both high in Assertiveness and high in Cooperativeness.
Accommodating – Negotiators that exhibit this style make attempts to maintain
relationships with the other party, smooth over conflicts, downplay differences, and are
most concerned with satisfying the needs of the other party. This style is low in
Assertiveness but high in Cooperativeness.
Compromising – Negotiators that exhibit this style aim to find the middle ground, often
split the difference between positions, frequently engage in give and take tradeoffs, and
accept moderate satisfaction of both parties’ needs. This style is both moderate in
Assertiveness and moderate in Cooperativeness.
Figure 1 displays the relationship between these five negotiating styles and the competing
dimensions of Assertiveness versus Cooperativeness.
Figure 1
High Competing Collaborating
Assertiveness
Distributive Compromising
Bargaining
Low Avoiding Accommodating
Low High
Cooperativeness
Mutual Gain Bargaining
II. Competing Style
Part of the self-assessment measures the degree to which you exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Competing negotiating style. In the table below, find the numerical score
that corresponds to the column that you checked for each question. Enter that number to the
left of the table for each question. For example, if you checked the “Neither Likely nor
Unlikely” column for question #1, you would enter a score of 3 next to Q1.
QUESTION Neither Likely
SCORE Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q1: 1 2 3 4 5
Q7: 1 2 3 4 5
Neither Likely
Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q13: 5 4 3 2 1
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q17: 5 4 3 2 1
Q22: 5 4 3 2 1
TOTAL: (Add all scores)
TOTAL SCORE INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON COMPETING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
18 OR ABOVE top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Competing style.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON COMPETING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your
score falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you moderately to
16 TO 17 strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Competing style. The higher your score is, the more
strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Competing style.
MODERATE TO LOW ON COMPETING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your
score falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you moderately
14 TO 15 to weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Competing style. The lower your score is, the more
weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Competing style.
LOW ON COMPETING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
13 OR BELOW bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with the Competing style.
III. Avoiding Style
This part of the self-assessment measures the degree to which you exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Avoiding negotiating style. In the table below, find the numerical score
that corresponds to the column that you checked for each question. Enter that number to the
left of the table for each question. For example, if you checked the “Likely” column for
question #2, you would enter a score of 4 next to Q2.
QUESTION Neither Likely
SCORE Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q2: 1 2 3 4 5
Q10: 1 2 3 4 5
Neither Likely
Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q5: 5 4 3 2 1
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q18: 5 4 3 2 1
Q25: 5 4 3 2 1
TOTAL: (Add all scores)
TOTAL SCORE INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON AVOIDING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
18 OR ABOVE top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Avoiding style.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON AVOIDING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score
falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you moderately to
16 TO 17 strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Avoiding style. The higher your score is, the more
strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Avoiding style.
MODERATE TO LOW ON AVOIDING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score
falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you moderately to
14 TO 15 weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Avoiding style. The lower your score is, the more
weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Avoiding style.
LOW ON AVOIDING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
13 OR BELOW bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with the Avoiding style.
IV. Collaborating Style
This part of the self-assessment measures the degree to which you exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Collaborating negotiating style. In the table below, find the numerical
score that corresponds to the column that you checked for each question. Enter that number
to the left of the table for each question. For example, if you checked the “Unlikely” column
for question #4, you would enter a score of 2 next to Q4.
QUESTION Neither Likely
SCORE Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q4: 1 2 3 4 5
Q8: 1 2 3 4 5
Q12: 1 2 3 4 5
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q19: 1 2 3 4 5
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q21: 5 4 3 2 1
TOTAL: (Add all scores)
TOTAL SCORE INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON COLLABORATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in
21 OR ABOVE the top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Collaborating style.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON COLLABORATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you
19 TO 20 moderately to strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Collaborating style. The higher your
score is, the more strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Collaborating style.
MODERATE TO LOW ON COLLABORATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you
17 TO 18 moderately to weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Collaborating style. The lower your
score is, the more weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Collaborating style.
LOW ON COLLABORATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in
16 OR BELOW the bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with the Collaborating style.
V. Accommodating Style
This part of the self-assessment measures the degree to which you exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Accommodating negotiating style. In the table below, find the numerical
score that corresponds to the column that you checked for each question. Enter that number
to the left of the table for each question. For example, if you checked the “Very Unlikely”
column for question #3, you would enter a score of 1 next to Q3.
