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Hardball Tactics in Negotiation Definition & Examples

Hardball Tactics in Negotiation, Definition & Examples. This article explains the top 8 Hardball Tactics in Negotiation: Good cop, bad cop, Lowball Highball, Bogey, Nibble, Chicken, Intimidation, Aggressive behavior, and Snow Job.

Hardball Tactics

Hardball Tactics refer to the typical method applied by negotiators to achieve a goal anyhow. Any part of the negotiation can use hardball tactics to gain an advantage. Hardball tactics are a deceptive way to gain the objective in business deals. The negotiator usually employs these tactics to benefit from another party's detriment. People use these hardball tactics for personal, social, political, and business purposes. They adopt them to purchase a product, make an agreement, and deal with other parties. It is a significant strategy in the business communication process.

Hardball tactics in negotiation are arguably not ethical practices for dealing with other parties. Many scholars term them unethical and tricky ways to achieve advantages.

The Most Common Hardball Tactics

Hardball Tactics Examples-The 8 Typical Hardball Tactics in Negotiation — The 8 Typical Hardball Tactics in Negotiation

What are the hardball tactics in negotiation?

The 8 Hardball Tactics in Negotiation are:

Good cop/bad cop
Lowball/Highball
Bogey
The nibble
Chicken
Intimidation
Aggressive Behaviour
Snow Job

Good Cop Bad Cop Tactic

A good cop/ bad cop negotiation refers to tactical bargaining between two parties to benefit from the other party's detriment. It occurs amid two parties' negotiation when two people in the same party deal with the other party as good and bad.

Good Cop Bad Cop Tactic Example -1

For example, the police want to ask questions at a police station, but the prisoner would not want to say anything. So, two police officers plan to play a game, and one acts like a rude, devilish person so that he can ask the question fiercely. On the other hand, another police officer interrogates the prisoner politely. Finally, the prisoner shared all the information with them.

Good Cop Bad Cop Tactic Negotiation

Good Cop Bad Cop Tactic Example -2

For example, A customer goes to a mask shop where the shop owner and his manager sell products. The customer wanted to buy a mask, so he negotiated with them. The shop owner is persuading the customer, saying that the facemask will protect you from dust. You can buy at RM 5 per piece.

On the other hand, the manager says to the customer that you have to pay RM 5 if you want to buy or you can leave. The manager also says that you can go now, we want to close the shop.

However, the owner is still trying to persuade the customer to buy the mask for RM 5. The owner is dealing in a friendly manner, whereas the manager threatens the customer. However, both (the owner & manager) want to sell the product. This kind of negotiation is called a good cop/bad cop negotiation.

Good Cop Bad Cop Tactic Example -3

When I was a secondary student, I violated the school rules by being late to school. The school discipline teacher acted as the "Bad Cop" who commanded to punish me according to the school rules and regulations. Meanwhile, the counseling teacher held an open-minded talk to understand why I was late and advised me patiently. Finally, I will never be late again in the next five years.

Lowball Highball Tactic

The negotiator applies a lowball/highball tactic to get the other party's attention. They know that they will not be able to achieve it but offer. The lowball/highball tactic begins with an extremely low or high opening offer to the opposite party. The extreme proposal will stimulate the other party to re-evaluate their opening offer and move closer to or beyond their resistance point.

Lowball Highball Tactic in Negotiation Example-1

For example, your son does not want to go to school by bus because his friends come by private vehicle. Therefore, he decided not to go to school till buying a private car. You offer him to gift a new personal car by next month to make him happy. You know very well that you will not be able to buy a new private car by next month. It is a ridiculous offer that is called a lowball/highball tactic. Later, you manage to persuade him to go to school by bus for six more months, but you will buy a motorbike for him after six months.

