MANAGEMT 7046 - Negotiation Skills

North Terrace Campus - Trimester 3 - 2017

The purpose of this course is threefold. The first is to explore the major concepts and theories of negotiation, as well as the dynamics of interpersonal and intergroup conflict and its resolution. This will involve studying the structural (eg parties, positions, interests) and process (cognitive, interactional) dynamics that are required for a sound critical understanding. The second objective is to develop practical skills applicable to a broad range of contexts. This involves direct training in identifying crucial elements of negotiation situations and implementing appropriate resolution strategies. The third objective is to develop teamwork skills by working within and through group exercises.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MANAGEMT 7046
    Course Negotiation Skills
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    Term Trimester 3
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Restrictions Available to Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master of Business Administration students only - other students must first meet with program director for enrolment approval
    Course Description The purpose of this course is threefold. The first is to explore the major concepts and theories of negotiation, as well as the dynamics of interpersonal and intergroup conflict and its resolution. This will involve studying the structural (eg parties, positions, interests) and process (cognitive, interactional) dynamics that are required for a sound critical understanding. The second objective is to develop practical skills applicable to a broad range of contexts. This involves direct training in identifying crucial elements of negotiation situations and implementing appropriate resolution strategies. The third objective is to develop teamwork skills by working within and through group exercises.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mr David Pender

    Lecturer's Biography


    My name is David Pender, I am a management practitioner and an adjunt senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide Business School. I have had a very wide range of business experience over the past 35 years or so.

    I prefer to be called "David".

    I spent 13 years practising on my own account as a Chartered Accountant. Until 2006, I held senior management positions in distribution management and general management within the financial services industry (12 years). Since then, I have practised as principal of Knowledge Perspectives, a counsulting collaborative that applies the principles of knowledge and intellectual capital managemnet in a variety of fields: for instance, change and orgaisational development, performance improvement, M&A, marketing and sales in knowledge intensive industries and strategic direction and mapping. Clients cover both private and public sectors in Australia, Asia and North America. Complex negotiation issues are also addressed (eg community engagement).

    I hold a degree in Economics and a MBA from the University of Adelaide and I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

    Apart from this course, I also teach courses in Negotiation and Fundamentals of Leadership int he Business School's MBA program in Adelaide and Singapore. I teach extensively in the University's Executive Education program.
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    By the end of this course students will be able to:

    1. Apply complex theory and practice of negotiation in particular and conflict resolution in general;
    2. Identify the personal challenges we all have in dealing with negotiation and conflict resolution;
    3. Explore how to positively interact with others;
    4. Apply negotiation as a system and the important role of subsidiary actors.      .
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2 & 4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1 & 4
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    2 & 3
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    2, 3 & 4
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1, 2 & 3
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1 - 4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Text Books
    Lewicki RJ, Saunders DM and Barry B (2010), Negotiation: Readings Exercises and Cases, 6th ed, McGraw Hill Irwin, New York
    Recommended Resources
    Students may wish to read more widely in specific subject areas, something that the UABS wholeheartedly encourages. There are many general texts on negotiation skills that students may find useful. Perhaps of greatest assistance though are readings from leading academic journals, current business journals and the better newspapers. Relevant journals include:

    • Asia-Pacific HRM,
    • Australian Journal of Public Administration,
    • Business Ethics Quarterly

    • California Management Review,
    • Harvard Business Review (USA),
    • Human Resource Management (USA),
    • Human Resource Management Journal (UK),
    • International Journal of Human Resource Management (UK),
    • Journal of Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management
    • Journal of Business Ethics
    • Journal of Conflict Resolution
    • The Negotiation Journal

    Full texts of a great many of the articles that appear in these journals can be accessed via the University of
    Adelaide’s library databases

    There are numerous references at the conclusion of each reading which will supplement your learning of particular topics. I will point out additional articles on various topics for those who are inspired to delve more deeply during the course.
    Online Learning
    Important messages, topic notes, copies of slides and other course materials will be posted on myUni throughout the course. myUni can be found at www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au.
    The myUni site for this course also has several on-line, self study modules (under a separate heading in “Course Materials”). Broadly, these modules fall into two categories:
    1. Material designed to improve preparation for class
    2. Technical topics: this material will not be directly covered in class, but will be assumed knowledge and discussed.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course takes an experiential approach making extensive use of simulations, role plays, exercises and cases. Students will have ample opportunity to apply the negotiation concepts covered in a safe environment, leading to improved negotiation and conflict resolution skills in the workplace.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The course is delivered over 3 two day sessions. You can expect to spend about the same amount of time preparing for each class. Assignments and exam preparation will demand additional concentrated periods of non-classroom study, on your own or with your allocated
    student group. As a rough indication, you could expect to spend in the order of 120 hours of study time to complete the course, of which 36 hours would be in class.
    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Weighting Learning Outcome
    Simulation 1
    One-on-one negotiation with brief write up
    10%
    Simulation 2
    One-on-one negotiation with comprehensive write up
    25%
    Group Assignment
    Development of negotiation scenario 
    In class presentation
    30%
    Case study or reflective assignment* 25%
    Participation in class activities including class blog. 10%
    * note these are due after the last class

    To gain a pass for this course, a student must achieve at least 50% overall with a minimum of 45% for the weighted average of all individual components. Students not achieving this requirement will have a fail (F) recorded as their final grade.

    For specific information about assignments and due dates please check your Course Folder.
    Assessment Detail

    No information currently available.

    Submission
    Written assignments (apart from Simulation 1 which uses a template) should be a single document in MS Word format and lodged by email to david.pender@adelaide.edu.au.

    Make sure you include your name(s) in a header or footer on each page of your assignment.

    Presentation of Assignments
    • Please must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
    • Please attach an ‘Assignment Cover Sheet’, which is signed and dated by you before submission.
    • All group assignments must be attached to a ‘Group Assignment Cover Sheet’, which must be signed and dated by all group members before submission. All team members are expected to contribute approximately equally to a group assignment.

    Lecturers can refuse to accept assignments, which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the
    University’s policy on plagiarism.

    Assignment Guidelines including Referencing Details
    A copy of the Postgraduate Programs: Communication Skills Guide will have been given to you at the beginning of your program. This guide will assist you structure your assignments. A copy of the guide can also be downloaded from http://www.business.adelaide.edu.au/current/mba/download/2009MBACommSkillsGuide.pdf

    This publication also provides guidelines on a range of other important communication skills including writing essays and management reports, making oral presentations etc.
    In preparing any written piece of assessment for your postgraduate studies it is important to draw on the relevant ‘literature’ to support critical analysis. Also essential is to reference the literature used. Correct referencing is important because it identifies the source of the ideas and arguments that you present, and sometimes the source of the actual words you use, and helps to avoid the problem of plagiarism. (Further information on plagiarism is provided later in this course outline.) The Harvard system is widely used in the Business School. Guidelines for the use of this style of referencing can be found in the Communication Skills Guide.

    Further assistance with referencing is available from the Faculty’s Learning Support Advisors. The contact details are provided on page 6 of the Communication Skills Guide.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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