MGMT 4500: Principles of Negotiation and Conflict Management
Tuesday 4:45 – 7:20pm (Section 001), Dwire Hall 331
Professor Kathleen A. Tomlin, Ph.D.
Email: ktomlin@uccs.edu
Office: Dwire Hall 341
Phone: (719) 255-5191
Office hours: Tuesday 2:00 – 4:00pm and by appointment
General information
Website:
bb.uccs.edu
Required Materials:
Fisher, Ury, & Patton, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (Penguin, 1991;
ISBN-13: 9780140157352)
Lewicki, Barry, & Saunders, Essentials of Negotiation – 5th edition (McGraw Hill, 2010; ISBN-13:
9780073530369)
Stone, Patton, & Heen, Difficult Conversations (Penguin, 1999; ISBN-13: 9780140288520)
**A handful of additional readings (some required, some optional) will be provided on the
course Blackboard website. These readings are listed at the end of the syllabus. I have also
noted in the syllabus the weeks to which these readings are especially relevant.
Disability Accommodation:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it
is your responsibility to register with Disability Services and provide them with documentation
of your disability. They will work with you to determine what accommodations are appropriate
for your situation. To avoid any delay, you should contact Disability Services as soon as possible.
Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and disability accommodations cannot be
provided until a Faculty Accommodation Letter has been given to me. Please contact Disability
Services for more information at Main Hall room 105, 719-255-3354 or dservice@uccs.edu.
Courtesy and Respect:
In this course we aim develop a culture of civility and courtesy. Treat your instructor and your
class members with respect. This means listening carefully, silencing your phone, closing
laptops, and not talking to your neighbor while your instructor or other students are speaking.
A respectful class fosters a supportive and safe learning environment and creates a climate that
encourages effective personal development – a core objective of this course.
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Academic Honesty:
Students are expected to operate in an ethical and professional manner for all discussions,
assignments, and exams. Students are expected to understand and follow all university
guidelines and policies regarding academic conduct. Please familiarize yourself with the
University’s Student Academic Ethics Code
(http://catalog.uccs.edu/content.php?catoid=11&navoid=603#Acad_Honor_Code).
Prof. Tomlin has a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism or cheating. If academic misconduct is
discovered, you will be required to meet with Prof. Tomlin to discuss the infraction.
Plagiarism/cheating of any magnitude will result in failure of the assignment or the course.
The faculty strive to cultivate a strong sense of personal and professional ethics in our students.
The College of Business is a member of the Daniel’s Fund Ethics Initiative and we apply their
eight principles to our courses:
1) Integrity: Act with honesty in all situations
2) Trust: Build trust in all stakeholder relationships
3) Accountability: Accept responsibility for all decisions
4) Transparency: Maintain open and truthful communications
5) Fairness: Engage in fair competition and create equitable and just relationships
6) Respect: Honor the rights, freedoms, views, and property of others
7) Rule of Law: Comply with the spirit and intent of laws and regulations
8) Viability: Create long-term value for all relevant stakeholders
Course description:
While some people may only think of negotiation as the formal exchange of offers in a business
setting, negotiation is truly a pervasive part of daily life. Interpersonal decisions and conflicts are
constantly testing our abilities as effective negotiators. Examples range from low stakes disputes
about when to schedule a meeting to high stakes challenges about strategic decisions or hiring,
and from casual debates between colleagues to formal boardroom agreements. Effective
negotiators are able to get the most out of a deal because they assess, balance, and then
maximize the instrumental and relational value of a deal. It is the aim of this course to equip you
with relevant theory and practical skills. Nearly everyone could stand to improve their
negotiation skills and, fortunately, nearly everyone can. This course aims to help students
improve their skills in two fundamental ways.
One is knowledge oriented: students learn frameworks and concepts for analyzing conflict.
Students acquire terms and models for identifying the type of conflict that exists in a situation
and the potential costs and benefits of different strategies and tactics. Based on this, students
should will interpret situations, plan tactics, and recognize and react to their partner’s behavior.
A second and complementary route to improving as a negotiator is practice-oriented: students
complement their analytical tools with behavioral skills. Negotiation and conflict ultimately
come down to behaviors—how a manager opens a potentially volatile conversation, how a
mediator uncovers information, how a negotiator frames an offer or a concession. Practicing
these behaviors, and understanding how other parties perceive and react to them, is essential
to improving as a negotiator. The course provides continuing opportunities for hands-on
practice and also provides feedback, discussion, and occasions for reflection.