Lowball Highball Tactic in Negotiation Example-2

For example, imagine that you want to buy a woody chair. They negotiate with the seller, and the set price is 100RM; you might think it is unacceptable, so you say can I buy it for 20 RM because it does not seem that high? The seller might be shocked for a while, and after that, the seller might say," 50RM, take it okay?" Finally, your goal has been achieved.

Lowball Highball Tactic in Negotiation Example-3

For example, my girlfriend (ELA) stopped talking to me because another girl liked my photos uploaded on Facebook. ELA is jealous of girls who like and comment on my Facebook photos. I told him not to use Facebook anymore to continue our communication. She also knows that It is quite impossible to stop using Facebook. However, this tactic stimulates her to talk to me for bargaining. We argued for an hour to finally agree that I would block the girl from following me on Facebook. Finally, I managed to think that blocking is so much better when it is a bad idea to stop using Facebook due to the girl.

Bogey Tactic

Bogey tactics in negotiation are demonstrated when negotiators conceal their interest in front of the other party. Negotiators pretend that the issue is of very little importance to them, the opposite party offering. The issue is significant for them, but they do not want to show their interest in front of the opposing party.

Bogey Negotiation Example-1

For example, you want to buy a new Samsung mobile phone with a face lock feature. Now, the shop owner shows you the latest Samsung mobile phone and indicates the new feature. You will be glad to see the new feature on the phone. However, you are not showing interest in the face lock feature. You are concealing your interest in front of the shop owner. You think that the shop owners can increase the price if you show more interest in the new feature. Therefore, you pretend you are not interested in buying this new phone. Eventually, you buy a low-price phone with the new face-lock feature.

Bogey Negotiation Example-2

This tactic is usually applied to the gambling situation. When I play mahjong with my family members, I maintain my poker face even though the mahjong I drew is good, and I win the game. But, I stay calm to distract my opponents' attention, not to sense my happiness. After that, I pretend that I want mahjong A, but my target is mahjong J. Then, I successfully won the game by misleading the other family members to discover my true intention.

Nibble Tactic

The nibble tactic refers to asking for a minor concession to make the deal final. Usually, negotiators use this tactic after a long time of negotiation between them. The negotiator needs to add a small item to complete the deal or agreement.

Nibble Negotiation Example-1

For example, the customer will purchase a secondhand iPhone if the seller provides headphones and a charger at the same price. It happens at the end period of the negotiation when any party wants to close the deal.

Nibble Negotiation Example-2

For example, the tenant will rent the house if the owner replaces the old refrigerator with a new one. Finally, the owner agrees to add a new refrigerator to complete the agreement.

Chicken Tactic

In a negotiation tactic, the negotiator uses a big bluff with a frightening action to force the other party to fulfill their demands. The negotiator forces another party to close the deal immediately.

Chicken Negotiation Example-1

For example, one party is threatening the other party with, "If you do not sell this phone at RM 1000, I will buy the same phone from the next shop that is interested in selling it at the same price. The owner believed the customer's bluff and agreed to sell the phone at RM 1000.

Chicken Negotiation Example-2

For example, The customer said he wants the furniture ready on the weekend or to find another shop. The shop owner agreed to deliver furniture before the due date believing the customer's bluff.

Chicken Negotiation Example-3

For example, after a long negotiation, both sides are not satisfied with each other. Then one side says, "if you really oppose accepting my ideal price, I will find another person who will provide my ideal price."

Intimidation Tactic

Intimidation tactics attempt to force the other party to agree by applying emotional appeal. They use emotion, anger, or fear to agree with the opposite party. The other side may deliberately use anger to show the seriousness of the position.

Intimidation Negotiation Example-1

Calvin is a small employee in a company. David is a well-known violent temper person in the organization. They have been bargaining for various issues for a long time. Suddenly, David slapped the table, glared at Calvin, and said: Think about the difficulty of your job. Your wife and children at home are still waiting for dinner. Finally, Calvin accepted the conditions.

