Some structures of negotiation talk

The paper applies the methods of conversational analysis to investigation of the social organisation of industrial negotiation. The activities of negotiators are viewed as “locally managed,” and the paper shows how constituent entities of the negotiation setting, such as “issues” and “parties,” are interactionally accomplished in and through talk. Two dimensions of negotiation talk are focussed upon: the organisation of topicality and the production of “team” talk. It is shown that the methods by which negotiators manage the tasks of talking topically and talking as a team are context-specific modifications of the methods by which “ordinary conversation” is accomplished. (Conversational analysis, organizational settings, British English)