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Research

My research draws on basic insights from organizational behavior, psychology, and communication science to understand how people navigate the tension between cooperation and competition. My program of research has been driven by three overarching questions: 1) How do underlying dimensions of communication channels (e.g., presence of visual cues, vocal cues, synchronicity) and peoples’ cooperative or competitive strategies interact to influence negotiations, group decision-making, and feedback? 2) How do differences in hierarchical structure and values affect group decision-making? And the intersection between the two: 3) How do communication channels affect social hierarchies?

Peer Reviewed Articles

  • Doyle, S., *Chung, S., Lount, R., Swaab, R.I., Rathjens, J. (in press). Hierarchical team structures limit joint gain in interteam negotiations: The role of information elaboration and value claiming. Academy of Management Journal.

  • Swaab, R.I., Lount, R., *Seunghoo, S., & Brett, J.M. (2021). Superordinate goal dialogues between negotiating teams: When and why goal discussions between teams reduce competition and increase value creation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 167, 157-169.

  • Lu, J., Swaab, R.I., Maddux, W., & Galinsky, A.D. (in press). Global leaders and global team performance: When and why leaders’ international experiences and team diversity predict performance. Organization Science.

  • Tey, K., Madan, N., Schaerer, M., & Swaab, R.I. (2021). The impact of concession making patterns on negotiations: When and why concessions patterns lead to a disadvantage in competitive negotiations. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 165, 153-166.

  • Schaerer, M., Schweinsberg, M., *Thornley, N. & Swaab, R.I. (2020). Win-win in distributive negotiations: The economic and relational benefits of strategic offer framing. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 87.

  • Schaerer, M., *Teo, L., *Madan, N., Swaab, R.I. (2020). Power and negotiation: review of current evidence and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 33, 47-51.

  • Schaerer, M., Schweinsberg, M. & Swaab, R.I. (2018). Imaginary alternatives: The effects of mental simulation on powerless negotiators. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115, 86-117.

  • Schaerer, M., Loschelder, D., & Swaab, R.I. (2016). Bargaining zone distortion in negotiations: The elusive power of multiple alternatives. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 137, 156-171.

  • Loschelder, D., Troetschel, R., Swaab, R.I., Friesen, M., & Galinsky, A.D. (2016). The information-anchoring model of first-offers: When and why moving first helps versus hurts negotiators. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 995-1012.

  • Swaab, R.I., Phillips, K.W.P., & Schaerer, M. (2016). The influence of minorities in virtual teams: When secret conversation opportunities motivate majorities to process dissent and make higher quality group decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 133, 17-32.

  • Schaerer, M., Swaab, R.I., & Galinsky, A.D. (2015). Anchors weigh more than power: Why absolute powerlessness liberates negotiators to achieve better outcomes. Psychological Science, 26, 170-181.

  • Swaab, R.I. & Galinsky, A.D. (2015). Egalitarianism makes organizations stronger: Cross-national variation in institutional and psychological equality predicts talent levels and the performance of national teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 129, 80-92.

  • Romero, D. Swaab, R.I., Uzzi, B., & Galinsky, A.D. (2015). Mimicry is presidential: Linguistic style matching in debates and negotiations improves favorability ratings. (equal authorship between first two authors). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 1311-1319.

  • Anicich, E., Swaab, R.I., & Galinsky, A.D. (2015). Hierarchical cultural values predict success and fatality in high-stakes teams. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112, 1338-1343.

  • San Martin, A., Swaab, R.I, Sinaceur, M., & Vasiljevic, D. (2015). The double-edged impact of future expectations in groups: Minority influence depends on minorities’ and majorities’ expectations to interact again. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 128, 49-60.

  • Swaab, R.I., Schaerer, M., Anicich, E., Ronay, R., & Galinsky, A.D. (2014). The too-much-talent effect: Team interdependence determines when more talent is too much versus not enough. Psychological Science, 25, 1581-1591.

  • Loschelder, D., Swaab, R.I., Troetschel, R. & Galinsky, A.D. (2014). The first-mover disadvantage: The folly of revealing compatible preferences. Psychological Science, 25, 954-962.

  • Gunia, B., Swaab, R.I., Sivanathan, N., & Galinsky, A. D. (2013). The remarkable robustness of the first-offer effect: Across culture, power, and issues. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39, 1547-1558.

  • Swaab, R.I., Galinsky, A.D., Medvec, V., & Diermeier, D.A. (2012). The communication orientation model: Explaining the diverse effects of sight, sound, and synchronicity on negotiation and group decision-making outcomes. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 16, 25-53.

  • Swaab, R.I., Maddux, W., & Sinaceur, M. (2011). Virtual linguistic mimicry: When and how online mimicry increases negotiation outcomes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 616-621.

