Course Syllabus

Course Information
Course Number/Section HMGT 6324
Course Title Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
Term Spring 2007
Days & Times Wed. 4:00 – 6:45

Professor Contact Information

Professor Laurie Ziegler, PhD
Office Phone 972-883-2847
Email Address WebCT email
Office Location SM 4.210
Office Hours Wed. 12:00 – 3:00 and by appointment
TA David Muir

Course Description
Negotiation is the science and art of reaching agreements between interdependent
parties who seek to maximize their outcomes. Negotiations occur to either create
something new that neither party could create alone or to resolve an issue or dispute
between parties. The development of negotiation and other dispute management skills
will help you analyze issues from a variety of perspectives and secure acceptance of the
solutions you reach. This course is conducted using a seminar format and depends
primarily on each student’s individual contribution. It is experientially based and draws
heavily on simulations and class discussions. This is not a lecture course. Sound
principles derived from the studies of conflict management, negotiation and influence
provide the theoretical underpinnings of the course. Emphasis is placed on the
application of this material to the health care context.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Students will be able to assess a conflict situation and develop an implementation plan.

Students will break down negotiation situations into their constituent parts and choose
the most effective method of solving them.

Students will analyze their personal bargaining styles and learn how to interpret and
apply them.

Students will understand and be able to apply influence techniques.

Required Textbooks and Materials

negotiation 5th ed., Lewicki, Saunders, & Barry, McGraw-Hill Irwin, ISBN: 0-07-297307-2

Renegotiating Health Care: Resolving Conflict To Build Collaboration, Marcus et.al.,

Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 0-7879-5021-1

Influence: Science and Practice, 4th ed., Robert Cialdini, ISBN: 0-321-01147-3

Course Syllabus Page 1

 Course Requirements

Participation 35 pts. = 23.33%

Two journal submissions (pass/fail) 15 pts. = 10%
1st due 2/21
2nd due 3/28
Midterm Exam (2/28) 50 pts. = 33.33%
Final Paper: Live negotiation (4/18) 50 pts. = 33.33%
Final Exam (4/25) 50 pts. = 33.33%
Total 150 pts. = 100%

Component Criteria

PARTICIPATION

I expect each of you to participate in all the exercises and class discussions. Evaluation
of participation will be based on the following:

1. Quality of preparation for the exercises, including familiarity with the

reading material.
2. Quality of performance on the exercises (process not outcome).
3. Quality of participation in the feedback and discussion sessions.

Your participation in the simulations, the debriefing process, and other class discussions
is essential to your learning as an individual and to the learning of your class as a whole.
You will inevitably learn as much from what your colleagues say (and from your own
attempts to wrestle with and articulate ideas) as from the readings and lectures.

Participation grades are based on the quality of your ideas not the quantity. If you miss
a session, however, you will lose 7 points off your participation grade unless you have
notified me in advance, obtained a substitute for any negotiation (or arranged a
makeup), and provided evidence of a legitimate emergency. Poor attendance or
unsatisfactory participation can seriously impact your final grade. Any lack of
attendance or poor participation will also do more damage to your learning in this course
than in almost any other. It is expected that you will adhere to an honor code such that
you will respect the integrity of your classmates. It is my intention that you learn from
and apply your experiences but do not exploit the experiences of others in any way. To
put it simply, “the personal experiences that happen in the class stay in the class.”

Subcomponents

1. Attendance – 10 points
2. Instructor evaluation of preparation and contributions to class discussion
– 10 points
3. Observer evaluations of preparation, strategy and tactics – 10 points
4. Reputation Index – 5 points

Course Syllabus Page 2

1. Attendance: Students are expected to participate in all negotiation exercises.
Because negotiations are central to the course, there is a rigid attendance policy. This
policy is to ensure that students who come to class prepared to negotiate will never find
themselves without a negotiating partner. The policy is:

· You may miss two classes without penalty if you provide me with advance written
notice via WebCT email 24 hours before the class and make arrangements for a
substitute. Provide the reason for your absence in the notification. For most
negotiation exercises there will be a subset of individuals assigned to the role of
observers and you may ask one of these individuals to take over your role. It is
your responsibility to provide this individual with the necessary information and
materials and to inform me of who your replacement will be. If in conjunction with
any miss, you do not ensure that there is a substitute, you will lose 7 points from
your participation grade.

· If you miss a third class, you will lose 7 points from your participation grade and 7
points for each subsequent miss.

· An alternative procedure to providing a substitute is to reschedule the negotiation

outside of the class period if you partner(s) is (are) willing and able to do so. This
alternative requires that you notify me via WebCT email to confirm the
arrangement in writing. The outside negotiation should occur before the
debriefing of the exercise and, when required, turning in the results of your
negotiation. A rescheduled negotiation does not count as a missed class.

