CEF.UP - MaR Seminar | Webinar | Cooperation is Improved in Recognizing 'Them': Consequences for Negotiations and Expatriate Socialization

Wednesday, June 25th 2025 | 18:30h | room 631 | online

Cooperation is Improved in Recognizing “Them”: Consequences for Negotiations and Expatriate Socialization

Geoffrey Leonardelli - Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto (Canada)

Relations with others is often described as a threat posed by the other, by “them.” Negotiators worry about being disadvantaged by their counterparts. Too, intergroup relations is often depicted as tribal, where differences between groups are defined as an “us versus them”. Breaking with this assumption, Prof Leonardelli will offer how thinking functionally about “them” – as parties or groups with different rather than opposing needs and interests – improves relations. Prof Leonardelli will discuss how negotiators can do so by presenting counterparts with a choice of offers. Moreover, he will discuss how expatriate socialization can be improved by drawing attention to differences between local and foreign coworkers, which can motivate cooperation between groups of employees. Along the way, Prof Leonardelli will point to conditions at work that can facilitate thinking functionally about “them”.

Any questions please contact cefup.sec@fep.up.pt.

“Centro de Economia e Finanças (CEF.UP) is financed by Portuguese public funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P”