Shaping Tomorrow’s Deals: The Role of Latent Negotiations in High-Stakes Business Scenarios

Global crises can abruptly shift power dynamics in business-to-business (B2B) negotiations. The semiconductor shortage from 2020 to 2023 vividly demonstrated how established relationships and negotiating positions can erode overnight, leaving traditional strategies inadequate: aggressive tactics risk long-term damage, while excessive concessions result in financial losses. In such contexts, negotiators seek new ways to manage interactions, often turning to informal exchanges beyond the negotiation table. This study conceptualizes these practices as latent negotiations—informal interaction episodes in which negotiation issues are addressed, implicitly or explicitly, outside formally designated settings. Based on 39 expert interviews with experienced B2B negotiators, the analysis shows that latent negotiations serve multiple purposes: they enable information gathering, support relationship building, allow for agenda setting, and in some cases lead to pre-agreements. By shifting attention from formal episodes to these informal interactions, the study demonstrates that effective negotiating requires competence on multiple levels. In doing so, it positions latent negotiations as a central element of negotiation practice and provides both theoretical and managerial insights for navigating volatile environments.