After a war breaks out, what factors influence the warring parties' decisions about whether to talk to their enemy, and when may their position on wartime diplomacy change? How do we get from only fighting to also talking? In The Costs of Conversation, Oriana Skylar Mastro argues that states are primarily concerned with the strategic costs of conversation, and these costs need to be low before combatants are willing to engage in direct talks with their enemy. Specifically, Mastro writes, leaders look to two factors when determining the probable strategic costs of demonstrating a willingness to talk: the likelihood the enemy will interpret openness to diplomacy as a sign of weakness, and how the enemy may change its strategy in response to such an interpretation. Only if a state thinks it has demonstrated adequate strength and resiliency to avoid the inference of weakness, and believes that its enemy has limited capacity to escalate or intensify the war, will it be open to talking with the enemy. Through four primary case studies—North Vietnamese diplomatic decisions during the Vietnam War, those of China in the Korean War and Sino-Indian War, and Indian diplomatic decision making in the latter conflict—The Costs of Conversation demonstrates that the costly conversations thesis best explains the timing and nature of countries' approach to wartime talks, and therefore when peace talks begin. As a result, Mastro's findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for war duration and termination, as well as for military strategy, diplomacy, and mediation.

After a war breaks out, what factors influence the warring parties' decisions about whether to talk to their enemy, and when may their position on wartime diplomacy change? How do we get from only fighting to also talking? In The Costs of Conversation, Oriana Skylar Mastro argues that states are primarily concerned with the strategic costs of conversation, and these costs need to be low before combatants are willing to engage in direct talks with their enemy. Specifically, Mastro writes, leaders look to two factors when determining the probable strategic costs of demonstrating a willingness to talk: the likelihood the enemy will interpret openness to diplomacy as a sign of weakness, and how the enemy may change its strategy in response to such an interpretation. Only if a state thinks it has demonstrated adequate strength and resiliency to avoid the inference of weakness, and believes that its enemy has limited capacity to escalate or intensify the war, will it be open to talking with the enemy. Through four primary case studies—North Vietnamese diplomatic decisions during the Vietnam War, those of China in the Korean War and Sino-Indian War, and Indian diplomatic decision making in the latter conflict—The Costs of Conversation demonstrates that the costly conversations thesis best explains the timing and nature of countries' approach to wartime talks, and therefore when peace talks begin. As a result, Mastro's findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for war duration and termination, as well as for military strategy, diplomacy, and mediation.

This comprehensive introduction to the field represents the best of the published literature on groupware and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). The papers were chosen for their breadth of coverage of the field, their clarity of expression and presentation, their excellence in terms of technical innovation or behavioral insight, their historical significance, and their utility as sources for further reading. Taken as a whole, the papers and their introductions are a complete sourcebook to the field. This book will be useful for computer professionals involved in the development or purchase of groupware technology as well as for researchers and managers. It should also serve as a valuable text for university courses on CSCW, groupware, and human-computer interaction.

This book introduces sales professionals to the collaborative conversation skills they need to?capture the buyer's attention and secure business. Today's buyers want more from sales professionals than a simple consultation. What they're hungry for are?meaningful, collaborative conversations?built on mutual value and trust, that result in a win...where they, the seller, and the organization, achieve a winning outcome. Based on the author's five-step sales system, What's in It for Them (WIIFT) - Wait, Initiate, Investigate, Facilitate, Then Consolidate - Conversations That Sell shows you how to: Prepare for an?effective sales call - Identify sales opportunities and the factors that?drive buyers to act Adjust their approach?to the type of buyer - Achievers, Commanders, Reflectors, and Expressers Make conversations flow easily - Address problems, opportunities, wants, and needs Work through objections - Advance and close sales; and more Packed with valuable tools and examples, salespeople in all industries will discover how to increase their short- and long-term sales success by keeping the focus of every conversation where it belongs…on the buyer.

Technologies that electronically mediate conversation, such as text-based chat or desktop video conferencing, draw on theories of human−human interaction to make predictions about the effects of design decisions. This lecture reviews the theory that has been most influential in this area: Clark's theory of language use. The key concept in Clark's theory is that of common ground. Language is viewed as a collaborative activity that uses existing common ground to develop further common ground and, hence, to communicate efficiently. The theory (a) defines different kinds of common ground, (b) formalizes the notion of collaborative activity as a “joint action,” and (c) describes the processes by which common ground is developed through joint action. Chapter 1 explains why a purely cognitive model of communication is not enough and what is meant by the phrase “collaborative activity.” Chapter 2 introduces the idea of common ground and how it is used in language through an example of two people conversing over a video link. Chapter 3 indicates where the interested reader can find out about the antecedents to Clark's theory. Chapter 4 sets out the fundamental concepts in Clark's theory. Chapter 5 uses five published case studies of electronically mediated communication to illustrate the value of the theory. These include studies of a computer-supported meeting room (Cognoter), a video tunnel that supports gaze awareness, video conferencing in medical consultation, and text chat. Table of Contents: Motivation - Conversation as a Collaborative Activity / Overview - Developing Common Ground, An Example / Scientific Foundations / The Theory in More Detail / Case Studies - Applying the Theory to Electronically Mediated Communication / Current Status

History The present book is a translation and in part an adaptation of a study the authors conducted for the Dutch Ministry of Education. Several years ago, the Dutch authorities decided to found an Open University, a system of distance learning especially suited to students only able or willing to devote part of their time to their studies, and, moreover, not generally capable of studying at fixed times or places. A preparatory committee was created, which published a preliminary report in 1 1978. This report was largely concerned with the kinds of courses the Open University should offer and the kinds of students it planned to enroll. The report also discussed possible teaching methods or media of the Open University. The predominant conclusion was that written instruction should constitute the basic teaching medium, and that other media (e. g. , computerized instruction or televi sion) were only to be added if the written medium failed to realize the desired teaching objectives. This preference was mainly based on considerations of cost, since the committee expected written instruction to be the cheapest alternative possible. Whether this is in fact true will be discussed later in this book. We were then asked to reconsider the different possibilities of teaching methods and media in more detail, in terms of their differential teaching effects, costs of application, and the committee's preference for the print medium. Work was started on this assignment in 1978 and completed a year later.

Leadership can be exercised by anyone who cares enough. You dont need to have a title, be charismatic, or even have confidence. You just need to be motivated to make a difference in the lives of people or causes you care about. In Why Not Lead? author Deborah E. Reidy provides a practical and accessible guide for families of people with disabilities and their allies who are motivated to bring about positive change and who are looking for guidance on their journey. Drawn from decades of experience, Why Not Lead? uses a combination of case studies, short narratives, and personal exercises to provide an understanding of what leadership is, to assist in strengthening your motivation, and to deepen your understanding and application of core leadership practices. Wonderful, heartful, useful Reidys insights and stories illuminate the meaning of life and the practices of leadership Ron Heifetz, author, teacher, and founder of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University