Intimidation Negotiation Example-2

For example, if someone bought a television, it did not work when he wanted to open it at home. Still, there was nothing wrong when he checked the TV in the store, and then he asked the store to replace it for him, but the store refused to return it because it was available when he checked in the store. Finally, he said if you do not replace it for me today, I will post this on social media; nobody will come afterward.

Aggressive Behaviour Tactic

Aggressive behavior refers to the strategy of being aggressive in pushing your position or attacking the other person's position to gain advantages. It is similar to intimidation tactics, but negotiators use their position to intimidate others psychologically. It includes asking for further concessions.

Aggressive Behaviour Negotiation Example-1

For example, one customer comes to buy a mobile phone formally and says: Let's not waste time; what is the maximum price? Here, the customer wants to emphasize that their time is significant, so close the deal soon.

Aggressive Behaviour Negotiation Example-2

For example, a sales manager offers RM 5000 for iPhone 12, but the customer is still negotiating to reduce the price. Instantly, the owner gets angry at the manager and "How can you make such a low offer." Do you know today I sold three iPhone 14s at RM5500 within 30 minutes? You are wasting our time. It stimulates the customer to buy it at RM5000.

Aggressive Behaviour Negotiation Example-3

For example, a customer goes to buy a personal car in the showroom—the salesmen bargains with him regarding the price for a long time. Eventually, the customer brought out his identity card and showed the salesman said, "I am also marketing manager, so please do not apply the marketing policy on me." Here, the customer uses his position to win the negotiation.

Snow Job Tactic

Snow job tactic is demonstrated when negotiators surprise the other party with huge additional information. These additional confuse the opposite party about figuring out which facts are fundamental and essential. It occurs when negotiators overwhelm the other party with so much information to get distracted.

Snow Job Negotiation Example-1

For example, you want to buy a new mobile phone, and the seller provides you with so much information about the additional factors. They ensure that this phone is eco-friendly. It will not harm you. The mobile company uses the latest technology to reduce noise during communication. They also show you how many people are dying due to mobile blasts and so more. The use of many technical terms confuses anyone who is not familiar with the topic.

Snow Job Negotiation Example-2

The negotiator explains the deal in English, but Ahmad, a non-native English speaker, will see him as educated. Ahmad will say yes without asking many questions to avoid embarrassment because the negotiator seems knowledgeable and more expert than him.

Snow Job Negotiation Example-3

Snow Job tactics are frequently used in government project tendering. When the government starts a new development project, it will publish massive amounts of information to hide the accurate worthy information behind the overwhelming information. This tactic is used to prevent the misuse of precious data for any illegal activity.

Conclusion

The top 8 Hardball Negotiation Tactics are Good cop, bad cop, Lowball Highball, Bogey, Nibble, Chicken, Intimidation, Aggressive behavior, and Snow Job. These typical tactics are crucial elements for win-win and win-loss negotiations.

Citation For This Article (APA 7th Edition)

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. (2024). Hardball Tactics in Negotiation- Hardball Tactics Definition & Examples. Newsmoor- Educational Website For Online Learning. https://newsmoor.com/hardball-tactics-examples-example-of-hardball-tactics-in-negotiation/

Lewin's Change Model Real-Life Example For Unfreeze Change Refreeze

Lewin's Change Model Real-Life Example is Netflix. The Example of Three Stages of Kurt Lewin's Change Management.

Lewin's Change Model

Lewin's change model refers to the three stages of management change theory. The three stages of Lewin's change management model are unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. Therefore, the alternative name of the Lewin change management model is the unfreeze change refreeze theory. Lewin's change model is one of the primary and familiar change management models that describe the organizational transition.

Who and When Established Lewin's Change Management Model?

Kurt Lewin established the three stages of the organizational change model in 1947.

In 1947, Kurt Lewin introduced the three stages of the change management model known as Kurt Lewin's change model. After that, researchers and scientists established many models to describe organizational changes, such as Kotter's Change Management Model, Kübler-Ross Five Stage Change Management, ADKAR Change Management Model, McKinsey 7-S Change Management Model, and also Lewin's Change Model or Theory. However, Lewin's change management model has become the most popular for its simplicity and fewer phases, for example, unfreeze, change, and refreeze.

