A transactional perspective has historically dominated the business negotiation literature. Assumptions which arise from this transactional perspective include the notion that: (i) business negotiations are a linear process that follow episodic or stage models; (ii) business negotiations are geared towards an outcome in the form of a one-time transaction; (iii) the value of the negotiation outcome is often expressed in economic or mathematical terms; (iv) negotiation research focuses on the single negotiator or negotiation in a dyad; and (v) research historically has viewed negotiation as a "zero-sum" game. Viewed from the interaction approach within the IMP perspective, there is good reason to challenge these five assumptions within the business negotiation literature. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to analyse and discuss the differences in the way that central aspects of business negotiations such as the process, outcome, value creation, involved actors and resource allocation are conceptualized in both the business negotiation and the IMP literature. The conceptual deliberation concludes that business negotiation research has thus far tended to focus on individual skills and the examination of isolated dyadic interactions. Business negotiation research largely ignores the fact that the nature of industrial business is predominantly relationship-based rather than transactional. Introducing the relational perspective of the IMP tradition into business negotiation research would help in furthering the critique already posed within this stream of research towards its transactional, linear and dyadic focus. Viewing business negotiation through an interactional perspective will further managers understanding of the negotiation process.