Negotiation Tactics in Organizations Applied to Hostage Negotiation

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to take negotiation and its related concepts from the realm of organizational conflict and apply the current communication principles, strategies, and tactics used in organizations to the realm of hostage negotiation in a constructive rather than destructive manner. Another goal of this paper is to show that whether a third-party intervention or a problem-solving method is used, the ultimate goal of negotiation remains identical: to reach cooperation or peace. Yet, the authors inform the readers about the drawbacks and risks of hostage negotiation (i.e., failed manipulative endeavors, lack of effective language use, etc.). Finally, this paper offers suggestions for future research, namely the use of technological aspects that can contribute to a better teaching of negotiation in organizations and better tactics on how to bargain with hostage takers.