Article

Building Negotiator Trust Through Social Presence – Effects of Communication Media and Information Reprocessability on Trust in Negotiations

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Abstract

Despite growing prevalence of digital communication, computer-mediated negotiations have a negative reputation inscientific research. However, extant studies focused predominantly on leancommunication technologies (e.g., email). We examined effects of communication media on trust and negotiation outcomes considering current-state technologieswith rich information transmission (i.e., video conferencing). Based oncommunication and trust theories, we expected that video-based as compared toface-to-face negotiations lead to lower trust due to perceptions of lower social presence, higher psychological distance and higher risk in video conferences. However, we expected information reprocessability as technological feature to reduce risk perceptions and thereby the negative effect of communication medium. In a preregistered experimental study (n = 320), dyads negotiated a workcontract. Communication medium (face-to-face – video conference) and information reprocessability (not videotaped – videotaped) were manipulated ina between-subject design with time (pre-negotiation – post-negotiation) as additional within-subject factor. Perceived risk, psychological distance, andsocial presence were measured as mediating processes. Consistent with ourhypotheses, communication medium affected trust indirectly via social presence.However, the overall differences between communication media regarding trust,economic outcomes and negotiation time were not significant. Together, thefindings suggest that face-to-face and computer-mediated negotiations can yield quite similar results when using rich communication media.

Keywords: negotiation, trust, computer-mediated negotiation, information reprocessability, experiment

How to Cite:

Sondern, D. & Hertel, G., (2023) “Building Negotiator Trust Through Social Presence – Effects of Communication Media and Information Reprocessability on Trust in Negotiations”, Negotiation and Conflict Management Research 16(4), 290-319. doi: https://doi.org/10.34891/vw4p-st41