Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Moore School of Business

Director of Thesis

Dr. Nancy R. Buchan

Second Reader

Phillip Chritton, Esq.

Abstract

Negotiators are often judged as confident or uncertain within seconds, but do those nonverbal impressions truly translate into better outcomes? This study examines how Emotional Intelligence (EI), Cultural Intelligence (CQ), bargaining styles, and nonverbal behavior (NVB) interact to shape performance in simulated salary negotiations. Using video data from ten dyadic negotiations and survey measures from USC’s IBUS 734, International Business Negotiations, the results reveal selective rather than systematic relationships. The analysis contributes to the existing literature by testing a behavioral framework that connects social intelligence to negotiation outcomes. The findings suggest that EI plays a role in regulating expressive behavior, CQ influences strategic bargaining style, and NVB operates as a component of interaction rather than a direct predictor of success. Importantly, while aggregate statistical relationships remain limited, a different level of insight emerges through individual-level analysis through the construction of negotiator profiles that integrate NVB, bargaining style, concession patterns, and outcomes. These profiles reveal meaningful variation in how individuals combine behavioral expression, internal regulation, and strategic execution, offering a deeper understanding of negotiation dynamics, challenging the assumption of a clear behavioral pathway from social intelligence to financial outcome. Instead, the exploratory study’s findings indicate that these variables operate in a context-dependent manner, with differences emerging more clearly at the extremes of EI and CQ. Overall, the study highlights that negotiation effectiveness is not driven by any single factor, but by how individuals integrate emotional regulation, cultural awareness, and behavioral signaling in context.

First Page

1

Last Page

118

Rights

© 2026, Francesca N. Cumello

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Available for download on Thursday, April 20, 2028

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