An Instrument for Identification of Intention to Settle in Project Dispute Negotiation
Publication: Journal of Management in Engineering
Volume 39, Issue 5
Abstract
Negotiation is widely known as the most effective way to resolve differences. Traditions of negotiation studies have contributed to this area by providing prescriptive, quantitative, and behavioral research to improve the success of negotiation. This study argues that negotiators’ settlement intentions underpin the functionality of advice under the three traditions of negotiation studies. This study aims to establish ways to identify the intention to settle (ITS) of project dispute negotiators. A longitudinal study was conducted, and a questionnaire was designed by operationalizing an ITS framework that includes technique-based, relationship-based, and cognition-based intention from a thorough literature review. Two rounds of data were collected from the same group of project negotiation practitioners at a three-month interval. The time consistency of the responses was supported by the results of a paired t-test. The same ITS structure was achieved through the test and retest methodology with the two sets of cross-sectional data, supporting the reliability of the structure. The framework was validated to be stable across time by testing the longitudinal factorial invariance. With these steps, a robust ITS identification instrument was developed. The practical applications of the ITS instrument were confirmed by practicing project dispute negotiators. The study theoretically contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a validated ITS framework. On the practical side, the ITS framework is further developed into an identification instrument that can be used in negotiation studies. Notably, the ITS identification instrument can be incorporated into the negotiation decision mechanisms to support negotiators in gauging how conducive in terms of intention to the settlement of a negotiation.
Practical Applications
The primal traditions of negotiation studies (i.e., prescriptive, quantitative, and behavioral) have an implicit premise that negotiators are rational economic men with the intention to resolve disputes. This may not always reflect reality, especially regarding the intention to resolve. To assist negotiating parties in better understanding the prospect of negotiation, this study develops an instrument for the identification of intention to settle (ITS) in project dispute negotiation. A longitudinal study with a mixed-methods approach is used to identify the negotiator’s ITS. The finding supports that negotiators’ settlement intentions are a multidimensional construct that can be manifested as technique-based, relationship-based, and cognition-based intention. The work contributes in three respects: (1) theoretically, the robust ITS framework complements and underpins the functionality of prior negotiation studies; (2) in practice, the ITS identification instrument can assist negotiation decisions, especially in assessing the readiness to strive for a negotiated settlement; and (3) the test-retest methodology used in this study can be applied to other project management studies to enhance the reliability and validity of the findings.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Ajzen, I. 1985. “From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior.” In Action control, 11–39. New York: Springer.
Ajzen, I. 2011. “The theory of planned behaviour: Reactions and reflections.” Psychol. Health 26 (9): 1113–1127. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2011.613995.
Allen, N. J., and J. P. Meyer. 1990. “The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment to the organization.” J. Occup. Psychol. 63 (1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1990.tb00506.x.
Arcadis. 2021. 2021 global construction disputes report the road to early resolution. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Arcadis.
Bazerman, M. H., J. R. Curhan, D. A. Moore, and K. L. Valley. 2000. “Negotiation.” Annu. Rev. Psychol. 51 (1): 279–314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.51.1.279.
Beasor, T. 2017. Great negotiators: How the most successful business negotiators think and behave. New York: Routledge.
Beddo, V., and F. Kreuter. 2004. “A handbook of statistical analyses using SPSS.” J. Stat. Software 11 (Jun): 1–4.
Boateng, G. O., T. B. Neilands, E. A. Frongillo, H. R. Melgar-Quiñonez, and S. L. Young. 2018. “Best practices for developing and validating scales for health, social, and behavioral research: A primer.” Front. Public Health 6 (Mar): 149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149.
Brett, J., and L. Thompson. 2016. “Negotiation.” Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 136 (Sep): 68–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.06.003.
Carnevale, P. J., and D. G. Pruitt. 1992. “Negotiation and mediation.” Annu. Rev. Psychol. 43 (1): 531–582. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.43.020192.002531.
Carpenter, S. 2018. “Ten steps in scale development and reporting: A guide for researchers.” Commun. Methods Meas. 12 (1): 25–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2017.1396583.
Cerny, B. A., and H. F. Kaiser. 1977. “A study of a measure of sampling adequacy for factor-analytic correlation matrices.” Multivariate Behav. Res. 12 (1): 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr1201_3.
Chebet, W. T., and J. K. Rotich. 2015. “Negotiation skills: Keys to business excellence in the 21st century?” Eur. J. Res. Reflection Manage. Sci. 3 (3): 23–31.
