Rapport

In his research into the use of different communication media in negotiation, Michael Morris of Stanford University found that the psychology of trust was the most important factor that determined whether a particular media would make a positive contribution to a negotiation. He found that although most experienced negotiators strongly emphasise the importance of rapport - shared positive emotion and regard – few paid attention to it, as it is difficult to measure. Not to be discouraged by the reluctance of his colleagues, he developed ways of gauging rapport in negotiations, and found that the nonverbal emotional cues that are present in face-to-face negotiations result in higher levels of rapport than in the case of telephone interactions.

In studies specifically related to email, Morris found that role-play negotiations via email were less likely to be successful than were face-to-face interactions. It transpired that the main reason was the tendency for parties to be offended by blunt email messages that they often misconstrued. The following examples serve to demonstrate possible coces of such messages:

Although email is an extremely useful medium for relaying factual information, it has severe limitations in terms of tone and attitude. What may be intended as a clear and direct message could be interpreted as blunt and/or rude, while a humorous message may be perceived as offensive and derogatory. An ill-conceived email message could result in the destruction of a positive relationship built through face-to-face interactions, and could even scuttle a potentially lucrative deal.