  • Huffaker, D., Swaab, R.I., & Diermeier, D. (2011). The language of coalition formation in online multiparty negotiations. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 30, 66-81.

  • Swaab, R.I., Kern, M.C., Medvec, V., & Diermeier, D. (2009). Who says what to whom? The impact of communication setting and channel on exclusion from multiparty negotiation agreements. Social Cognition, 27, 381-397.

  • Swaab, R.I. & Swaab, D.F. (2009). Sex differences in the effects of visual contact and eye contact in negotiations. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 129-136.

  • Swaab, R.I., Postmes, T., & Spears, R. (2008). Identity formation in multiparty negotiations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 167-187.

  • Swaab, R.I., Phillips, K.W.P., Diermeier, D., & Medvec, V. (2008). The pros and cons of dyadic conversations in groups: The impact of communication opportunities on group decisions. Small Group Research, 39, 372-390.

  • Diermeier, D., Swaab, R.I., Medvec, V., & Kern, M.C. (2008). The micro dynamics of coalition formation. Political Research Quarterly, 61, 484-501.

  • Swaab, R.I., Postmes, T., Van Beest, I. & Spears, R. (2007). Shared cognition as a product of, and precursor to, shared social identity: Studying the role of communication in negotiations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 187-199.

  • Postmes, T., Haslam, S.A., & Swaab, R.I. (2005). Social identity and social influence in small groups: Communication, consensualization and socially shared cognition. European Review of Social Psychology, 16, 1-42.

  • Swaab, R.I., Postmes, T., & Neijens, P. (2004). The ecological validity of negotiation support systems: Information and communication as antecedents of negotiation support. International Negotiation, 9, 59-78.

  • Swaab, R.I., Postmes, T., Neijens, P., Kiers, M. H., & Dumay, A. C. M. (2002). Multi-party negotiation support: Visualization and the development of shared mental models. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19, 129-150.

Business Reviews and Invited Work

Business Review Publications

  • Tey, K.S., Schaerer, M., Madan, N., & Swaab, R. (2021). What’s the best way to give ground in a negotiation? Harvard Business Review, October 20.

  • Schaerer, M., Schweinsberg, M. & Swaab, R.I. (2020). How to play “friendly hardball” in a negotiation, Harvard Business Review, June 20.

  • Schaerer, M. & Swaab, R.I. (2019). Are You Sugarcoating Your Feedback Without Realizing It? Harvard Business Review, October 8.

  • Schaerer, M., Schweinsberg, M., & Swaab, R. I. (2018). When you don’t have an alternative in a negotiation, try and imagine one. Harvard Business Review, April 19.

  • Schaerer, M., Loschelder, D., & Swaab, R.I. (2017). Having too many options can make you a worse negotiator. Harvard Business Review, May 24.

  • Maddux, W., Williams, E., Swaab, R.I., & Betania, T. (2014). Ricardo Semler: A Revolutionary Model of Leadership. Harvard Business Review, April 28.

  • Swaab, R.I. & Galinsky, A.D. (2007). How to negotiate when you’re (literally) far apart: The media approach. Harvard Negotiation Newsletter, 10, 7- 9.

 

Book Chapters

  • Postmes, T., Baray, G., Haslam, S.A., Morton, T., & Swaab, R.I. (2006). The dynamics of social identity formation. In T. Postmes & J. Jetten (Eds.), Individuality and the group: Advances in social identity (pp. 215-236). SAGE: London.

 

Publications in Dutch

  • Swaab, R.I. (2009). De manager als mediator. [The manager as mediator]. In D. Bonekamp, E. van Ginkel, D. MacGillavry, & A. Verbeke. Reflectie op mediation. Apeldoorn: Maklu Uitgevers.
  • Swaab, R.I. & Brett, J. (2008). Meetings voorafgaand de mediation: De invloed van vertrouwen tussen mediator en partijen. [Pre-mediation meetings: The impact of trust between mediator and disputants]. Tijdschrift voor Conflicthantering [Journal of Conflict Management].
  • Swaab, R.I, Postmes, T., Van Beest, I., & Neijens, P. (2003). Gedeelde cognitie: Twee perspectieven vergeleken [Shared cognition in groups: Two perspectives compared]. In E.Van Dijk & E. Kluwer & D.Wigboldus (Eds.), Jaarboek Sociale Psychologie [Yearbook Social Psychology] (pp. 297-304). Delft: Eubron.

Teaching Cases and Exercises

  1. Maddux, W., Swaab, R.I., Tanure, B., & Williams, E. (2014). Ricardo Semler: A revolutionary model of leadership.

  2. Maddux, W. & Swaab, R.I. (2014). Annual Review.

    1. Role Singh

    2. Role Bergström

Contact

Roderick Swaab

[email protected]

1 Ayer Rajah Avenue, Singapore 138676