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Course Overview and Objective: Negotiation is both art and science. We use it in dealings with family and friends, in selecting which restaurant to go to for lunch or dinner, in determining pay increases with business associates, as well as in purchasing a car, a house, or a souvenir from a vendor. Negotiation is also the process used in developing collective bargaining agreements between unions and management, in buying materials for manufacturing, and in resolving global conflicts. We will be examining the negotiation process in all of these contexts.

The objective of this course is to familiarize you with the various modes and tactics of negotiation, and then let you use and evaluate them in specific situations. You will receive instruction on negotiation practices that have been proven to work, and will become better negotiators by course end. We will explore some of the behavioral and analytical research that has been done with respect to negotiation so that we gain a better understanding of the personal and organizational factors that result in conflicts as well as the methods to resolve them. We will review multi-party negotiations, ethical issues, and examine the impact of different cultural backgrounds on the negotiation process.

It is important to recognize that the learning and development process will be your responsibility. You must in the simulations depart from your usual methods and habits and explore and try new approaches. The instructor will provide some insights on how to do this, and the de-briefing sessions will help, but the success of this course with respect to your growth and development will be dependent on YOU! Pay particular attention to the assigned readings in the books, the power points, and the case discussions. Begin the course with the recognition that whatever your past experiences have been in negotiations and conflict resolution you do have something to learn and to improve.

Course Format: The course will comprise lectures, class discussion, in-depth analysis of negotiation cases, negotiation simulations, the Instructor's Negotiation and Conflict Management Power Point slides and Mini Cases.

Course Requirements: Students will be expected to read the assignments in Ury and Fisher, and contribute to any discussions thereof; to complete and be prepared to discuss specific Mini Cases; to plan and participate in scheduled negotiation simulations; and to prepare a Journal Memo describing your experience in and reflections on the simulations.

Peer Review: To gain some relevant and important insights as to how others regard your work in the simulations, you will be asked to complete a Reputation Index for each of your classmates. They will complete the same for you. The data will be based upon your activities in the simulations. It will include such behaviors as trustworthiness, consistent and excellent preparation, good planning and strategy development, ability to explore creative solutions, the ability to explore and discover the other party's interests, to be assertive without damaging the potential relationship with the other side, and to build a relationship without undercutting your own bargaining position. A consistent understanding of BATNA of both sides, and a collegial leadership role in the simulations will also be evaluated. The Peer Review will conclude with a question concerning whether you contributed to others' learning. You will be given a grade for each of the above factors and the total points calculated by the Instructor will be included in the grading for "simulations." A compilation and summary of your Peer Review results will be given to you. The sources of evaluative information about your activities and the Peer Review results will not be disclosed to anyone other than you.

Attendance and Class Participation: Classes require active student participation during lectures, discussions, and simulations; therefore, any absence including late arrivals or early departures except in the most extraordinary circumstances will be unacceptable. Such absences will result in a deduction of points allocated for attendance, participation and simulations, and could lead to a failing grade. Class discussion serves many pedagogical purposes. It provides feedback to the Instructor on the level of student comprehension; it is a self-learning process, presenting students an opportunity to offer input on the class and to subject their thoughts to critical analysis. At the end of the semester, you will be evaluated on your contribution to class discussions and events.

Written Homework: Typically entails a typewritten memo by the student--usually one to two pages in length, double-spaced, 12 font, with reasonable margins--analyzing either a reading assignment or a Mini Case assigned by the Instructor.

Journal Memo: Students will be required to submit a Journal Memo, consisting of at least five typewritten pages, double-spaced, 12 font, with reasonable margins, which describes his/her individual experience in the negotiation simulations. The purpose of the Journal Memo is to reflect and analyze one's learning experience. It is a two-step process. First, a functional analysis is written, summarizing the planning, preparation, persuasion activities, social context, strategy, power processes, ethical considerations, and cultural and personal dimensions that were applied or were relevant to the negotiation. Second, a personal analysis should address, retrospectively, what was done, the correctness of your assumptions, the effects of tactics and strategies, your insights, perceptions, and impressions, and what could have been done differently. The Journal Memo will be submitted in lieu of a final exam and is very important in the overall evaluation of your performance and learning in the course. It will be treated confidentially and read only by the Instructor.

Simulations: Students will be involved in a number of negotiating simulations that will facilitate a practical perspective on the subject matter. These simulations will range from buying an automobile to more complex multi-issue, multi-party problems. The instructor will distribute the simulations. Students will be assigned various roles for each simulation, given confidential information pertinent to their role, and allocated the task of attempting to reach an agreement. The various strategies, tactics, and concepts of negotiations discussed in class will be applied to each simulation. At the conclusion of each simulation, students will complete a Negotiation Summary form provided by the Instructor. These Summaries will be used during debriefing sessions which will be held in class to review the results of each simulation. The Instructor will evaluate each student's participation and effectiveness in the simulations. As mentioned above, your peers will also evaluate your actions in the simulations. You must prepare for each simulation. This does not mean reading the case minutes before. Gathering important information, data, deciding on a bargaining strategy, determining your BATNA, and articulating certain persuasive points for discussion are so very important and must be done in advance. Planning is the key to successful negotiations. If you put no effort in this, you will learn nothing and depart the course no different than how you entered it. The purpose here is to change for the better and that will depend on you.

Tentative Schedule of Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments

Dates for case discussions and negotiation simulations will be assigned during the semester. The following represents the planned order of readings from the texts that students must complete before class. Students should also examine the Professor's Power Point slides, which are on the Blackboard site. Specific reading assignments will be entered on Blackboard.

Topic 1: Introduction to Negotiations

Topic 2: Pre-negotiation planning, how one influences others.

Topic 3: Distributive Bargaining involves s a variety of negotiation tactics used in bargaining where the parties want to achieve maximum value and are unconcerned about any long-term relationship with their adversary.

Topic 4: "Framing" and "Deadlock," which describe how deadlock occurs and offers techniques and tactics, such as "framing" which can break a deadlock and allow a resumption of negotiations.

Topic 5: Traits of Successful Negotiators is a description of a number of characteristics and tactics used by the best negotiators.

Topic 6: Integrative Bargaining, where the parties, usually interested in a more long-term relationship, get beyond positions and try to find the other parties' interests which can then better facilitate a solution.

Topic 7: Steps in the Negotiation Process, which is an analysis and review of the various steps--from research to the development of a strategy, to negotiation planning, to opening the negotiations, to the discussion, to making proposals and concessions, to closing and agreement.

Topic 8: Third-Party Interventions - Mediation, Arbitration: this section will describe the types of third party interventions from mediation to arbitration, the application of alternative dispute resolution systems to negotiations and civil litigation, and international commercial arbitration.

Topic 9: Coalitions, Multiple Parties: how to "Build Coalitions in Bargaining," wherein we will describe the rationale and the rules for developing relationships to coordinate your bargaining with other similarly situated parties.

Topic 10: Ethics in Bargaining and Linguistics, Here we will discuss various definitions of ethics, factors which compel certain bargaining strategies, and the degrees of ethical practices from "marginally unethical" to total misrepresentation of material information and facts.

Topic 11: "Global Negotiations," wherein we will describe the evolution from local to international business, cultural differences, legal, economic differences, as well as external factors relating to global business, and various approaches including the use of third party nationals to conduct such negotiations.