Dispute Resolution Research Center celebrates four decades of prominence

“There are moments in our lives that can often be only fully understood once we look back,” says Margaret Neale, who served as the J.L. and Helen Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations for nearly a decade.

When Neale arrived at Kellogg in 1987, her plan was to stay a year, but that evolved into a “life-altering experience.” The school had just launched the Dispute Resolution Research Center (DRRC) — with generous support from the Hewlett Foundation — and Neale would become part of its foundation.

What started as a kernel of an idea when Jeanne Brett and Stephen Goldberg offered the first negotiation classes to Northwestern MBA and law students in 1980, the DRRC has today blossomed into a global epicenter for negotiation research and education.

“The center remains relevant because it has built a strong intellectual community while continuing to evolve."

“The center remains relevant because it has built a strong intellectual community while continuing to evolve,” says Cynthia Wang, executive director of the DRRC and Kellogg Teaching Resources. Nour Kteily — who specializes in negotiation, conflict resolution and inter-group relations — is the academic director of the DRRC.

Early on, Brett — the center’s founding director — Goldberg, Neale, Roger Meyerson, Max Bazerman, Leigh Thompson, Mike Roloff, Keith Murnighan and others created a collaborative, entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary environment for discourse to thrive.

“We developed an incredibly dynamic research incubator,” Brett told an audience gathered on July 30 inside Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation to celebrate the center’s 40th anniversary. “Everyone who was part of DRRC contributed to the incredible experience that we all shared.” 

Bringing scholars together

In the four decades since launching, the DRRC has brought together scholars from management, psychology, law, economics and other fields as negotiation emerged as a major topic for research and teaching. 

“Issues involving conflict, cooperation, negotiation and decision-making will only become more important as organizations and societies navigate polarization, inequality and rapid technological change,” says Wang, who is also a clinical professor of Management & Organizations.

Using experiential role playing to teach negotiation, the DRRC quickly invested in the people and ideas that would sustain its mission. The center’s vibrant community of faculty, visiting scholars, staff, donors and Kellogg alumni helped create the resources needed to support research grants, teaching initiatives, doctoral students and a pathbreaking postdoctoral program, which began in 1988 and continues today.

Bazerman joined Goldberg to secure initial funding from the Hewlett Foundation 1986 and was the driving force behind the postdoctoral program, which welcomed Robin Pinkley and Larry Heuer 39 years ago.

Forty-three postdoctoral research fellows have launched careers from the DRRC, and many now lead programs at prestigious institutions.

“These investments helped develop generations of scholars and created a network that extends well beyond Kellogg,” says Wang. “At the same time, the DRRC has continued to adapt to new questions and new ways of teaching. Negotiation, conflict and cooperation remain at the center of its mission, but faculty now study many of the most pressing issues facing organizations and society.” 

DRRC teaching materials have also evolved from traditional role-plays to online simulations and AI-enabled exercises. That combination of a strong core mission and a willingness to change has kept the center relevant four decades on.

Supporting the future of the DRRC

As the center’s initial funding mechanism evolved, Brett still recalls the day Don Jacobs, dean of Kellogg from 1975 until 2001, and a strong supporter of the DRRC, set a meeting in his office in 1993. That introduction to Alan E. Peterson, a partner at Arthur Andersen from 1966 until 1980 and founder of Peterson Consulting and Tucker Alan, led to two decades of guidance, creative ideas and financial support.

In 1996 —  following an idea proposed by Victoria Medvec, the Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management & Organizations and executive director of the Center for Executive Women — the DRRC began to distribute its teaching materials and collect royalties. Through TeachWithKellogg.com, the center now offers more than 500 exercises, cases, simulations and interactive games. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the center continues to develop new ways for students to practice difficult conversations, gather information, make decisions and learn from both human and AI counterparts.

“The DRRC has an incredible legacy that we are proud to celebrate,” says Senior Associate Dean of Strategy and Academics Brayden King. “It put Kellogg on the map as the epicenter of negotiations research and teaching in business schools. The DRRC created a model for a successful center by wedding research expertise with cutting-edge educational content and the delivery of an innovative learning experience, which we continue to draw from today as deliver the very best negotiations training.”


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