Chen, G., S. M. Gully, and D. Eden. 2001. “Validation of a new general self-efficacy scale.” Organ. Res. Methods 4 (1): 62–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/109442810141004.
Chen, L., and P. S. W. Fong. 2012. “Revealing performance heterogeneity through knowledge management maturity evaluation: A capability-based approach.” Expert Syst. Appl. 39 (18): 13523–13539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.07.005.
Cheung, G. W., and R. B. Rensvold. 2002. “Evaluating goodness of fit indexes for testing measurement invariance.” Struct. Equation Modell. 9 (2): 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5.
Cheung, S. O., and P. T. Chow. 2011. “Withdrawal in construction project dispute negotiation.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 137 (12): 1071–1079. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000388.
Cheung, S. O., and K. Li. 2019. “Biases in construction project dispute resolution.” Eng. Constr. Archit. Manage. 26 (2): 321–348. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-03-2018-0109.
Cheung, S. O., W. K. Wong, T. W. Yiu, and T. W. Kwok. 2008. “Exploring the influence of contract governance on construction dispute negotiation.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract. 134 (4): 391–399. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1052-3928(2008)134:4(391).
Cheung, S. O., and T. W. Yiu. 2006. “Are construction disputes inevitable?” IEEE Trans. Eng. Manage. 53 (3): 456–470. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2006.877445.
Cheung, S. O., T. W. Yiu, and O. K. Chiu. 2009. “The aggressive-cooperative drivers of construction contracting.” Int. J. Project Manage. 27 (7): 727–735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.09.001.
Cheung, S. O., T. W. Yiu, and S. F. Yeung. 2006. “A study of styles and outcomes in construction dispute negotiation.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 132 (8): 805–814. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2006)132:8(805).
Chow, P. T., F. Kong, and S. O. Cheung. 2012. “Mediating and moderating effect of tension on withdrawal-commitment relationship in construction dispute negotiation.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 138 (10): 1230–1238. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000528.
Curhan, J. R., H. A. Elfenbein, and H. Xu. 2006. “What do people value when they negotiate? Mapping the domain of subjective value in negotiation.” J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 91 (3): 493–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.3.493.
Eicher, V., C. Staerklé, and A. Clémence. 2014. “I want to quit education: A longitudinal study of stress and optimism as predictors of school dropout intention.” J. Adolesc. 37 (7): 1021–1030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.07.007.
Fisher, R., W. L. Ury, and B. Patton. 2011. Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. London: Penguin.
Galinsky, A. D., and T. Mussweiler. 2001. “First offers as anchors: The role of perspective-taking and negotiator focus.” J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 81 (4): 657–669. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.4.657.
Hair, J. F., W. C. Black, B. J. Babin, and R. E. Anderson. 2013. Multivariate data analysis. London: Pearson.
Harinck, F., and C. K. W. De Dreu. 2004. “Negotiating interests or values and reaching integrative agreements: The importance of time pressure and temporary impasses.” Eur. J. Soc. Psychol. 34 (5): 595–611. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.218.
Hinkin, T. R. 1995. “A review of scale development practices in the study of organizations.” J. Manage. 21 (5): 967–988. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639502100509.
Hsu, H., and P. A. Lachenbruch. 2014. “Paired test.” In Wiley StatsRef: Statistics reference online, 1–3. Atlanta, GE: American Cancer Society.
Johari, S., and K. N. Jha. 2020. “Interrelationship among belief, intention, attitude, behavior, and performance of construction workers.” J. Manage. Eng. 36 (6): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000851.
Kennedy, G. 1997. Everything is negotiable: How to get the best deal every time. New York: Random House.
Kim, H., and J. Ji. 2009. “Factor structure and longitudinal invariance of the Maslach burnout inventory.” Res. Soc. Work Pract. 19 (3): 325–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731508318550.
Kline, P. 2013. Handbook of psychological testing[M]. New York: Routledge.
Leung, M. Y., S. T. Ng, M. Skitmore, and S. O. Cheung. 2005. “Critical stressors influencing construction estimators in Hong Kong.” Construct. Manage. Econ. 23 (1): 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190410001678099.
Li, C. C., S. M. Huang, J. C. Y. Lai, Y. Hsiung, Y. H. Chen, and C. F. Lee. 2018. “Development and validation of a fertility intention scale in breast cancer survivors.” J. Nurs. Res. 26 (3): 177–184. https://doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000223.
