Effects of Personal Control Beliefs: An Explanatory Analysis of Bargaining Outcomes in Intergroup Negotiations

Abstract

A simulated collective bargaining game characterized by face-to-face interaction between five-person bargaining teams was used to investigate the effects of team locus of control on level of aspiration and bargaining outcomes (either strike or settlement). Locus of control was measured using an IE scale developed espe cially for use with persons having business training. Level of aspiration was measured by (a) magnitude of target point and (b) magnitude of resistance point. Results suggest that the more internal a team's personal control beliefs, the more likely it is that the team would not reach a negotiated settlement with its oppo nent. The results are discussed in light of previous findings from bargaining studies.

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