University of Illinois Springfield Associate Professor of Management, Marketing and Operations Sudeep Sharma recently completed a research trip to Italy, where he shared his expertise in conflict management and negotiation with faculty and doctoral students at the University of Trento. This collaborative venture, which took place June 16-30, 2023, has opened up new avenues for research in the field of negotiation studies.

Sharma's visit to the University of Trento was made possible through the invitation of his colleague, Andrea Caputo, associate professor of economics and management at the University of Trento. Their mutual interest in the role of individual differences in negotiation led to a fruitful exploration of possibilities for collaborative work.

During his visit, Sharma shared his cutting-edge research, which challenges the conventional belief that individual differences play a minor role in predicting negotiation behavior and outcomes. His meta-analytic paper published in 2013 shed light on the significant influence of personality, cognitive ability, emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence on negotiation. This influential work has since inspired numerous researchers to delve deeper into the subject, further validating the importance of individual differences in negotiation processes.

One of the highlights of Sharma's research presentation at the University of Trento was the introduction of the Interests, Rights and Power (IRP) model, which proves critical in understanding dispute resolution effectiveness and identifying the individual differences that influence negotiation processes. Additionally, he introduced a psychometrically valid scale for IRP, facilitating more accurate measurements in dispute resolution research.

“This was a highly productive and rewarding experience,” Sharma said. “Collaborating with Dr. Caputo on cultural intelligence's role in negotiation opens up exciting new opportunities for cross-cultural research. The feedback and enthusiasm from the faculty and doctoral students at the University of Trento were incredibly motivating. I am confident that this collaboration will significantly expand my scholarly research.”

Sharma's trip also included attending the International Association of Conflict Management (IACM) annual meeting, the largest conference in the niche field of negotiation and conflict management research. The conference, held from July 9-12, provided Sharma with the chance to learn from leading researchers, meet co-authors and network with experts in the field.

Looking ahead, Sharma is enthusiastic about future research collaborations with academics he met both at the University of Trento and during the IACM conference.

“These alliances hold the potential to bring about groundbreaking advancements in the field of negotiation studies, benefiting not only UIS but the broader academic community and industry practitioners as well,” Sharma said.