Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica

Social movements live and die based on the ability of activists, or those who campaign to spur social change, to mobilize individuals to achieve their goals. Negotiating with others is therefore a critical part of the activist tactical repertoire. Importantly, the frameworks and tactics derived from the work of negotiations scholars can be applied to the diverse set of dynamics activists face, opening the door to new perspectives. Building from the interests, rights, and power (IPR) dispute resolution framework within the negotiations literature, we advance a new perspective illuminated by data collected in settings which are not dyadic, but rather phenomenologically complex and involving many actors with different relationships to the key issues. We suggest that activists build consensus to unlock key negotiation capabilities based on the three facets of the IPR framework. In a series of qualitative interviews of activists within two social movements in Taiwan (the Sunflower and LGBTQ+ Movements), we illustrate that successfully building these collective capabilities depends on activists’ consideration of the IPR facets: clarifying interests, building power, and developing rights. Possessing these collective capabilities allows activists flexibility when negotiating with decision-makers external to the movement.

Cynthia Wang is the Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution and Research Center (DRRC) and a Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Professor Wang has taught classes in negotiations, organizational behavior, group decision-making, and cross-cultural communications at the undergraduate, MBA, and executive levels. She currently teaches Negotiation Fundamentals and Advanced Negotiations at Kellogg. Her research interests fall in the area of cultural and social diversity, political polarization, and negotiations.

She has received a number of research and teaching awards, including a Fulbright Scholar Fellowship and several best paper awards at the Academy of Management Conference. She is currently President of the International Association for Conflict Management and served as a program chair of and board representative for this association.