{
  "title": "Advanced negotiation: how hard should a numerical target push?",
  "url": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/negociation-avancee-objectifs-ambitieux-limites-ethiques-en",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2026-02-11",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "SHR — Swiss Human Resources",
    "url": "https://www.shr.swiss",
    "address": "Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy, Suisse"
  },
  "summary": "An ambitious target can support performance. It does not, by itself, guarantee the quality of the means used to achieve it.",
  "section": "Research",
  "topic": "Advanced Negotiation",
  "place": {
    "name": "Geneva",
    "region": "Genève",
    "country": "CH"
  },
  "keyPoints": [
    {
      "heading": "What the literature establishes",
      "point": "Edwin Locke and Gary Latham (2002, American Psychologist) review research showing that specific, difficult goals can improve performance more than a general instruction to do one's best."
    },
    {
      "heading": "When a target also changes what people report",
      "point": "Maurice Schweitzer, Lisa Ordóñez and Bambi Douma (2004, Academy of Management Journal) demonstrate experimentally that unmet goals can encourage misleading performance reports."
    },
    {
      "heading": "The premature conclusion",
      "point": "One might conclude that numerical targets should be abandoned in negotiation."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What these data cannot establish",
      "point": "These articles do not directly evaluate negotiations in private banking, international organisations, luxury watchmaking or commodity trading."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A practical check in Genève",
      "point": "Within SHR's « Négociation avancée » programme, one possible application in Genève is to prepare a mandate sheet distinguishing the target, non-negotiable limits and the evidence expected for the outcome."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "authors": "Latham",
      "year": "2002",
      "source": "American Psychologist"
    },
    {
      "authors": "Douma",
      "year": "2004",
      "source": "Academy of Management Journal"
    }
  ],
  "wordCount": 394,
  "image": "https://www.shr.swiss/img/blog-editorial-2026-02-11-en.jpg?v=4",
  "translations": {
    "fr": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/negociation-avancee-objectifs-ambitieux-limites-ethiques",
    "en": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/negociation-avancee-objectifs-ambitieux-limites-ethiques-en",
    "de": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/negociation-avancee-objectifs-ambitieux-limites-ethiques-de",
    "it": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/negociation-avancee-objectifs-ambitieux-limites-ethiques-it"
  },
  "relatedPages": {
    "programme": "https://www.shr.swiss/formation/negociation-avancee/geneve",
    "city": "https://www.shr.swiss/formations-ville/geneve",
    "blog": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog"
  },
  "citationPolicy": "Citation autorisée avec mention « SHR — Swiss Human Resources » et lien vers l'article."
}