QUESTION Neither Likely
SCORE Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q3: 1 2 3 4 5
Q9: 1 2 3 4 5
Q15: 1 2 3 4 5
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q20: 5 4 3 2 1
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q24: 1 2 3 4 5
TOTAL: (Add all scores)
TOTAL SCORE INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON ACCOMMODATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in
19 OR ABOVE the top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Accommodating style.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON ACCOMMODATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you
moderately to strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Accommodating style. The higher your
17 TO 18 score is, the more strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Accommodating style.
MODERATE TO LOW ON ACCOMMODATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you
15 TO 16 moderately to weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Accommodating style. The lower your
score is, the more weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Accommodating style.
LOW ON ACCOMMODATING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in
14 OR BELOW the bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with the Accommodating style.
VI. Compromising Style
This part of the self-assessment measures the degree to which you exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Compromising negotiating style. In the table below, find the numerical
score that corresponds to the column that you checked for each question. Enter that number
to the left of the table for each question. For example, if you checked the “Very Likely”
column for question #6, you would enter a score of 5 next to Q6.
QUESTION Neither Likely
SCORE Very Unlikely Unlikely nor Unlikely Likely Very Likely
Q6: 1 2 3 4 5
Q11: 1 2 3 4 5
Q14: 1 2 3 4 5
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q16: 5 4 3 2 1
Neither Agree Strongly
Strongly Agree Agree nor Disagree Disagree Disagree
Q23: 1 2 3 4 5
TOTAL: (Add all scores)
TOTAL SCORE INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON COMPROMISING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in
20 OR ABOVE the top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit characteristics
consistent with the Compromising style.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON COMPROMISING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you
18 TO 19 moderately to strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Compromising style. The higher your
score is, the more strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Compromising style.
MODERATE TO LOW ON COMPROMISING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you
16 TO 17 moderately to weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with the Compromising style. The lower your
score is, the more weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with the Compromising style.
LOW ON COMPROMISING STYLE – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
15 OR BELOW bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with the Compromising style.
VII. Assertiveness Index
Now that you know each of your negotiation style total scores, it is possible to determine your level of
Assertiveness. The formula is as follows:
Assertiveness Index = (Competing Style Total Score + Collaborating Style Total Score)
- (Avoiding Style Total Score + Accommodating Style Total Score)
ASSERTIVENESS
INDEX INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON ASSERTIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
5 OR ABOVE top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit characteristics
consistent with Assertiveness.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON ASSERTIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students, your
score falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you moderately
1 TO 4 to strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with Assertiveness. The higher your score is, the more
strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with Assertiveness.
MODERATE TO LOW ON ASSERTIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students, your
score falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you
-2 TO 0 moderately to weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with Assertiveness. The lower your score is,
the more weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with Assertiveness.
LOW ON ASSERTIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
-3 OR BELOW bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with Assertiveness.
VIII.Cooperativeness Index
Likewise, it is also possible to determine your level of Cooperativeness. The formula is as follows:
Cooperativeness Index = (Collaborating Style Total Score + Accommodating Style Total Score)
- (Competing Style Total Score + Avoiding Style Total Score)
COOPERATIVENESS
INDEX INTERPRETATION
HIGH ON COOPERATIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in
9 OR ABOVE the top/fourth quartile (i.e., top 25%) of scores. This indicates that you strongly exhibit
characteristics consistent with Cooperativeness.
MODERATE TO HIGH ON COOPERATIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the third quartile (i.e., between 50%-75%) of scores. This indicates that you
5 TO 8 moderately to strongly exhibit characteristics consistent with Cooperativeness. The higher your
score is, the more strongly you exhibit characteristics consistent with Cooperativeness.
MODERATE TO LOW ON COOPERATIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students,
your score falls in the second quartile (i.e., between 25%-50%) of scores. This indicates that you
2 TO 4 moderately to weakly exhibit characteristics consistent with Cooperativeness. The lower your
score is, the more weakly you exhibit characteristics consistent with Cooperativeness.
LOW ON ASSERTIVENESS – Compared to a national sample of students, your score falls in the
1 OR BELOW bottom/first quartile (i.e., bottom 25%) of scores. This indicates that you only weakly exhibit
characteristics consistent with Cooperativeness.
