Comparative Resolution

The Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) is a negotiation theory that refers to a course of action one plans to partake in the occurrence of breakdown of a negotiation process or a solution to a negotiation process if not reached. The concept first coined into being by Ury and Rogeris perceived to be the key to successful negotiators (Fisher, 1991). Importance on BATNA is based on the facilitation of options to a negotiation. They are thus deemed to be the edge one gains thus diminishing considerably the risk of accepting unfavourable terms in an agreement. It also creates a platform to influence one from leaving favourable terms which would otherwise have been sacrificed due to underlying factors. In practise, an offer better than the BANTA leads to one drawing up an agreement, whereas as if it is less promising, then you have the option of either restarting negotiations or withdrawing from them.

Related to BATNA is a WATNA, the Worst Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement, a concept aimed at reducing the risk of one being too realistic during a negotiation process. It has the purpose of assisting one in developing the worst scenario in a negotiation (Notini, 2005). Thus the two concepts work hand in hand. In a negotiation process, amongst other principle, one needs to have in view the best and worst outcomes of the process if they have intent to come out with the best agreement. This is because they both will facilitate him or her know when to or not to settle.

The parties in this deal are however diverse. It has the two principle negotiators, Walter and Wanda. In the scenario between Walter and Wanda diverging interests are at play. For Walter he aims at buying a car that best suits his needs, for Wanda, her prim...

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... that the parties understand that the arbitration was binding and would be decided on a degree of equity.

Works Cited

Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (1991).Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without

Giving In. (B. Patton, Ed.) Business (Vol. 11, pp. 1-90).Penguin Books. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21322851

Kleine, M., &Risse, T. (2010).Deliberation in negotiations.Journal of European Public

Policy, 17(5), 708-726. Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/routledge/13501763.html

Notini, J. (2005). Effective Alternatives Analysis in Mediation: BANTA/WATNA Analysis

demystified. Retrieved from http://www.mediate.com/articles/notini1.cfm

Simkin, W. E. (1971). Mediation and the Dynamics of Collective Bargaining.

Silivan, A., &Sheffrin, S. M. (2003).Economics: Principles in action (p.474). Pearson

Prentice Hall.