4 Roles Played by Third Party in Negotiation

It not always the case that direct negotiations of individuals or groups will agree on
a stalemate and resolve all their differences.

In such cases, they may turn to a third party who will be in no way affiliated with
them to help them find a solution.

Not always that they succeed and not always that they are credited and
remembered for their contribution. But their failure is most times received with
huge criticism but we forget that all they can do is act as a link and persuade the
disputants.
In the business world, we see that Third party negotiation is very common. Labor
disputes, patent and trademark violation are the common examples.

There are 4 basic third party roles that a third party could play in a conflict
negotiation.

1. Mediator in Third Party in Negotiation

The mediator is a neutral third party, whose job is to facilitate a negotiated
solution by reasoning and persuasion, suggesting alternatives to the involved
parties.

Mediators are common in labor-management conflicts and in civil court

disputes.

2. Arbitrator in Third Party in Negotiation

Arbitrator is a third party who has the authority for dictating an agreement
between the parties. Arbitration in a negotiation can be requested by the
parties or can be compulsorily enforced on the parties by court or contract.

The big advantage of arbitration over mediation is that it always results in a

settlement. Whether or not there is a negative side depends on how “heavy-
handed” the arbitrator appears.

If one party is left feeling overwhelmingly defeated, that party is certain to

be dissatisfied and unlikely to cordially accept the arbitrator’s decision.
For that reason, the conflict may re-materialize at a later time. The authority
of the arbitrator varies according to the rules set by the negotiators or the
court law.
3. Conciliator in Third Party in Negotiation
Conciliator is a trusted third party whose job is to establish an informal
communication link between the negotiator and the opponent. Conciliation
is used widely in international, labor, family and community disputes.

In practice, conciliators usually act as more than mere communication

conduits.

They also engage in fact-finding, interpreting messages and persuading

disputants to reach an agreement.

Comparing its effectiveness to mediation has proven difficult because the

two overlap a great deal.

4. Consultant in Third Party in Negotiation

Consultant is a skilled and impartial third party who attempts to facilitate
problem-solving through communication and analysis. Consultant is most
likely to have much knowledge of conflict management.

The consultant’s role is not only to settle the issues but also to improve
relations between the conflicting parties so that they can reach a settlement
themselves.

Instead of putting forward specific solutions, the consultant tries to

encourage the parties to learn, understand and work with each other.

And so, this approach has a longer-term focus by building new and positive
perceptions and attitudes between the conflicting parties