JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The ability to negotiate effectively while maintaining relationships is critical for successful long-duration space missions. Incidents within the space program have demonstrated the serious consequences from not resolving conflicts optimally. Also, less desirable forms of negotiation, like positional bargaining (e.g., like negotiation over prices) can exacerbate conflicts. Traditional positional bargaining may work for simple, low-stakes transactions but does not prioritize ongoing relationships. Interest-based negotiation, where parties with competing interests and/or goals join to create a mutually beneficial agreement, is crucial in high-stakes situations. This is learnable but needs to be practiced. Refresher training when a conflict arises is important to prevent out-of-practice crewmembers from using less effective negotiation techniques. Ideally, the training should be self-directed and not involve others because, on a space mission, the only other people available may be part of the conflict.

Objective:

Develop and test an interactive module that teaches the principles and skills of Interest-based negotiation in a way that users find acceptable, valuable for learning, and enjoyable.

Methods:

Using a web-based, interactive-media-approach, we scripted, filmed, and programmed an Interest-based negotiation interactive training module. In the module, the program mentor introduces users to the “The Circle of Value” approach to negotiation and highlights its key concepts through interactive scenarios requiring users to make selections at specific decision points. Each selection prompts feedback designed to reinforce a teaching point or highlight a particular negotiation technique. To evaluate the module, we sought out populations experiencing isolation and confinement (an opportunistic design). This included 9 subjects in isolated and confined environments in the Australian Antarctic Program and the HI-SEAS Mars simulation, as well as a subset of people who self-identified as being isolated and confined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Feedback was collected from participants (n=54) through free-response answers and questionnaires with numerical scaling (0/strongly disagree -> 4/strongly agree) presented at the end of the module.

Results:

94% of participants found the activity valuable for learning about conflict management (identified by those who selected either ‘somewhat agree’ or ‘strongly agree’), including 100% of participants in the isolated and confined environments subset (mode=3). 79% of all participants found the module realistic (mode=3), including 67% of isolated and confined environment participants (mode=3). Most participants felt this would be particularly valuable for new team members in an isolated and confined environment (85% of all participants, mode=4; 78% of isolated and confined environment subset, mode=3) as well as veterans.

Conclusions:

This module offers a self-directed, consistent approach to Interest-based negotiation training, which is well received by users. While the data are limited due to the opportunistic study design, results show that the module could be useful for individuals in isolated and confined environments, as well as for anyone involved in high-stakes negotiations where sustaining relationships is essential.