Li, K., and S. O. Cheung. 2018. “Bias measurement scale for repeated dispute evaluations.” J. Manage. Eng. 34 (4): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000617.
Li, K., and S. O. Cheung. 2019. “Unveiling cognitive biases in construction project dispute resolution through the lenses of third-party neutrals.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 145 (11): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001707.
Liberman, V., N. R. Anderson, and L. Ross. 2010. “Achieving difficult agreements: Effects of positive expectations on negotiation processes and outcomes.” J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 46 (3): 494–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2009.12.010.
Lin, S., and S. O. Cheung. 2021. “Analyzing intention to settle in construction dispute negotiation.” In Proc., 2021 Creative Construction e-Conf. (CCC 2021). Budapest, Hungary: Diamond Congress.
Lin, S., and S. O. Cheung. 2022. “Intention to settle as an indispensable element of negotiated construction dispute settlement.” J. Constr. Eng. Manag. 148 (10): 04022113. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002383.
Liu, J., S. Lin, and Y. Feng. 2018. “Understanding why Chinese contractors are not willing to purchase construction insurance.” Eng. Constr. Archit. Manage. 25 (2): 257–272. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-08-2016-0186.
Low, K. C. P. 2010. Successfully negotiating in Asia. New York: Springer.
Lu, W., Z. Li, and S. Wang. 2017. “The role of justice for cooperation and contract’s moderating effect in construction dispute negotiation.” Eng. Constr. Archit. Manage. 24 (1): 133–153. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-01-2015-0002.
Macfarlane, J. 2001. “Why do people settle?” McGill Law J. 46 (3): 663–711.
McDonald, R. P., and M. H. R. Ho. 2002. “Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses.” Psychol. Methods 7 (1): 64–82. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.7.1.64.
Meredith, W. 1993. “Measurement invariance, factor analysis and factorial invariance.” Psychometrika 58 (4): 525–543. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02294825.
Morin, A. J. S., A. Katrin Arens, and H. W. Marsh. 2015. “A bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling framework for the identification of distinct sources of construct-relevant psychometric multidimensionality.” Struct. Equation Modell. 23 (1): 116–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.961800.
Moss, S., H. Prosser, H. Costello, N. Simpson, P. Patel, S. Rowe, S. Turner, and C. Hatton. 1998. “Reliability and validity of the PAS-ADD Checklist for detecting psychiatric disorders in adults with intellectual disability.” J. Intellectual Disability Res. 42 (2): 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2788.1998.00116.x.
Murtoaro, J., and J. Kujala. 2007. “Project negotiation analysis.” Int. J. Project Manage. 25 (7): 722–733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2007.03.002.
Nash, F. J. 1950. “The bargaining problem.” J. Econom. Soc. 18 (2): 155–162.
Ng, S., Z. Tang, and E. Palaneeswaran. 2009. “Factors contributing to the success of equipment-intensive subcontractors in construction.” Int. J. Project Manage. 27 (7): 736–744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.09.006.
Nimon, K., and D. Zigarmi. 2015. “Development of the work intention inventory short-form.” New Horiz. Adult Educ. Hum. Resour. Dev. 27 (1): 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/nha3.20090.
O’Connor, K. M., and J. A. Arnold. 2001. “Distributive spirals: Negotiation impasses and the moderating role of disputant self-efficacy.” Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 84 (1): 148–176. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2923.
Pinkley, R. L. 1990. “Dimensions of conflict frame: Disputant interpretations of conflict.” J. Appl. Psychol. 75 (2): 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.75.2.117.
Polit, D. F. 2014. “Getting serious about test-retest reliability: A critique of retest research and some recommendations.” Qual. Life Res. 23 (6): 1713–1720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0632-9.
Pool, S., and B. Pool. 2007. “A management development model: Measuring organizational commitment and its impact on job satisfaction among executives in a learning organization.” J. Manage. Dev. 26 (4): 353–369. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710710740101.
Qu, Y., and S. O. Cheung. 2012. “Logrolling ‘win-win’ settlement in construction dispute mediation.” Autom. Constr. 24 (Mar): 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2012.02.010.
Rahim, M. A. 1983. “A measure of styles of handling interpersonal conflict.” Acad. J. Manage. 26 (2): 368–376.
Raiffa, H. 1982. The art and science of negotiation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Rognes, J. K., and V. Schei. 2010. “Understanding the integrative approach to conflict management.” J. Manage. Psychol. 25 (1): 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941011013885.