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Through role-play exercises, lecture, reading, and discussion, the course begins with basic
dynamics in negotiation and adds complexity in stages, including multiple issues, multiple
parties, mediation, agents, and coalitions. Some exercises involve numerical analyses, others
revolve around qualitative conflicts. By the end of the course, students should be able to
comfortably and confidently approach most any conflict or negotiation: analyzing its nature,
understanding their own objectives, and plotting an approach that will give them the best shot
at achieving their goals.
Course format:
This will be a highly interactive course. The design of this course is based on a basic assumption
that understanding and appreciation of negotiations are best achieved via hands-on experiences
in combination with lecture, discussion, reading, and reflection on the underlying concepts.
There will be one or more role-play exercises in nearly every class period. These exercises have
been selected to help illustrate points in readings and lectures and to motivate further reflection
and reading. These exercises will put you in new, and potentially uncomfortable, situations, but
within the relatively safe environment of the classroom. In these exercises, you are urged to try
out new and creative behaviors and tactics that have suggested themselves to you from your
own reading and reflection.
Grading:
As upper-level college students, you are expected to complete all assignments on time. Late
assignments will not be accepted, except in the case of extreme circumstances (in which case,
you should arrange to meet with Prof. Tomlin during office hours to discuss the situation). Final
course grades may be curved up or down, depending on the overall performance of the class.
>> Attendance & Participation
25%
You are expected to attend ALL sessions. Absences are never excused. Prof. Tomlin will pass
around an attendance sheet at the beginning of class – it is your responsibility to ensure that
your attendance is marked for each week. If you miss a class, obtain notes and assignments
from one of your classmates (do not contact Prof. Tomlin to ask what you missed).
Notified absences or lateness will result in a lower grade. The following system will be used to
deduct points from your final course grade based on the number of absences.
First absence
-1 points (1%)
Second absence
-1.5 points (1.5%)
Third absence
-2.5points (2.5%)
For example, if you are absent twice, a total of 2.5 points (2.5%) will be deducted.
If you cannot attend class, email the instructor (ktomlin@uccs.edu) the day before class.
Because sessions involve role plays in which partners are assigned in advance, unexpected
absences have negative consequences for others. Accordingly, unexcused absences, absences
without notification, or lateness will result in a lower grade (double the penalties outlined above
for notified absences).
IMPORTANT: If you miss four or more class sessions for any reason, you may fail the course,
regardless of grades on assignments and exams. This is effectively missing one third of the class
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activities/experiences and does not merit receiving credit for the course. You are responsible for
keeping track of the number of your absences, as Prof. Tomlin does not tally up attendance until
the end of the semester.
Participation includes:
 Active, substantive involvement in simulations (see Role Play Guidelines below)
 Completion of materials (such as preparation documents and post-negotiation surveys)
 Discussion and comments in class (quality is more important than quantity)
The view from the front of the room is excellent – inappropriate behaviors or violations of
classroom expectations are easily observed. Prof. Tomlin reserves the right to reduce the grade
of any student who exhibits negative classroom behavior.
>> Assignments
30%
The course features a number of exercises which are part of the regular coursework (i.e., not
optional).. All exercises/analyses will be explained in detail as the course proceeds.
 Online exercises & assessments
 Conflict cycle exercise
 Video analysis
 Negotiation coaching exercise
 Email negotiation and analysis
 Reading reflection
>> Real World Negotiation Paper
15%
Analyze a real world negotiation or conflict. The topic can be an explicit transaction or deal, or a
qualitative dispute or conflict. One approach is a “real time” analysis of an event that happens
during the course, such as negotiating with an employer, bargaining with a contractor, or a
personal dispute. You may cover planning (including assumptions/expectations), describe the
conflict as it unfolds, or debrief the conflict (e.g., Were assumptions wrong? What were the
consequences? How might the conflict have gone differently?). Another approach is a
thoughtful analysis of a past conflict or deal, including discussion of the background, the
interpersonal dynamics, and the consequences of the exchange. An effective analysis will
feature observations about what went well/poorly and how things might have gone differently.
Creative approaches are encouraged. The overarching objective are to think carefully about a
real world conflict or negotiation and apply the concepts and tools featured in the course. While
the details of the case are important to note and consider, another goal is to coax larger and
more enduring lessons (e.g., good practices) that may be applied elsewhere in the future.
