Global processes are characterized by the fact that they affect the interests of two or more parties. To achieve equality, where no one is in a winning position, it is necessary to negotiate. In addition, each decision has social complexities, which are reflected in the pressure or adjustment of the parties’ capabilities. It is necessary to analyze what are the most effective types of negotiations that exist, as well as consider the example of the Challenger crash.
Types of Negotiations
First of all, it is necessary to highlight that there are three main types of negotiations, namely, bilateral, multilateral, and causal. The two-sided view is classic and most common, where two individuals or organizations are involved, regulating their interests. The essence of the process is the achievement of mutually beneficial agreements and the creation of certain conditions for the subject of negotiations (Lewicki et al., 2020). This type is used both between states and in business. The most striking example is the negotiations between one country and another, where representatives agree on the terms of economic impact as well as potential benefits (Lewicki et al., 2020). It is essential to single out another type of multilateral treaty, which are a more complex structure. The fact is that this type is similar to bilateral, but the fundamental difference lies in the presence of a large number of sides, more than two (Lewicki et al., 2020). The most striking example of this type is the trade negotiations of states in the WTO, where the goal for several states is to simplify the trade procedure.
Finally, the coalition type of negotiation is the least common and most complex. The fact is that the result of this process is a coalition settlement, which implies a declarative agreement. Separately, it is worth mentioning that such negotiations are more political in comparison with the previous ones since they are common in a multi-party parliamentary system (Lewicki et al., 2020). Such negotiations concern the review of government actions or projects and consist of long-term interaction between two or more parties. In this case, formally there are two or more parties, so they perform the function of coalitions (Lewicki et al., 2020). A striking example of such negotiations is the discussion by party representatives of an increase or reduction in government spending.
The Social Complexities of the Challenger Explosion
The Challenger explosion entailed many negative consequences for both the state and society as a whole. However, it is necessary to analyze what social difficulties are most significant in the context of this catastrophe. First of all, it should be emphasized that this launch was an anniversary, and therefore symbolic (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). From this follows the first social difficulty associated with ignoring the warnings of engineers about the presence of defects by managers. In other words, to carry out a symbolic mission, some people began to neglect any risks and fears (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). This is also explained by the fact that even before takeoff there was information about malfunctions that could lead to disaster (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). Another striking example is the emerging social pressure on the incumbent president and the government to conduct an effective investigation into the crash. The reason for this was the symbolic attitude to the process, as well as the great prestige of astronauts among people. There were relatives, friends, and colleagues of the victims who witnessed this disaster on the site (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). However, social difficulties have damaged state authority in this area.
The crash of the shuttle dealt a severe blow to the reputation of the United States, the public refused to encourage further attempts at such experiments. The program was suspended for a long period, and the states began to suffer serious losses (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). However, the managers and engineers of the shuttle were under long censure by the citizens after the investigation was completed (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). Thus, the catastrophe introduced a set of social complexities that played the role of both a regulator of the entire process and a punishment for frivolity.
Groupthink
It is worth noting that one of the main problems of the shuttle crash was groupthink. The fact is that the leaders tried to extract only benefits, ignoring any warnings and fears. As a result of such negligence and irresponsibility, there was a catastrophe and human victims, as well as unrest in society. However, it is worth noting that not only the leaders, but all employees are not to blame (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). The specialists were so motivated by the potential benefit that they obeyed the leaders unquestioningly and did not try to object to them (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). Thus, herd thinking happened, where professionals preferred the principle of “thinking as others think”. The phenomenon of groupthink was also characteristic of a society that swiftly condemned the state. The fact is that completely all state structures cannot be involved in the disaster (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). However, due to mourning and shock, several activists began to promote the position of the authorities’ guilt in what happened, and soon the whole society picked it up, without understanding the issue (McDonald & Hansen, 2018). This is groupthink, since the majority acted in the manner of others, without thinking about the problem.
Recommendations for a Challenger Meeting
If I was a member of the Challenger launch meeting, I would attempt to initiate negotiations. It is important that the negotiations would be multilateral, that is, they would affect the interests of society, astronauts, engineers, and leaders. The essence of the negotiations would be to postpone the launch of the shuttle until the complete elimination of all risks and effects. In this case, the catastrophe might not have happened, and there would have been no casualties. In this case, the interests of both the state and society and astronauts would be observed. Since the interests of managers also need to be taken into account, an alternative option should be proposed, for example, a launch without astronauts on board.
References
Lewicki, R. J., Barry, B., & Saunders, D. M. (2020). Negotiation (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Web.
McDonald, A. J. & Hansen, J. R. (2018). Truth, lies, and O-Rings. Inside the space shuttle Challenger disaster. University Press of Florida.