multiple parties and teams

In this chapter, the author focused on how the negotiation process changes when there are more than two parties at the table simultaneously. It defines the multiple parties and follows by five ways in which the complexity increases as three or more parties simultaneously engage in negotiation. It illustrates sixteen things the group members should do in order to be effective groups. It introduces three stages to characterize multilateral negotiations. In the pre-negotiation stage, it includes lots of informal contact among the parties. In the actual negotiation, negotiator should work together to achieve an effective and endorsed result. In the agreement stage, the parties must select among the alternative on the table and encounter some last-minute problems to reach the final agreement.