Abstract: This study examined the influence of reciprocation wariness, a general fear of exploitation in interpersonal relationships, on negotiators’ motivational orientation, negotiation behavior and outcomes. We predicted that negotiators with low reciprocation wariness would be more likely to be cooperatively oriented, be more likely to share more information with their opponents than negotiators with high reciprocation wariness. It was also predicted that reciprocation wariness would be related to joint gains of the dyad as well as the negotiators’ perceptions of the other party after the negotiation. 184 on-the-job MBA students were divided into 92 dyadic groups and participated in a simulated business negotiation. The participants’ reciprocation wariness was successfully manipulated before they started the negotiation. The results supported the above hypotheses. The research findings have implications for business negotiators.

Key words: negotiation process, reciprocation wariness, motivational orientation, information sharing, joint gain