A person-centered approach to the role of empathy in negotiations

Abstract

Negotiation is a critical component of job performance across a variety of occupations. Though many factors influencing negotiation performance have been studied, research on individual (specifically personality) traits has lagged behind. The current research addresses this gap by studying individual-level empathy and its impact on negotiation performance. Using archival data, latent profile analyses were conducted to identify profiles based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a measure of four empathy facets (Davis, 1983). ANOVAs were used to link profiles to distributive and integrative negotiation outcomes. Four empathy profiles emerged that were replicated across two samples. The profiles showed no significant relationships with negotiation performance, however, significant correlations were found with the Big Five personality traits and Emotional Intelligence. Results contribute to the realm of negotiation and empathy research by testing the underlying factors of Dual Concern Theory and discovering empathy profiles that broaden the possibilities of future research.