MGMT 415/550: Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
Instructor: Dr. Rebecca J. Bennett
Class time: TuTh 2-3:50 p.m.
Classroom: CoB 107
Office hours:, Tu & Th, 9-12 & 4-5 pm, Wed 10-12. Or stop by anytime!
Office: CoB 324
Office Phone: 257-3293
Email address: RBennett@latech.edu
Course objectives:
Most of us negotiate every day, though we often do not realize it. We not only
negotiate contracts, leases, and purchases, but also we also negotiate over less
obvious issues. We need analytical skills to discover superior solutions to problems
and we need negotiation skills to get others to accept and implement these solutions.
Unfortunately, too many of us negotiate poorly.
The goal of this course is for you to become a better negotiator. That is, you will
develop the negotiation skills that produce more creative, satisfying agreements and
avoid the worst kind of compromises. In particular, you will accomplish the
following learning goals:
Mgmt 415 Students will learn how to:
1. Prepare strategies
2. Manage trust dilemmas
3. Collect and reveal information tactically
4. Set and reach goals to get a bigger “slice of the pie”
5. Discover others’ interests and use them to create mutually satisfying agreements
6. Manage ethical issues
7. Create and neutralize power imbalances
8. Adjust across cultures
9. Manage large numbers of negotiators
10. Negotiate in a team environment
11. Better understand themselves and their own negotiating styles.
Course Requirements:
1. A c c e s s t o Mgmt 415 Course Website on Moodle.
2. Subscription to ExpertNegotiator website. All students are required to purchase an
ExpertNegotiator Planning & Management Software student license. The license costs
$50 and I have posted instructions and a registration code to Moodle, as well as do a
demo of it during our second class meeting (March17).
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3. Lewicki, R.J., Saunders, D.M., & Barry, B. (2011). Essentials of Negotiation.
Homewood, IL: Irwin, 5 or 6th edition. (6th edition is available at Tech bookstore).
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Course method:
Handling conflict well is easier said than done. So, this class is about learning by doing.
That is, this class extensively uses negotiation simulation exercises, where you and
another student act
out roles that are assigned and distributed in class. After each exercise, the class will
discuss all students’ performances. The purpose of the discussion is to discover which
negotiation approaches worked well and which didn’t. While discussions center on your
in-class negotiation experiences, we derive the lessons from more than just students’
reports of those experiences. That is, we also borrow from the economic, psychological,
and behavioral-decision theories, some of which are discussed in the textbook and some
of which I present in class.
EVALUATION & GRADES (100 Points Total)
Total course points translate to letter grades as follows:
Points
93+
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
Grade
A
AB+
B
B-
Points
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
60-66
< 60
Grade
C+
C
CD+
D
F
Your grade will be based on your performance in the five following categories:
Category
Class Contribution
Baseline Paper
Reflection Papers
Skill Assessment Paper
Course Points
35 points total
15 points total
30 points total = 3 papers @ 10 points each
20 points total
100 Points Grand
Total
A. Class Contribution (35 points)
Class contribution consists of participating in negotiation exercises and participating in
class discussion of those exercises.
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1. Negotiation Exercises (20 points)
I expect you to negotiate every one of the 10 negotiation exercises. For each exercise
you negotiate, you will receive one point. For each exercise, you will be assigned
another student with whom to negotiate during class-meeting time. Students are assigned
based on a rotation system, such that each week you negotiate with somebody new. (My
intent is to give students a variety of negotiation partners throughout the semester.)
Therefore it is imperative that I have advance notice of any absences to prevent students
from being “stood up” by an absent negotiation partner. Specifically, I require seven (7)
days advance notice of any absence.
Penalty for Missing Exercises without Advance Notice: If you do not negotiate an
exercise, but give me at least seven days’ notice, you lose only the one point that the
exercise is worth. However, if you miss an exercise and fail to give me seven days
advance notice of your absence, there is a penalty in addition to losing the one point. The
penalty is that your final course grade will drop by one grade (e.g., A- to B+, B to B-).
There are two exceptions to this rule:
• The first absence without prior notice is a “freebie” and there is no grade
penalty, only the one-point loss.
• If you can convince your assigned negotiation partner to negotiate with you at
his or her convenience, but before the next class meeting, then the penalty will be
waived.
