Role of Styles in B2B Negotiation Impasses: A Dual Lens Perspective

ABSTRACT Negotiation impasses damage relationships, tarnish reputations, and jeopardize opportunities for value creation. In the business‐to‐business (B2B) context, these impasses can devastate organizations through financial losses, strained relationships and disengaged partnerships. While existing studies focus on how negotiation styles drive successful negotiation outcomes, they neglect their role in leading to impasses. Therefore, this study explores this gap by examining how negotiation styles influence the relationship between antecedent factors and the formation of distinct impasse types. This conceptual paper suggests a novel theoretical framework to guide future empirical research. We developed a dual lens perspective (DLP) combining core principles of Attribution Theory and Dual Concern Theory to understand how negotiation styles influence the formation of B2B impasses. By exploring how negotiation styles shape the formation of impasses, this study advances theoretical insights for academia. It further equips practitioners to anticipate, adapt, manage, and prevent unwanted or forced impasses by using an actionable framework across diverse B2B contexts.