A Review of Green Business Negotiations and the Development of Sustainable Business Transitions

Introduction. Seeking consistency with the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals, business entities are transforming from “doing business as usual” to sustainable business practices. Businesses are encouraged to undergo a green transition process. Green business transitions form a specific context for business negotiations. The engagement of business entities in negotiations largely depends on the willingness of parties to find a solution for the contradictory interests of parties and to come up with a solution for the negotiation problem in the form of a joint decision.

Aim and tasks. The study aims to raise awareness of green thinking for a successful green business transition by using negotiations as a sustainable business practice. For businesses, the process of change that results in becoming successfully green is intertwined with negotiations, where parties strive to achieve outcomes complying with the green business transformation perspective and are constituted as sustainable business deals.

Results. This study justifies the need for a clear definition of green business negotiations and a framework that distinguishes them from conventional ones. Network maps of keyword searches do not reveal a clear link between negotiation and green business transition research. Although literature presents distinct theoretical models of negotiation and negotiation algorithms, they fail to establish cohesive research streams that could be categorized into clusters. This observation indicates that negotiation frameworks and green concepts exist independently in literature. VOSviewer tool was used to represent bibliometric relationships and co-occurrence in the literature visually. Exploration of the potential intersection between these areas is essential to clearly understand their interrelationships and implications for effective green business practices. Additionally, Barber’s Negotiation Phase Model demonstrates that the specific tasks and elements of green business negotiations are integral to all phases of the negotiation process. Understanding these elements can enhance the effectiveness of negotiations related to business sustainability.

Conclusions. The framework that integrates green business negotiation specifics into the Negotiation Phase model provides a nuanced understanding of green business negotiations, highlighting the importance of integrating environmental considerations at each stage of the negotiation process. Practitioners can enhance their strategies and outcomes by recognizing the distinct characteristics and requirements of green business negotiations, ultimately fostering more sustainable business practices. The findings emphasize that integrating green business negotiations within established negotiation frameworks is crucial for enhancing organizational strategies, promoting sustainability, and achieving effective outcomes in green business practice.