Preparation for Negotiation Exercises: Negotiating an exercise without preparing for it
leads to a worthless experience for you and your partner. Therefore, a total lack of
preparation is unacceptable, and will be counted as “missing an exercise without advance
notice,” penalties included. Moreover, an additional ten points (one point per exercise) is
awarded for the quality of preparation on the ExpertNegotiator website. How much
preparation is high quality? That varies by the complexity of the exercise, which grows
more complex as the semester progresses. Generally speaking, however, complete all
fields in the ExpertNegotiator plans for each exercise, while applying the course concepts
— including those from the textbook — and you will be sufficiently prepared. Y o u
m u s t d o t h i s b e f o r e t h e e x e r c i s e b e g i n s . Also, consider this rule of
thumb: if, at the beginning of an exercise, you find yourself spending more time reading
through your role information than looking your negotiation partner(s) in the eyes, then
you have not prepared sufficiently.
2. Class Discussion (10 points)
Good participation from students is what makes this course effective, so I expect each
student to contribute their own insights to the discussion. "Good" discussion includes
helpful comments and thoughtful comments. I reward for each.
Helpful comments include: describing your tactics to the class, answering my questions,
backing up someone's comment, refuting someone's comment, and clarifying what
someone else has said about your negotiation behavior. A couple helpful comments will
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earn you up to 1/2 point for the day. Numerous helpful comments will earn you the same
half point — i.e., there is no extrinsic reward for piling on helpful comments and
dominating discussion.
However, thoughtful comments will earn you additional points for the day. One solid,
thoughtful comment can earn you an additional half point. If you become a discussion
leader for the day by making a few very thoughtful comments, you can earn up to a total
of 1.5 points. Those students who make thoughtful comments are those who:
o express a viewpoint about what negotiation behaviors are good or bad.
o not only take a stand, but back up one's views with original (i.e., not said yet that
day) evidence and logic.
o express views that are relevant (i.e., interesting and useful to classmates).
o views are based on course concepts, including those from the textbook
You may comment orally in class or in writing on the Moodle discussion forum. On the
discussion forum, you may ask questions and post comments that occur to you after class
ends, or that you never got a chance to say during class. I prefer that students answer
each other’s questions, but occasionally the TA or I may post or answer questions.
I grade oral discussion immediately after each class meeting ends. I grade discussion
forum posts each Thursday morning. Finally, all categories of discussion combined, it is
impossible to earn more than two points for any one week, and it is impossible to
accumulate more than 10 discussion points for the term.
3. Reputation Index (5 Points)
Toward the end of the semester, every student will complete an evaluation of every other
student’s reputation in class. Reputation is affected by actions one takes during
negotiation exercises (e.g., preparation, seriousness, aggressiveness, honesty), how one
discusses such exercises publicly during class or on the discussion forum (e.g., candor,
insightfulness, relevance), and how much one contributes to other students’ learning (e.g.,
providing a challenging negotiation experience, providing useful feedback on a reflection
paper). Every student rates every other student, both on reputation as a negotiator and on
reputation as a contributor to class discussion.
B. Baseline Paper (15 points)
Write a paper that describes and analyzes your approach to negotiation and conflict
as it exists prior to March 12, 2015. The analysis in this paper will give you a
baseline for measuring your altered beliefs and improved performance at the end of
the term. In your paper, address all of the following questions, in the following
order:
1. In your opinion, what attributes or behaviors differentiate "good" negotiators from
"poor" negotiators? (3 points)
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2. In your own words, describe your approach to negotiating: about what do you
typically think and what do you usually do when faced with a negotiation or with a
conflict that could benefit from negotiating? Only describe your approach here; do not
criticize it or praise it here; just tell me what you do. (5 points)
3. In your own words, critique your approach to negotiating: what's right and what's
wrong with your approach and why? That is, in what ways does your approach help
you achieve important goals, protect you from rotten outcomes, or alternatively, lead
you to rotten outcomes or result in missed opportunities? (5 points)
4. What aspects of your approach are you hoping to improve through this course? (2
points)
This paper cannot exceed five pages in length. This paper is due March 17 at
the beginning of class.
