Lessons Learned from Principled Negotiation in International Construction Projects

Compared with other dispute resolution approaches, negotiation is still the easiest, most efficient, and most time- and cost-saving approach, if conducted appropriately. However, dispute resolution in international construction projects faces many unique challenges. This requires effective negotiation approaches, principles, and strategies. Although principled negotiation has been developed for more than two decades and is widely accepted by academics as an effective approach to solving conflicts and disputes, its applications in industries are still very limited. Practitioners need applicable guidelines and lessons learned. This paper, by reviewing and analyzing the negotiation processes in two international projects, discusses the key challenges facing construction dispute negotiation and the applications and limitations of principled negotiation in dispute resolution.