· At some point during the semester you may be assigned to be an observer.

There are aspects and dynamics of negotiations that are difficult to recognize
when you are involved in the negotiating process. Therefore, it is a useful
exercise to observe and learn from the strategies, tactics and interactions of
others. Observers are expected to provide feedback from their observations in
the debriefing session. You may also be video-taped to aid in the learning
process.

2. Instructor evaluation: Participation includes full preparation for negotiation role-

plays and exercises. Preparation includes doing all assigned readings and having
complete familiarity with the role assigned to you. You should have planned a strategy
before class. At times you will need to meet with your negotiation partner or group to
plan a strategy outside of class. Observed lack of preparation for an exercise will be
treated as an absence for that exercise, as will late arrivals that delay negotiations.

Students should take the role plays seriously. You are encouraged to be creative, to try
new strategies, and to learn from your mistakes. You will not be graded on the
outcomes of your negotiations; rather, you will be evaluated on how well prepared you
are and on your use of appropriate strategies and tactics. Roles and scenarios assigned
to you are confidential and should not be shared or discussed with anyone until after the
simulation. It is unethical either to share or to seek information about another role in
advance of participating in a simulation. If you have questions about the roles or
instructions please ask me. Participation in discussions is a very important part of the
learning process. After each negotiation exercise a debriefing session will include
sharing information about results, sharing information about negotiation strategies

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attempted and sharing reactions to the process. All students are expected to contribute
to these discussions (including observers). The quality rather than the quantity of your
input is key to the discussions. For example, if you disagree with a point of view made
by a fellow classmate or me, speak up. Always make your critiques specific.

3. Observer Evaluations: The best person to assess how prepared you are for the
negotiation is an observer. You will be observed several times during the course of the
semester. You will also observe others during the semester. Your grade will be
determined by your classmates’ assessments of you and the quality of your
assessments of others.

4. Reputation Index: Your reputation as a fair, effective, and trustworthy negotiator is

an important asset in real-world settings. Reputations have a habit of spreading within
and among organizations and your future relationships depend on how others perceive
you through your past behavior. By the end of the semester, you will have negotiated
with a number of your classmates, received feedback from some, and heard about the
performance of others. Based on these experiences, you will be asked to evaluate the
reputation of your classmates as negotiators and givers of feedback. The index, which
is a proxy for the long-term effects of reputation on one’s options in negotiation,
recognizes those individuals who develop a reputation as trustworthy and effective
negotiators, and who, through their feedback, contribute to the value of your experience
in the course. In rating others, you will use the following scale:

0 = not at all fair, effective, trustworthy to 10 = very fair, effective and trustworthy.
Ratings of your classmates (with N/A when you feel that you do not have enough
information to make a judgment) are due on the last regularly scheduled class
day. Provide justification for the ratings.

JOURNAL

Each student is expected to maintain a journal describing his/her role experiences and
reflecting on the learning experiences as a negotiator. Keeping a journal encourages
reflection on and analysis of the learning by experience simulations we conduct in class.
Your comments also give me a sense of your individual progress, as well as some
insight into your strengths and weaknesses as a negotiator. Describe your reactions,
perceptions, impressions and significant insights gained from participation in or reflection
on the simulations. Examples of some of the types of points I encourage you to address
include:

a. what you expected in the situation

b. how you prepared for the negotiation
c. how others and you behaved
d. what you learned about your skills, and
e. what you would do differently the next time around

Your journal is a confidential communication between you and me. As such, I expect
that you will be specific in identifying other people by name and their behavior in
describing your reactions to the exercises and simulations. I will collect journals twice
during the semester. Each journal entry must include discussions of at least two of the
preceding exercises and/or simulations. Your analyses should be reflective and outline
the main learning points of the exercises/simulations. Each journal should not exceed 6

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type-written and stapled pages. Do not reiterate every detail. Instead, apply your own
insights and what you have learned through the lectures and readings. Each journal
should begin by stating the role you played, if applicable. After a brief summary of the
exercise, address the following:

1. Analysis: How did you prepare? What strategies did you use? Why did or didn’t a
strategy work well. What did you overlook? What was the consequence? What, if
anything, surprised you about your behavior? How might you improve in the future?
What did you learn about yourself? About others?

2. Outcome: What was the outcome? What would have improved the outcome?

3. What theories, concepts, or principles from the readings or class discussions are
useful in understanding the dynamics of the exercise? Give citations to the readings
when appropriate.