Individual papers typically range from 5 to 7 double-spaced pages.
>> Exams
20%
Two exams will be held during class-time. Each exam will be approximately one-hour in duration
and will cover the content from cases, lecture content, and readings. While the exams won’t be
cumulative in a traditional sense, the course content builds across time, so you will are expected
to be able to apply concepts and tools from the beginning of the course in all exams.
>> Final Case Report
10%
This assignment is in lieu of a final exam. Details will be provided in the second-to-last week of
class.
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Comments about negotiation performance and research:
Because I want to encourage experimentation, I do not grade based on your negotiation
outcomes. Yet I do carefully record the outcomes and, for some exercises, your answers to
questions in the exercise materials. Sometimes I will present the overall patterns in this data to
demonstrate points about negotiation principles. This data is also used in a continual process of
refining exercises and developing new ones. Just as prior students have contributed to your
learning experience by contributing this data, you will be contributing to future classes by
answering questions about your outcome and tactics in the course of the exercises.
Identifying information is removed from the datasets after the term ends, so the records
become anonymous. At times in the past, faculty have drawn on these “anonymized” datasets
reflecting years of classes for statistical analyses related to research hypotheses concerning
negotiation dynamics. If you oppose this, please tell the professor and your record will be
deleted after the class is complete.
Role-play guidelines:
Having an active and constructive learning environment is essential to this courses’ effectiveness.
Everyone plays a part in this. Ground rules for our role-play exercises are:
1. You are expected to be prepared and on time for all negotiation exercises.
2. You should not show your confidential role materials to other parties during a negotiation, nor
should you directly read them aloud. At your discretion, you can choose to speak about your
interests to the other side. Once the negotiation is complete, you should still keep your
instructions private. We will debrief our cases collectively.
3. Feel free to “ad lib” in these exercises to provide rationales and explanations for your
character’s preferences – say things that you think your character would say. That said, you
should adopt and stick to your character’s payoff tables as they are provided. You should not
make up facts that materially change the power distribution of the exercise.
4. It is tempting sometimes to promise certain resources from one’s organization to “sweeten the
deal” for you counterpart. Do not do so, unless the role information suggests that these
resources exist.
5. The exercises are an opportunity to experiment. Unusual tactics (or at least ones that are
different for you) add variety and benefit the group discussion. However, steer clear of anything
that verges on physical intimidation, sexual harassment, or personal abuse.
Classroom and discussion guidelines:
1. Laptop use is not permitted during class, except when specifically directed by the instructor.
While this may inconvenience those who prefer to take notes directly on their computer, this
policy is beneficial for the overall experience of the class. The acoustics and sightlines in our
classroom are excellent. This means that you are always audible and visible, so please minimize
activities that may be distracting to others in class. Whispered asides to neighbors are usually
audible to most of the room, although you may not realize it at the time.
2. Do not read ahead beyond that required for the next set of sessions! Sometimes the solution to
an exercise or a case is given away by readings slated for later in the course.
3. It is not appropriate to borrow notes, discuss cases or exercises, or share class materials with
people outside of this section. Doing so, you could inadvertently spoil your classes or another
class’s experience with a case or exercise. Contact the instructor if you are missing class
materials.
