FIELD ANALYSIS: UNDERSTANDING THE KEY PARTIES AND THEIR ROLE IN A NEGOTIATION

 Instructions: For purposes of this assignment, assume that you are the negotiator who is tasked with a salary (on call time, step increases, overtime for captains and majors) and benefits (insurance while employed, insurance after retirement, accrual of leave time, retirement multipliers) dispute between a large municipal county with a strong mayor and the sheriff’s department for the county.  You are negotiating the contract on behalf of the sheriff’s office.  The purpose of this activity is to give you an opportunity to construct a field analysis on your relationship with a specific other negotiator.  This tool should be helpful when negotiators have to consider multiple parties—on their own side and on the other side—who can affect a negotiation outcome, and whose needs and interests must be considered.

The metaphor for this planning tool is a soccer field (see diagram below). On the field would be members of your team and members of the other team (A, B). On the sidelines are backup players, coaches, trainers and other team personnel (C). In the stands are “fans” who are watching the negotiation, members of the media, and other direct observers (D). Finally, the elements outside the stadium–the location of the stadium, the weather, and other “context factors” which can shape how the game evolves and is played (E)