Negotiation competency is an important focus of all countries as negotiation is a core event in international relations and diplomacy. Malaysia is no exception. Existing literature indicates that there has never been any research to study the Malaysian practice in international negotiations. As far as diplomatic negotiation is concerned, there is also a dearth of literature on what is going on at the negotiation table due to its secretive nature. Most of the research conducted on negotiation has originated from Western concepts of negotiation, and there is a lack of research concerning non-Western and specifically Malaysian notions of negotiation. A number of studies have been carried out to identify negotiation styles of some countries in Asia, and research on Malaysian negotiation is merely a descriptive explanation of Malaysians’ business negotiation behaviour. Furthermore, there is a growing need of research that employs varieties of methods in studying negotiation as most of the overseas studies were quantitative in nature. Thus, researching into the Malaysian practice of international negotiation will help to close the gaps in the literature because: (1) it will address the lack of research on Malaysian negotiating styles from the viewpoint of the public sector, as opposed to the business sector; (2) it will extend the work on non-Western perspectives on diplomatic negotiation by injecting Malaysian notions of international negotiation, as seen by Malaysians; (3) it will enrich the current literature on negotiating styles of countries in Asia; (4) it will add to the small amount of international scholarship on diplomatic negotiation and (5) this research will employ a mixed-method approach, and this will complement the need to employ varieties of research methods in negotiation research. The main aim of this research is to explore and highlight the key features of Malaysian negotiating practice in international negotiations from the perspectives and experiences of Malaysian diplomats. This research adopted a mixed-methods approach. An interpretive approach with some elements of phenomenology, symbolic interactionism and systems theory was the main paradigm adopted for the qualitative study while a questionnaire survey was employed for the quantitative study. Key-informant interviews with 22 former diplomats were conducted and a survey of 39 respondents amongst in-service Malaysian diplomats was successfully carried out. The research contributes to understanding of Malaysian negotiating practice in international negotiations and generates important insights for diplomatic training providers in setting-up relevant training modules. It also helps negotiators from different nations to comprehend the negotiation practice of Malaysia and helps to eliminate stereotyping and biases. In addition, since international negotiation is a universal phenomenon, the findings of this study are not only applicable to Malaysia but to other nations as well. Important key and relevant points that could contribute to international negotiation knowledge were identified and discussed. Finally, based on the research, policy recommendations were proposed to enhance negotiation competency in any international negotiation, and future research was identified and suggested for the benefit of international negotiation knowledge and scholarship.

O principal objetivo desta dissertação é identificar os perfis de comportamentos dos executivos que realizam transação do tipo comprador-vendedor em cursos de educação continuada de São Paulo, utilizando-se de um instrumento denominado TKI®. A amostra foi composta de 145 entrevistas com escolha por conveniência da autora. Cada um dos executivos respondeu a dois questionários contendo: caracterização do perfil do executivo e o instrumento TKI®, versão oficial do distribuidor no Brasil. Os resultados constatam a presença do estilo evitando para os grupos de compradores e vendedores, o que causou surpresa dada a natureza da atividade da profissão. Compradores concedem menos do que os vendedores e são mais competitivos. O estilo conciliando predomina em ambos os grupos com maior freqüência de respostas da amostra. / This study aimed at identifying and evaluating the negotiation styles among buyer-seller transactions in training programs of universities of São Paulo state, using the Thomas-Kilmann (TKI®) instrument. The sample was composed by 145 respondents with interviews among students of MBAs. Each executive answered two questionnaires: the TKI® instrument and perception questionnaire. Surprisingly it was found high frequency for avoiding style both for buyers and sellers. Buyers are less accommodating and more competing than sellers. Compromising style is predominant in both samples of buyers and sellers.

O principal objetivo desta dissertação é identificar os perfis de comportamentos dos executivos que realizam transação do tipo comprador-vendedor em cursos de educação continuada de São Paulo, utilizando-se de um instrumento denominado TKI®. A amostra foi composta de 145 entrevistas com escolha por conveniência da autora. Cada um dos executivos respondeu a dois questionários contendo: caracterização do perfil do executivo e o instrumento TKI®, versão oficial do distribuidor no Brasil. Os resultados constatam a presença do estilo evitando para os grupos de compradores e vendedores, o que causou surpresa dada a natureza da atividade da profissão. Compradores concedem menos do que os vendedores e são mais competitivos. O estilo conciliando predomina em ambos os grupos com maior freqüência de respostas da amostra. / This study aimed at identifying and evaluating the negotiation styles among buyer-seller transactions in training programs of universities of São Paulo state, using the Thomas-Kilmann (TKI®) instrument. The sample was composed by 145 respondents with interviews among students of MBAs. Each executive answered two questionnaires: the TKI® instrument and perception questionnaire. Surprisingly it was found high frequency for avoiding style both for buyers and sellers. Buyers are less accommodating and more competing than sellers. Compromising style is predominant in both samples of buyers and sellers.

While several Australian and international studies have explored the family lawyer-client interaction, these studies have been limited to investigations of discrete areas of the lawyerclient relationship and have been necessarily limited in their methodologies. The present study employed a quantitative empirical methodology in an Australian wide field study of 230 family lawyers and 94 clients that investigated the family lawyer-client interaction from a procedural justice framework. Using multivariate analyses, the study establishes that the Tyler and Blader two-component model of procedural justice applies in the lawyer-client dyad and is influenced by the approach of the lawyer, the emotional response of the client, and the level of co-party conflict that the client is experiencing. Further, the study gives meaning to the terms 'conciliatory and constructive' and 'adversarial' as they apply to family law dispute resolution. The study establishes a construct to measure the conciliatory and adversarial approach of family lawyers and identifies that lawyers tend to incorporate a mixture of the two into their work. The results also identify four distinct behavioural factors that characterise the two approaches: the client-centred and interest-based factors characterise the conciliatory approach; and the lawyer-directed and court-focused factors characterise the adversarial. The study found that in terms of perceptions of fairness, and feelings of satisfaction, the clients preferred the lawyers who took a client-centred and interest-based approach, but in circumstances where the clients were experiencing high-levels of conflict, or fear for the safety of their children, they also appreciated the lawyer who was lawyer-directed and court-focused. Overall, the study shows that in order to create a fair and satisfying dispute resolution service for their clients, family lawyers need to maintain a fine balance of family lawyering behaviour. On a general level, the study provides a profile of Australian family lawyers in terms of their approach to dispute resolution, their attitude towards ADR processes and their favoured negotiation styles. It also profiles family law clients in terms of their emotional adjustment to the divorce and their perceptions of the family lawyers assisting them to resolve their disputes. The study substantially expands the procedural justice theory base and has significant implications for practical family law education, government policy, family lawyering, and the ADR and collaborative law movements. The study indicates where future research could benefit these communities.