Negotiation Skills

Curriculum guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course code
BLAW 3780
Descriptive
Negotiation Skills
Department
Business Law
Faculty
Commerce & Business Administration
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
35
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Contact hours

Lecture: 3 hours/week

and

Seminar: 1 hour/week

Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course description
Students will learn a variety of negotiation techniques that may be applied in multiple business settings. Students will gain hands-on experience through role-plays and simulations, while developing an understanding and appreciation for pre-negotiation strategies and benchmarks.
Course content

1. Introduction to Business Negotiations

a. Practical application of negotiation skills:

i) assessment tool for compatibility;

ii) negotiating offers and contract terms; and

iii) dispute resolution.

b. Dispute resolution alternatives to negotiations:

i) arbitration;

ii) litigation; and

iii) mediation.

 2. Negotiation Essentials

a. Differentiating between procedural, substantive, and emotional interests;

b. Preparation before the negotiation:

i) conflicts screening;

ii) preparation, logistics, agreement to negotiate; and

iii) BATNA and reservation point.

3. Advanced Negotiation Skills

a. Negotiation techniques, interest based:

i) micro skills;

ii) establishing common ground;

iii) communication: questioning, paraphrasing, and summarizing; and

iv) how to find a win/win solution.

b. Negotiation techniques, distributive v. integrative:

i) competitive;

ii) collaborative; and

iii) adaptive.

c. Establishing trust and building a relationship;

d. Power, gender and ethics;

e. Problem solving in negotiations; and

f. Working with emotional counterparts:

i) tactical empathy;

ii) rational compassion; and

iii) verbal self-defense.

4. Applications and Specific Scenarios

a. Multi-party, coalitions, and teams;

b. Cross-cultural negotiations;

c. Social dilemmas; and

d. Negotiating via information technology.

5. Post Negotiation Skills

a. Evaluating a negotiation:

i) reality check the outcome;

ii) resolution of the identified issues; and

iii) getting agreement in writing.  

Learning outcomes

1. Demonstrate primary negotiation skills.

2. Distinguish among ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) options and explain the appropriate use of each method.

3. Develop a BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement) and estimate your reservation point in preparation for negotiation.

4. Apply tools for negotiation preparation including self-assessment and assessment of the other party.

5. Identify obstacles and remedies to integrative negotiations.

6. Demonstrate how to deal with distributive bargaining in negotiations.

7. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of trust and relationships in negotiations.

8. Recognize and apply sources of power in negotiations.

9. Practice ethical negotiations and recognize unethical practices.

10. Explain the complexity of multi-party negotiations, and apply strategies for effective negotiations in the multi-party context.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy.

Case(s) and/or Assignment(s) 30 - 50%*
Oral Presentation(s) 15 - 20%
Test(s) and/or Quizzes 20 - 30%
Final Examination or Capstone Project  20 - 30%
Participation 0 - 5%
Total:  100%

NOTES:

  1. *No one assessment may be worth more than 40%.
  2. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.
  3. Students may conduct research as part of their course work in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.
Textbook materials

The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, Latest Edition by Leigh Thompson (Pearson) or

Essentials of Negotiation, Latest Edition, by Roy Lewicki, Kevin Tasa, Bruce Barry and David Saunders (McGraw-Hill)

Optional Supplemental Texts:

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss (HarperCollins)

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion by Paul Bloom (HarperCollins)

The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense by Suzette Haden Elgin (Dorset Press)

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury (Penguin Books)

 

Or any other textbook and/or materials approved by the department.

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None