Specific Skills in Modern Online Negotiations: A Word Cloud and Content Analysis

Technology plays a key role in improving negotiation outcomes, one of the nowadays key aspects in the negotiation process being the ability to communicate effectively in the online environment. Negotiating in the digital age requires adapting traditional techniques to the new challenges and opportunities offered by technology. The research investigates the skills that Romanian companies’ representatives consider relevant in conducting online negotiations, while providing a solid basis for understanding and developing essential competencies in the context of online negotiations. An unstructured interview guide was developed, which was randomly applied to representatives of various Romanian companies that conducted online business negotiations during the recent health pandemic. By means of keyword occurrence frequency different word clouds were computed, as well as the Chi-Square analysis of critical skills that contribute to effective negotiation, in order to provide a basis for developing individual competencies in online business negotiations. In the analysis of negotiation skills, the frequency with which certain skills are mentioned and their impact in the context of online negotiation was examined. Skills such as effective communication, active listening and empathy were identified as essential for success in online negotiation, reflecting the importance of authentic interaction and mutual understanding. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that it addresses an issue that has hardly been analysed in international literature: the specific skills that entrepreneurs must possess in performing, managing and/or conducting successful online business negotiations. The use of digital tools and advanced technology can help increase efficiency and accuracy in the negotiation process. The use of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies is expected to become increasingly widespread and contribute to improving negotiation outcomes.