Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Negotiation is an important part of everyday management, and effective negotiation skills are indispensable for successful managers operating in a globalised and complex business environment.

This unit provides students with the conceptual framework to analyse the business negotiation process. Negotiation simulations will enable students to develop negotiation competence through experience. The exploration of negotiation practices in different contexts better prepares students for negotiation in the increasingly globalised business environment.

Negotiation Skills and Strategies has been included in the at the later part of the program to ensure that students have a broad base business knowledge and experience on which to draw upon when engaging in negotiations. The unit is scheduled as part of their specialisation studies in Entrepreneurship and Innovation or Leadership and Strategy as negotiation skills learned in this unit provide a foundation for the later specialisations units and capstone projects.

Aims

The mission of the MBA and associated programs is to provide world class, graduate business education and stimulating real world learning opportunities to develop current and future business leaders and managers to confidently lead in complex environments.

The aim of this unit is to provide students with a rich learning experience that will enable them to develop and practice their business negotiation skills.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AoL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools.

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

Unit Objectives

Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Critique the theoretical framework that underpins the business negotiation process. CTA 2.1 (MBA 4)

2. Analyse a situation to determine the most appropriate negotiation strategies to implement that results in maximum benefit for all parties. KS 1.1 (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4)

3. Discuss the challenges of business negotiation including cross-cultural negotiations. KS 1.1 (MBA 1), PC 3.1 (MBA 3)

4. Conduct negotiations with improved confidence and effectiveness. KS 1.1 (MBA 1, MBA 8), PC 3.1 (MBA 3)

5. Reflect on negotiation performance and outcomes to effectively predict and plan future interventions/changes to communication and negotiation strategies. CTA 2.1 (MBA 4)

The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

- Negotiation fundamentals
- Distributive negotiation
- Integrative negotiation
- Multiparty negotiation
- Cross-cultural negotiation

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Three hour face-to-face class sessions are supplemented by a textbook and a range of online materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions. Online materials are available in the unit Blackboard site. Given the importance of the unit Blackboard site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer or tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the lectures and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and all assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers in an informal environment. These sessions also provide students with an opportunity to hone important generic skills that are in high demand in the business.
It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Blackboard site prior to coming to class to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.
There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences related to this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.
Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and international perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Assessment

Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.

Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.

Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the unit Blackboard site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Critical Essay on an aspect of negotiation
Students will produce a critical essay on some aspect of negotiation pertaining to one of the topics listed below:
- Critically analyse your own usual negotiation style with reference to negotiation theory.
- How do emotions impact on negotiation strategies and outcomes?
- How does a negotiator recognise and capitalize on opportunities to create value?
- What is the role of power in negotiation? What strategies are effective in managing a power imbalance in a negotiation? ; or
- A negotiation topic of your own choosing (please seek prior approval from the lecturer for your topic)
Length/Duration: 1500 words
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2 and 3 and AOL goals: KS 1.1, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Practical Demonstration
Description: Real-Life Negotiation
Students will develop written negotiation role play instructions about a real life negotiation. Students will then use their negotiation role play instructions to brief two of their class mates about this real life negotiation. They will then have the opportunity to observe their peers undertaking a simulation of their real life negotiation. Following this, the student will undertake the negotiation in real life and then prepare a 2000 word written report using negotiation theory to critique their performance in the real life negotiation.
Length/Duration: 30 - 45 minute negotiation role play followed by 2000 word written report
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Due Dates: Week 2 - Negotiation (in class), Week 7 - Written Report
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 2, 3, 4 and 5 and AOL goals: KS 1.1, CTA 2.1, PC 3.1
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescibed Text:

- Thompson, L. L. (2012) The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, 5th edn (International Edition), New Jersey: Pearson Education.

The publisher also has an eBook version of this textbook available through their Vital Source platform. This platform is currently available for IOS and Android devices, Mac and PCs. Before purchasing this book as an eBook, please be aware that this publisher only allows a 12 month license for this textbook in eBook format.

Other Resources:

GSN551 Blackboard site

- Lewicki, R. J., Barry, B., Saunders, D. M., & Minton, J. W. (2003). Negotiation (4th ed.). Sydney: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
- Fisher, R. & Ury, W. (1991). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in (2nd ed.). New York: Penguin.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 01-Mar-2013