Lessons from practice: extensions of current negotiation theory and research

Negotiation is in essence a practical skill. We identified the need to increase the number of academic contributions related to negotiation practice. The goal of this special issue – edited by Ramirez Marin, Druckman, and Donohue--is to call attention to areas in which research informs the practice, as well as areas in which the practice calls for advances in theory. The five papers included in this issue illustrate different ways in which practice can help academics extend the current theory. For example, describing how the predictions made by current theories can inform the practice, adapting and applying hostage negotiation principles to everyday negotiations, or testing the limits of current theories by adding external constraints and dependencies between and within negotiation issues. These examples can help researchers and teachers to bridge theory with practices as well as improve the way practitioners use evidence to improve their interventions.