C. Individual Reflection Papers (30 points @ 10 points each)
You must write three papers for three of your negotiation exercise experiences. In
each paper, address the following:
1. What were your tactics and strategies for the negotiation? How did your tactics and
strategies help you and how did they hurt you? (4 points)
2. What were the other party’s apparent tactics and strategies for the negotiation? How
did these tactics and strategies help them and how did they hurt them? (4 points)
3. What did you learn from this exercise in particular? How will you apply this lesson
in future negotiations, both in class exercises and in your own real negotiations?
(2 points)
You must write three reflection papers. Each reflection paper cannot exceed five pages.
For each reflection paper, you must deliver multiple copies: I get one copy, and the other
copies go to the other party or parties with whom you negotiated the exercise discussed
in the paper. You are responsible for delivering the other copies to the other parties. The
first reflection paper will analyze the “Employee Exit Interview” negotiation, and it is
due on 4-28. The second reflection paper will analyze the “SeaTech” negotiation, and it
is due on 5-7. Finally, the third reflection paper will analyze the “Alpha-Beta”
negotiation, and it is due on 5-19. Each paper is due at the beginning of class.
Note that your grade for a reflection paper is not a function of your performance as a
negotiator. Rather, it is a function of how well you reflect upon and analyze your and
the other party's performances. That is, while grading, I look for insightful criticism—
both complimentary and critical evaluation of both you and the other party. What
tactics worked well? What tactics worked poorly? Say what you really think, and if
you can’t think of more than two pages worth of criticism, then you have not thought
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hard enough. Also, be sure to base most of your analysis on course concepts, including
the concepts introduced in the most recent debriefing and recently assigned textbook
chapters.
In writing a reflection paper, one common error students make is to spend several pages
describing the negotiation, listing every offer and counteroffer in unbroken sequence.
Such pure description leads to little insight and is therefore bad. A combination of
description and critique produces the most insight. Description must be included, but
only to illustrate or prove insightful points. That is, I want analysis more than
storytelling. And deep analysis will require use of negotiation concepts from class and
from the text.
Another common error is to summarize information straight out of the role-playing
information documents. This is unnecessary and wastes space because everyone gets to
read the other side’s role information after the negotiation ends and before writing the
reflection paper. So, be sure to tell your audience (i.e., your partner and me) something
at least one of us does not know, something beyond what we learn from reading the role
information.
E. Skill Assessment Paper (20 points)
Before beginning this paper, reread your Baseline Paper. In this Skill Assessment paper,
you will compare and contrast your current, evolving negotiation approach with your preMgmt
415 approach. The purpose is to analyze how your negotiation skills and knowledge
have improved. So, address each of the following three items:
1. New Insights: What are the three most important lessons you learned about
negotiations? For each lesson, which exercise drove home the lesson? Briefly
describe what happened in the exercise that made the point. (8 points)
2. New Behavior: Of course, not all new insights lead to behavioral changes, just as, for
example, knowing that smoking harms one's health is not sufficient for one to quit
smoking. So, it is not redundant to ask, how has your negotiation behavior actually
changed so far? To answer this question, discuss both: a) what behaviors have stayed the
same; and, b) what behaviors have changed between the first and last exercise of the
course. Finally, why is your new approach an improvement? (8 points)
3. Weakness: What is still your single, biggest weakness in negotiations? Why do you
have this weakness? What specific and active steps will you take to correct it in the
future? (4 points)
This paper cannot exceed seven pages in length. This paper is due May 21st, at
the beginning of class.
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F. Extra Credit (2 points)
You may earn extra credit for contributing to "Movie Day" on May 19th. To contribute,
find a short (2-8 minutes) video clip from a movie or TV program, and then lead a 5-10
minute discussion on it in class. If the clip includes potentially offensive content (e.g.,
foul language), before I let you present it you must justify to me why the value of the clip
exceeds the potential offense it may cause. If you choose this option, notify me by no
later than May 12th, describing the clip, the lessons, how much time it requires, and if
there is potentially offensive content. If too many students want to present a clip (i.e., the
sum of the various clips plus discussion exceeds 110 minutes), then I will choose who
presents. I will make my choice based on a first-come-first-served basis of acceptable
clips.