Researchers have developed multiple theories based on Lewin's change management model. So, it is the foundation of all modern change management theories. For example, John Kotter's 8-stage management change model was developed based on Lewin's change management model. The management system is complex compared to before when the model was introduced. Therefore, Lewin's change management model is controversial in modern organizations. It has excellent theoretical significance in the research arena rather than practical importance.

Lewin's Change Model Real-Life Example

Many reputed companies apply Lewin's change management model to survive in the current situation. For example, Netflix has used a change model to adjust to the digital era. Netflix's organizational change process handled the force of organizational change to achieve a competitive advantage. Netflix transformed its business strategy in 1998, 1998, and 2007. The management encountered multiple barriers to getting outcomes. Now, they are one of the most successful companies globally. Netflix is a real-life example of Lewin's change management model. It is known as Lewin's Change Model Business Example.

Lewin's Change Model Stages

Three Stages of Change Management are:

Unfreeze stage
Change stage
Refreeze stage

Lewin's Change Model Real Life Examples- Three Stages of Change Management — Lewin's Change Management Model - Three Stages of Change Management

Unfreeze Change Refreeze

1. Unfreezing Stage of Change

Unfreezing is the initial stage of Lewin's change management model or Lewin's change management model. In this stage, employees prepare mentally to accept the change in the organization. In the management system, the unfreeze stage refers to breaking down the existing circumstances to accept organizational changes. Usually, employees feel comfortable in the organization's current condition; therefore, some do not accept the management change quickly due to uncertainty. The unfreezing stage consists of educating people about opportunities for organizational change. The organization should practice the change management communication strategy to prepare employees for the change.

The key point of this stage is to compel employees to accept management change through effective change communication. Maintaining effective interaction within the management is essential to persuade employees to accept change. Employees will receive the change if they understand the new things cannot prevent the company or organization from surviving. Additionally, they must realize that change is essential to sustain the organization and achieve competitive advantages.

A high level of positive motivation among employees helps to understand the reasons for organizational change and development. Next, the organization needs to persuade the stakeholders that the change will bring benefits to everyone. Some people will receive it quickly, but some of them will deny it initially. Finally, everyone will come up with the motivation to make the change.

Communication During the Unfreeze Stage

The primary communication objective is to prepare stakeholders, employees, and the organization to accept the change – “Readying” the organization. However, resistance will increase simultaneously with how huge the change is and how much it affects the organization. Effective communication can overcome resistance. To ‘ready’ the organization to accept the change, it is essential to declare the objective of the change. Additionally, you must ensure that everyone in the organization knows what will happen and why. Effective communication is significant in pointing out the difference between actual and desired outcomes. This first message or declaration should come from the top-level management of the organization to avoid communication conflict.

2. Change (Move) Stage

Change is the second stage of Lewin's change management model. It is the middle stage of the three phases of change management. Actual changes occur when everyone in the organization decides to accept the change with positive motivation. Employees receive and adjust to the new working atmosphere. Changes can be major or minor based on the organization's needs. The organization must provide sufficient training and support for the employees to embrace the changes. It is the stage of implementing the change process; therefore, many issues must be addressed consciously. Some employees may spread misleading information due to having insufficient knowledge about organizational change. So, the organization needs to practice an effective communication process to avoid unwanted issues. However, employees will be focused on practicing the new work.

Communication During the Change Stage

The organization should ensure effective communication among employees to reduce uncertainty as well as organizational communication noise. People may indulge in spreading disinformation and lies with less information about the change process. Therefore, the communication has to have a more specific character than in the previous phase. Communication in this stage is essential to provide authentic, accurate, and detailed information on what will happen to those who have less sketchy details on implementing changes. Finally, it distributes the new responsibility among assigned people in the organization.

