Managing Negotiations: A State of Relatedness Approach

This book offers an innovative alternative methodology for managing negotiations grounded in the lived experiences of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Drawing on behaviourographic analysis of their speeches, writings, and life episodes, the work introduces the conceptual framework of “state of relatedness” and five tangible relationship frames – inclination, influence, interpretative, interaction, and issues handling – that underlie all negotiated engagements. The book demonstrates how Gandhi and Mandela navigated power negotiators, profit negotiators, and polarising negotiators through their unique perspectives, competencies, and sensitivities, ultimately embodying the construct of the “Zero Negotiator” leaders who respond to near-impossible challenges through self-renunciation imbued with larger purpose. Through comprehensive literature review, case studies, and actionable insights, the methodology reveals pathways for managing negotiations in struggles against injustice, inequality, and discrimination.

The work presents managing negotiations ideas including Actionable Consequentialism, Mobilisational Managerialism, Combative Resistance, Secular Mobilisation, Redemptive Magnanimity, and Emancipatory Holism. It will be essential reading for postgraduate and doctoral students in Sociology, Social Work, Public Policy, Public Administration, Management, Law, and International Relations, as well as negotiations scholars, practitioners, trainers, and civil administrators seeking transformative approaches to conflict resolution in domestic and international contexts.