Note that it is likely you will lose the opportunity to present if you wait until the last
minute and look for clips in the same place as everyone else — i.e., the first couple
pages of hits on a YouTube search on the word “negotiation” — because it is probable
that another student has already claimed that clip. Therefore, I recommend strongly
you search for clips early and elsewhere. You may use YouTube as the vehicle by
which you play the clip in class, however, I recommend you do not use YouTube’s
search functions to find the clip. If too few students want to present clips, then I will
show a hostage negotiation video and discuss it, or find another guest speaker.
WRITING STYLE REQUIREMENTS
(Specific to Mgmt 415)
Your written work will be graded explicitly or implicitly, by the following seven criteria.
1. Instructions. Follow them.
2. Format.
• Put your NAME, not Student ID number, on your assignments.
• Print on only one side of a sheet of paper, identify each page with a page
number, and use staples - not binders - to attach pages to each other.
• Use one-inch margins, 12-point font, and double-spacing. Note that an attempt
to make a long assignment fit within the page limits by reducing margins,
fonts, or spacing is unacceptable. Also, an attempt to make a short
assignment appear longer by increasing margins, fonts, or spacing is
unacceptable
• Use headings to separate answers to numbered questions; sub-headings are
helpful too; however; do not include the questions to be answered for
reflection papers (I already know what they are).
• Concise and logical paragraphs are required. Large blocks of
rambling text are discouraged and will negatively impact the
grade.
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3. Apparent Effort. As with most classes, trying counts for something. I favor papers
that demonstrate high effort, and I disfavor those papers where the authors merely went
through the motions the night before. Effort becomes apparent when you use the
assignments as an opportunity to learn class concepts, practice writing skills, and wrestle
with personal circumstances. Apparent effort also means keeping within the page limit,
rather than exceeding it.
4. Clarity. In clearly written assignments: each point is understood without having to
read it twice; the order in which points occur is predictable and flows smoothly; writing
is very concise; and the reader is not distracted by errors of grammar, syntax,
punctuation, or spelling.
5. Insight. In insightful writing, the intelligence behind an analysis is apparent. What
makes it apparent are the following items:
a. Depth: The insights penetrate beyond the obvious, surface issues to the
underlying assumptions and causes. Thus, avoid superficial comments and
strive to make some of your insights original.
b. Breadth: Your analyses should be broad as well as deep — i.e., not only
make deep insights, but make many insights. How many is enough? For each
numbered item in an assignment description, a maximum point value is
specified. Items worth more points should contain more insights. Thus, items
worth more points should produce longer answers than items worth fewer
points.
c. Rationale: It is not enough for your insights to be correct; you must provide
convincing support for them. Support that convinces is copious, logical, and
backed up with evidence. Spell out your logic: how do you get from A to B?
Be specific about examples and conclusions.
d. Examples. Provide examples that illustrate your points. Describe what
happened and the insights you gained from the experience.
6. Application of Class Concepts and Principles. The major purpose of these
assignments is for you to practice using class concepts and principles to diagnose
problems and invent solutions. Thus, you must show that you can use class
concepts and principles. Using class concepts and principles means generating
insights; it does not mean merely matching jargon with the right examples. In
short, make sure that you use class concepts, principles, and jargon correctly and
often, and you must produce insight from their use. The only exception is for
the Baseline Paper, which is to use no class concepts because it is designed to
capture your pre-Mgmt 415 beliefs.
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7. Audience. Consider who your audience is: it’s me. Think about what I
know, don’t know, and what I want you to demonstrate. This will help you
select content, jargon and supporting evidence. Also, in your Reflection Papers,
you have a second audience – your partner(s) for that exercise. Include insights
that will help them become better negotiators. Finally, remember that I (and your
partners) have read everything assigned to you, and therefore summarizing
readings is not necessary, although short quotations and citations may help when
provided in moderation.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in
this course. Any student found in violation of the academic integrity policy will receive a
grade of zero on the assignment in question. A second offense, or an egregious first
offense, will result in a grade of “F” for the course.
http://www.latech.edu/documents/honor-code.pdf
Students shall be guilty of violating the honor code if they:
1. Represent the work of others as their own.
2. Use or obtain unauthorized assistance in any academic work.
3. Give unauthorized assistance to other students.
4. Modify, without instructor approval, an examination, paper, record or report for the
purpose of obtaining additional credit.
If you are unclear whether a particular action may violate the honor code, then consult
me before acting.
