- The primary and critical people involved in the dispute who could potentially engage in a joint problem-solving process - Interdependent and must rely on the cooperation of one another to meet their goals or satisfy their interests - Able to identify and agree on the major issues in dispute - In a situation where their interests are not necessarily or entirely incompatible - Able to influence one another and undertake or prevent actions that can either harm or reward each other - Pressured by deadlines and time constraints and share a motivation for early settlement - Aware that their Best Alternatives to a Negotiated Agreement, or BATNAs, such as using an arbitrator, going to court, or using legislative action, are probably not as viable, efficient, or desirable as a bargain that they might reach themselves (Fisher and Ury, 1991; Fisher and Ury, with Patton, 2011) - Influenced by external constraints—such as the unpredictability of a judicial decision, potentially angry patients or staff, costs of establishing a new practice, and expenses of recruiting a new physician—that encourage them to reach a negotiated settlement - Source Page 28 [[The Mediation Process 4th ed by Christopher W Moore]] I wonder when states negotiate with each other on trade for example, do they also follow similar conditions?