The nature and function of argument in organizational bargaining research

This essay responds to several calls for an explication of the theoretical basis of argument in negotiation. Argument tends to be a generic term in negotiation studies, yet the manner in which argument is operationalized has great impact on the type of interpretations a researcher can make of his/her data. Four current argumentative perspectives are used to examine the nature and function of argument in organizational bargaining research. Toulmin's argument field perspective offers the most thorough analysis of labor‐management negotiations.