4.3 Manipulation
Although the question of which negotiation strategy to choose when considering arm’s
length relationships seems clear, it is more ambiguous, whether a distributive or
integrative approach is the best choice when speaking of negotiations in a strategic
partnership setting. Before turning to the empirical data, it should firstly be remarked
that Ramsay (2004) concluded that the use of an integrative negotiation strategy
normatively speaking should be utilised in this situation. As remarked above, Ramsay
(2004), however, found through a survey questionnaire that negotiators did not opt for
the integrative approach and instead opted for a distributive negotiation strategy. The
empirical data obtained here explains why this is not the case, and in the process
questions if an integrative approach normatively speaking always should be applied in
strategic partnerships