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Part 1: Two-Person Negotiations
Session #1
August 25, 2015
Introduction
DUE BEFORE CLASS: BB online
surveys
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiation Ch 1 “The Nature of negotiation”
Getting to Yes Ch 6
Session #2
September 1, 2015
Distributive
bargaining
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiation Ch 2 “Strategy/tactics of distributive bargaining”
Getting to Yes Ch 8
September 8, 2015
Session #3
September 15, 2015
NO CLASS – LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Integrative
bargaining, part 1
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiations Ch 3 “Strategy/tactics of integrative negotiation”
Getting to Yes Ch 1-4
“Know your objectives” (Benoliel & Cashdan)
Session #4
September 22, 2015
Integrative
bargaining, part 2
Completed email negotiation
DUE BEFORE CLASS: Park Bar
Excel file
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiation Ch 4 “Negotiation: Strategy and planning”
“Constructive conflict” (Follett)
Session #5
September 29, 2015
Exam #1
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Part 2: Conflict and Communication Dynamics
Session #6
October 6, 2015
Conflict dynamics &
Gender
Due: Email negotiation analysis
(annotated word file)
Readings:
Difficult Conversations Ch 1-4
“Why you need to ask” (Babcock & Laschever)
Session #7
October 13, 2015
Communication
Readings:
Difficult Conversations Ch 5-6
Session #8
October 20, 2015
Trust
Due: Video Analysis
Readings:
“How to choose effectively” and “How to promote cooperation” (from Axelrod’s The
Evolution of Cooperation)
Session #9
October 27, 2015
Culture
Due: Conflict cycle exercise
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiation Ch 11 “International/cross-cultural negotiation”
“Your bargaining style” (Shell Ch 1)
Session #10
November 3, 2015
Exam #2
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Part 3: Beyond Dyads
Session #11
November 10, 2015
Mediation
Due: Draft plan for real
world paper
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiation Ch 8 “Ethics in negotiation”
Difficult Conversations Ch 7-12
“Managing Conflict” (Watkins Ch 7)
Session #12
November 17, 2015
Agents
Due: Reading reflection
Readings:
“Bargaining with the devil…” (Shell Ch 11)
“Confronting lies and deception” (Malhotra & Bazerman Ch 9)
Session #13
November 24, 2015
WEEK OFF
Session #14
December 1, 2015
Coalitions
Readings:
“Enhancing your negotiating power” (Benoliel & Cashdan)
“Multiple parties, coalitions, and teams” (Thompson Ch 9)
“Building coalitions” (Watkins Ch 6)
“Get all the parties right” (Lax & Sebanius)
Session #15
December 8, 2015
Wrap Up
Due: Coaching exercise
Due: Real world
negotiation paper
Readings:
Essentials of Negotiation Ch 12 “Best practices in negotiations”
Getting to Yes “In Conclusion”
“A primer on personal development” (Ames, Mason, & Carney)
Session #16
December 15, 2015
Final Case Report due
on Blackboard (in lieu of
final exam)
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Summary of assignments
More details on these assignments will be offered at course meetings or through emails.
Assignment
Format
Due
Date
Initial online survey
Through link on
Blackboard
Session #1
August 25, 2015
Park Bar Excel file
BB dropbox
Session #4
September 22, 2015
Email negotiation analysis
BB dropbox
Session #6
October 6, 2015
Video analysis
BB dropbox
Session #8
October 20, 2015
Conflict cycle exercise
Hardcopy to class
Session #9
October 27, 2015
Draft plan for real world
negotiation paper
BB dropbox
Session #11
November 10, 2015
Reading reflection
BB dropbox
Session #12
November 17, 2015
Coaching exercise
BB dropbox
Session #13
November 24, 2015
Final paper
BB dropbox &
hardcopy to class
Session #15
December 8, 2015
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Additional readings
PDFs of these readings will be posted on the Blackboard course website.
Author(s)
Reading
Benoliel, Michael &
Cashdan, Linda
“Know your objectives” (Chp 2 from The Upper Hand)
Follett, Mary
Parker
“Constructive conflict”
Shell, G. Richard
“The first foundation: Your bargaining style” (Chp 1 from Bargaining for
Advantage)
Babcock, Linda &
Laschever, Sara
“Why you need to ask for it” (Chp 1 from Ask For It)
Axelrod, Robert
“How to choose effectively” and “How to promote cooperation” (Chps 6
and 7 from The Evolution of Cooperation)
Watkins, Michael
“Managing conflict” (Chp 7 from Breakthrough Business Negotiation)
Shell, G. Richard
“Bargaining with the devil without losing your soul” (Chp 11 from
Bargaining for Advantage)
Malhotra, Deepak
& Bazerman, Max
“Confronting lies and deception” (Chp 9 from Negotiation Genius)
Benoliel, Michael &
Cashdan, Linda
“Enhancing your negotiating power” (Chp 7 from The Upper Hand)
Thompson, Leigh
“Multiple parties, coalitions, and teams” (Chp 9 from The Mind and Heart
of the Negotiator)
Watkins, Michael
“Building coalitions” (Chp 6 from Breakthrough Business Negotiation)
Lax, David &
Sebenius, James
“Get all the parties right” (Chp 4 from 3D Negotiation)
Ames, Daniel,
Mason, Malia, &
Carney, Dana
“A primer on personal development” (Columbia CaseWorks article)
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