Fifth and last, the use of total cost tracking devices, such as total cost of ownership
(TCO), should include proposed costs that reflect the more indirect costs that are
associated with distributive and integrative strategies to negotiating different
relational settings, so as to backup other holistic performance measures. In this case
study, buyers used the cost tracking tool, but did not include the more hidden costs
associated with a certain type of behaviour towards negotiations, and therefore were
not aware of the potential costs and/or benefits incurred. This should also be linked to
performance measurements for negotiators, be it on the buyer or supplier side,
especially since the use of TCO has been linked to improved communication (Ellram,
1993), and future research on this subject is, therefore, called for.