The Bridge Project

EX 203 Behavioural Sciences in Action: Negotiators' Perspectives (ft. Amb (Dr) Mohan Kumar)

July 12, 2020 thebridgeproject
The Bridge Project
EX 203 Behavioural Sciences in Action: Negotiators' Perspectives (ft. Amb (Dr) Mohan Kumar)
Show Notes

Behavioural science has offered alternative explanations for actions, in the field of social sciences, that are considered as “irrational.” International negotiations are an important aspect of a state’s engagement with its external environment. While scholarship on international negotiations has revolved around the strengths, weaknesses and viability of negotiations and the solutions they offer, there seems to be limited scholarship on the dynamics of international negotiations. In this context, behavioural sciences, as a discipline, offers valuable perspectives to scholars and practitioners on international negotiations.

In the third episode of The Bridge Project Exclusives on Behavioural Economics, we are joined by Amb.Dr. Mohan Kumar. Amb. Kumar is a retd. Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who served in the Government for 36 years. He led the Indian delegation at the WTO and climate change negotiations. He provides a glimpse into his wealth of experience in stating and articulating India's positions in these negotiations. Currently, he is the Professor and Vice Dean at the Jindal School of International Affairs. He has written a book on the negotiations titled “Negotiation Dynamics of the WTO: An Insider’s Account”, published by Palgrave Macmillan (2018).

Amb. Kumar’s expertise are in the following ares: diplomatic practice & foreign policy, strategic partnerships with India’s neighbours,  multilateral negotiations especially trade negotiations, climate change and globalization. He holds a Master’s In Business Administration (MBA) from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi and a Doctorate (Ph.D) from Sciences Po University, Paris.

In this episode, we attempt to look at the practice of negotiations through different academic concepts such as 'loss aversion', impact of domestic politics on negotiators, external stimuli,priming, importance of non verbal communication and finally the discord between academic concepts and practice of negotiations.
With rich detailing of experiences in various situations, Amb. Kumar provides his perspective on these concepts and challenges that negotiators face.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the speakers are personal and do not reflect that of their respective institutions or The Bridge Project.

Attribution:
The Bridge Project (2020), "Behavioural Sciences in Action: Negotiators' Perspectives", Exclusives (2.3), 12 July 2020, URL: https://www.buzzsprout.com/921337/4531796
Research Credits:
Medha Nibhanupudi (Moderator & Research)

References: 

Berejikian, Jeffrey D., and Bryan R. Early. “Loss Aversion and Foreign Policy Resolve.” Political Psychology, vol. 34, no. 5, 2013, pp. 649–671. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43783729. Accessed 12 July 2020.


Music Credits:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3918-inspired
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/