Sandelowski, M., and J. Barroso. 2006. Handbook for synthesizing qualitative research. New York: Springer.
Seo, W., Y. H. Kwak, and Y. Kang. 2021. “Relationship between consistency and performance in the claim management process for construction projects.” J. Manage. Eng. 37 (6): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000973.
Singh, R., and J. Singh. 2019. “Destination attributes to measure tourist revisit intention: A scale development.” Global Bus. Rev. 20 (2): 549–572. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150918825329.
Sullivan, B. A., K. M. O’Connor, and E. R. Burris. 2006. “Negotiator confidence: The impact of self-efficacy on tactics and outcomes.” J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 42 (5): 567–581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2005.09.006.
Suprapto, M., H. L. M. Bakker, and H. G. Mooi. 2015. “Relational factors in owner-contractor collaboration: The mediating role of teamworking.” Int. J. Project Manage. 33 (6): 1347–1363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.03.015.
Tang, Y., Y. Chen, Y. Hua, and Y. Fu. 2020. “Impacts of risk allocation on conflict negotiation costs in construction projects: Does managerial control matter?” Int. J. Project Manage. 38 (3): 188–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2020.03.002.
Thompson, L. 1990. “Negotiation behavior and outcomes: Empirical evidence and theoretical issues.” Psychol. Bull. 108 (3): 515–532. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.108.3.515.
Thompson, L. L., J. Wang, and B. C. Gunia. 2010. “Negotiation.” Annu. Rev. Psychol. 61 (1): 491–515. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100458.
Wang, J., S. Zhang, R. Jin, P. Fenn, D. Yu, and L. Zhao. 2023. “Identifying critical dispute causes in the construction industry: A cross-regional comparative study between China and the UK.” J. Manage. Eng. 39 (2): 04022072. https://doi.org/10.1061/JMENEA.MEENG-4943.
Wang, R., W. Lu, and Y. Wei. 2021. “Understanding the inverted U-shaped relationship between contractual complexity and negotiation efficiency: An institutional perspective.” IEEE Trans. Eng. Manage., 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2021.3091673.
Whitney, F. W. 1983. “Winning: The art of successful negotiation.” Occup. Health Nurs. 31 (5): 31–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/216507998303100505.
Widaman, K. F., E. Ferrer, and R. D. Conger. 2010. “Factorial invariance within longitudinal structural equation models: Measuring the same construct across time.” Child Dev. Perspect. 4 (1): 10–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2009.00110.x.
Williamson, O. E. 1993. “Opportunism and its critics.” Manage. Decis. Econ. 14 (2): 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.4090140203.
Worthington, R. L., and T. A. Whittaker. 2006. “Scale development research: A content analysis and recommendations for best practices.” Couns. Psychol. 34 (6): 806–838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127.
Xiong, B., M. Skitmore, and B. Xia. 2015. “A critical review of structural equation modeling applications in construction research.” Autom. Constr. 49 (Mar): 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2014.09.006.
Yiu, T. W., S. O. Cheung, and C. H. Cheung. 2007. “Toward a typology of construction mediator tactics.” Build. Environ. 42 (6): 2344–2359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.05.005.
Yiu, T. W., S. O. Cheung, and L. Y. Siu. 2012. “Application of bandura’s self-efficacy theory to examining the choice of tactics in construction dispute negotiation.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 138 (3): 331–340. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000403.
Yiu, T. W., T. Liu, and L. C. Kwok. 2018. “Explicating the role of relationship in construction claim negotiations.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 144 (2): 04017114. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001431.
Yousefi, S., K. W. Hipel, and T. Hegazy. 2010. “Attitude-based negotiation methodology for the management of construction disputes.” J. Manage. Eng. 26 (3): 114–122. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000013.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Management in Engineering
Volume 39 • Issue 5 • September 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 19, 2022
Accepted: Apr 24, 2023
Published online: Jun 27, 2023
Published in print: Sep 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 27, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Bibliographies
- Business management
- Computing in civil engineering
- Construction engineering
- Construction management
- Contracts and subcontracts
- Design (by type)
- Dispute resolution
- Engineering fundamentals
- Foundation construction
- Foundations
- Geotechnical engineering
- Information management
- Information Technology (IT)
- Legal affairs
- Methodology (by type)
- Negotiation
- Practice and Profession
- Project management
- Research methods (by type)
- Structural design
- Structural reliability
- Underpinning
- Validation
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.