3. Refreezing Stage of Change

Refreezing stage of change is the third and final stage of the Kurt Lewin change management model. In this stage, employees adjust to the change of management daily. Refreezing is a slow process of adopting the new culture and atmosphere of the corporate workplace. Employees and stakeholders may take a long time to adjust to the new systems. The pace of the practice among employees determines the time of the refreezing stage. So, refreezing is the most crucial stage in the Lewin change management model. The new attitude and behavior of employees become solidified as the norm of the organization. Finally, everyone starts to feel comfortable as in the previous stage before unfreezing.

Communication During the Refreeze Stage

The communication process should answer employees’ queries regarding rewards, control, efficiency, and relationship roles. In this stage, the information flow should be concrete, continuous, and multidirectional so that employees have a sufficient understanding of the personal associations of the change. Unavoidable misunderstandings may occur in this phase, so; communication should focus on making the transition successful.

Lewin's Change Model Example

For example, An ice block cannot get converted into a new shape without melting it. So it would be best if you created a hot environment to melt the ice block. The temperature must be more than 32°F (0°C) temperature to melt the ice. So, here, increasing the temperature denotes the unfreezing stage.

According to Lewin's theory, unfreezing refers to preparation for accepting the new workplace norms. It is the initial stage to get ready to accept the change. The management needs to motivate employees to accept change.

It will take time to transform the entire ice block into water. Keep the glass isolated and ensure the temperature is suitable for melting ice. When the ice block completely transforms into water, pour it into a new pot to give it a unique shape. Here, pouring the water into a glass is changing steps or moving stage. Melting the ice denotes the change stage of Lewin's theory.

According to Lewin's theory, changing refers to accepting new norms and moving on to change. Thus, the employee starts to change and accept the new culture of the workplace.

Finally, keep the glass in a cold place to transform the water into ice again. It is the way of freezing the water to transform it again into a new solid shape. It is called the refreezing process and the final stage of Lewin's change management model.

Refreezing refers to adjusting to the new norms of the workplace. The employee has already accepted the change, and they adapt to the new environment.

The model summarized that successful management change is accomplished through a three-stage process; unfreezing, changing, and refreezing.

Lewin's Change Management Model Example

For example, the educational institute has shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, all organizations, including educational institutes, decided to conduct virtual or online classes to ensure the continuation of education for students. These educational institutes are applying online video meeting platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meet, to conduct virtual classes and organizational meetings. It was a new experience for lecturers; therefore, they were afraid of uncertainty and interested in taking online courses. But, the university authority compels them to accept the change. The university authority maintains effective communication through social media platforms to motivate employees to get change. They thought the organizational change would help achieve competitive advantages as the other educational institutes adopted it. So, finally, they accept the change and adjust to the new working environment. It is a perfect example of Lewin's Change Theory.

Lewin's Change Model Pros and Cons

Lewin's Change Management Model Strengths and weaknesses

Lewin Model Advantages

Firstly, Kurt Lewin's model is straightforward to understand; any organization can implement it efficiently. The management need not hire experts to execute the model. The existing employees will be able to apply it and evaluate the outcome. It has only three stages: unfreeze, change, and refreeze, so it is easy to understand and apply. For example, the McKinsey 7-S model has seven elements that are challenging to implement.

Lewin Model Disadvantages

Firstly, refreezing takes a long time to settle down with new norms. Additionally, many employees quit their job due to uncertainty regarding the latest norms and environment. Lewin's theory excludes many crucial elements, such as staff, structure, strategy, system, and style.

Kurt Lewin 1951 References

Lewin, K. (1951). Forces of change: Field theory in social science.

Citation for this Article (APA 7th Edition)

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. (2024). Lewin's Change Model- Lewin's Change Management Model of 3 Stage. Educational Website For Online Learning. https://newsmoor.com/lewins-change-model-3-steps-management-change-and-communication/