... Weapon A few years ago, one of us was having dinner with a senior member of the Japanese Management Association. We said, "We believe that in Japan, supply management is treated as a strategic ... mutual gain and use objective criteria.There are instances when it is better to terminate negotiations than to enter into an unsatisfactory agreement. Develop a BATNA, or best alternative to a ... Ellram and John N. Pearson, "The Role of the Purchasing Function: Toward Team Participation," International Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management (Summer 1993), pp. 3-9. Also...