Grades are evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis; yet, it is possible to fail by not following the
instructions. That is, I expect to see an indication of how well you reflected upon and
analyzed your performance. I will consider:

· Understanding: Demonstrating that you know the material by drawing on the

relevant concepts and lessons from the readings and lectures. These should be
cited in the text of your paper.
· Criticality: When examining others’ behaviors, be critical. This means not only
determining how a behavior was effective or ineffective and why, but also
realizing the inherent tradeoffs of actions taken. Every choice is based on
assumptions (which may be right or wrong) and has future implications. What
were they?
· Takeaways: Identifying basic points or ideas drawn from the exercises and
simulations that you will be able to generalize to other situations.

LIVE NEGOTIATION FOR FINAL PAPER

During the semester, you must actually go out and conduct a live negotiation. The
substance of this negotiation may be anything of value (e.g. a major purchase,
something related to your job or employment search, relations with supervisors, peers,
or coworkers, etc.)

The following rules apply for the live negotiation (check with me if you are unsure about
the negotiation you have chosen):

a. You must negotiate for something nontrivial (i.e., you should care how the
negotiation turns out).
b. The opponent(s) may not be another student in this class, the instructor, or a
family member.
c. The opponent(s) must not be aware either before or during the negotiation that it
will be used to satisfy course requirements.
d. You must articulate (privately, in writing) a strategy beforehand.
e. If at all possible, you should try to interview your opponent(s) and/or observer(s)
about the negotiation after it is over.

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You will submit a final paper on the live negotiation. The paper must be no longer than
10 double-spaced, typed pages. Your paper should describe your reactions,
perceptions, impressions, and significant insights gained from participation in and
reflection on the negotiation. You may talk about yourself or the behavior of other
people. I encourage you to address the following points:

· What was your goal? What happened in the negotiation (a brief overview of key
events)
· What did you learn about yourself from the experience?
· What did you learn about the behavior of others?
· How does this experience compare to others that you have had in similar or
comparable circumstances?
· What did you learn about bargaining or conflict from this situation?
· How do the concepts in the lectures and readings enrich your understanding of
the process of the negotiation and its outcomes?
· What would you do the same and what would you do differently in the future?
How would you like to behave in order to perform more effectively in such
situations?

You are encouraged to engage in a thoughtful, grammatically correct analysis.

Incorporate the use of theory and research from the readings, lectures, and
supplemental materials (i.e., conduct additional research using academic sources).
Although there are many creative formats for papers, a good paper usually includes the
following elements:

· an introduction
· a statement of the goal, the planning and preparation that took place
· an objective description of the actual events that occurred
· an analysis of those events
· a discussion of what could or should have been done differently, and why
· integration of readings, lectures and research appropriately cited using MLA
format
· a statement of “lessons learned” for the future
· a summary self-evaluation of your own negotiation style, strengths, and
weaknesses
· a reference list in MLA format

EXAMS

There are two exams for this course. The midterm exam covers the material from the
beginning of the semester until 2/28. The final exam covers the material from 2/29 –
4/25.

LATE POLICY

Any assignment that is late will have points deducted. Journals and the paper will be
penalized 25% for each day late. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on
the days specified. No assignment will be accepted after one week late.

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 Schedule of Readings

1/10 Syllabus

1/17 Weapons of Influence, Reciprocity, Commitment, and Social Proof Cialdini

1-4

1/24 Conflict Marcus 1-3

1/31 The Nature of Negotiation; Strategy and Planning Lewicki 1, 4

2/7 Strategies and Tactics of Distributive (Positional) Bargaining Lewicki 2;

Marcus 11

2/14 Strategies and Tactics of Integrative (Interest-Based) Negotiation Lewicki 3;

Marcus 4

2/21 Perception, Cognition and Emotion; Framing and Reframing Lewicki 5;

Marcus 5, 6

2/28 Liking; Authority; Scarcity Cialdini 5-7 (Midterm)

3/7 Spring Break

3/14 Health Care Practices Marcus 7-10

3/21 Communication Lewicki 6

3/28 Negotiation Power and Ethics Lewicki 7, 9

4/4 Relationships in Negotiations, Individual Differences Lewicki 10, 14, 15

4/11 Managing Negotiation Impasses and Mismatches Lewicki 17, 18

4/18 Whole Image Negotiation Marcus 13, 14

4/25 Final Exam

Additional UTD Information

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and

Course Syllabus Page 7

 in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

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 In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

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 The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address given below.
Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.
(http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm)

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

This syllabus is based on Professor Rob Folger’s work adhering to the UTD guidelines.

Course Syllabus Page 10