Impasse
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2008) |
| This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source.(January 2022) |
A bargainingimpasse(French pronunciation:[ɛ̃pas]) occurs when the two sides negotiating an agreement are unable to reach an agreement and become deadlocked. An impasse is almost invariably mutually harmful, either as a result of direct action which may be taken such as astrikein employment negotiation or sanctions/military action ininternational relations,or simply due to the resulting delay in negotiating a mutually beneficial agreement. The word impasse may also refer to any situation in which noprogresscan be made. Impasses provide opportunities forproblem solvingto provide aninsightthat leads to progress.
Impasse can provide a credible signal that a party's position is genuine and not merely anambit claim.
Impasse may also arise if parties suffer fromself-serving bias.Most disputes arise in situations where facts are able to be interpreted in multiple ways, and if parties interpret the facts to their own benefit they may be unable to accept the opposing party's claim as reasonable. They may believe the other side is either bluffing or acting unfairly and deserves to be "punished".
As bargaining impasse is mutually harmful, it may be beneficial for the parties to accept bindingarbitrationormediationto settle their dispute, or the state may impose such a solution. Indeed, compulsory arbitration following impasse is a common feature ofindustrial relations lawin the United States[1]and elsewhere.
The wordimpasseis taken from the frenchimpasse.
See also
[edit]- Gridlock (politics)
- List of French expressions in English
- Mexican standoff
- Nash equilibrium
- Obstacle
- Stalemate
- Vendor lock-in
References
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