Academic Dishonesty Specific to Mgmt 415 That’s Not Obvious
In Mgmt 415, four more actions are explicitly defined as cheating, and are thus forbidden:
1. Reading anyone else’s confidential role information, or confidential
preparation information, for an exercise before or during the negotiation of that
exercise.
2. Consulting past students of MGMT 415 about an exercise you have not yet
negotiated or even yet discussed in class.
3. Consulting the notes of any other instructor at any college anywhere (e.g., through
an internet search) about an exercise you have not yet negotiated or even yet discussed
in class.
4. Making up facts in your papers about your history or experiences.
Late Papers
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Any paper that is late will have points deducted from it. The deduction will be equal to
10% of the total possible points allowed for that assignment for each business day that it
is late. Any exception to this rule must be discussed with me prior to the due date. Note
that late preparation for an exercise is not acceptable and thus will receive no points if
entered into ExpertNegotiator after the exercise has begun.
Important Information:
1. Qualified students needing testing or classroom accommodations based on a
disability are encouraged to make their requests to me at the beginning of the
quarter either during office hours or by appointment. Note: Prior to receiving
disability accommodations, verification of eligibility from the Testing and
Disability Services Office is needed. Disability information is confidential.
Information for Testing and Disability Services may be obtained in Wyly Tower
318 or www.latech.edu/ods
2. Emergency Notification System (ENS): All Louisiana Tech students are strongly
encouraged to enroll and update their contact information in the Emergency
Notification System. It takes just a few seconds to ensure you’re able to receive
important text and voice alerts in the event of a campus emergency. For more
information on the Emergency Notification System, please visit
http://www.latech.edu/administration/ens.shtml.
3. Course information is available on Moodle.latech.edu In case of an emergency,
class will be continued via Moodle.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
(*subject to change at discretion of instructor)
Date
3-12
Topic
Class Introduction
3-17
Introduction to Expert
Negotiator software
3-19
“Pasta Wars”
Basics of Cooperation and
Competition
3-24
“Eazy’s Garage”
Exercise
Negotiation Basics
Debrief EG
“John vs. Jerry Entrepreneur” Lecture
Exercise
Distributive Bargaining
Debrief JJE
“Beauti-Rest vs. Sleepwell” Lecture
Exercise
3-26
3-31
Activity
Lecture
Discuss case
Demo of EP
Exercise
Reading
Syllabus
Debrief PW
Lecture
Ch 1
Role Information
(in class)
10
Item Due
Role Information Baseline Paper Due
(in class)
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
Ch 2
Exp.Neg. Plan
Role Information
4-2
Simple Integrative Bargaining Debrief BRS
“Bestbooks/Paige Turner”
Lecture
Exercise
Role information Exp.Neg. Plan
Ch 3
4-7
Strategy & Planning
Ch 4
4-9
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
4-16
“Western Power Co. VS. Gray Exercise
Material Technologies”
“College Town Apartments” Debrief
Emotion and Escalation
WPGMT
Exercise &
Debrief CTA
Guest Speaker
4-21
“Employee Exit Interview”
Exercise
Debrief EEI
Lecture
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
4-23
“Buena Vista Condo”
Exercise
Debrief BVC
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
Ch 6 & 8
4-28
“SeaTech”
Exercise
Lecture
Role Information Reflection Paper #1
Ch 7
Exp.Neg. Plan
4-30
Multi-party Negotiation, TBD Debrief ST
Exercise
Lecture
“Towers Market”
Debrief MPN
Exercise
Lecture
Multiple Parties
Debrief TM
"Alpha-Beta"
Exercise
Cross-Cultural Context
Debrief AB
Lecture
4-14
5-5
5-7
5-12
5-14
5-19
5-21
5-26
Video day
Course Summary
Guest Speaker
Planning for
Negotiation
consultations
with groups,
individual
presentations
Lecture
Videos
Lecture
11
“Planning for
Negotiations
Worksheet” & Field
Analysis prepared
before & brought to
class
Ch 5
Exp.Neg. Plan
Role Information
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
Ch 10
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
Reflection Paper #2
Role Information Exp.Neg. Plan
Ch. 11
Reputation Index
Ch. 12
Reflection Paper #3
Skill Assessment
Paper Due