OB 6332: Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

Instructor: Dr. Laurie Ziegler

Office: 4.210
Phone: 972-883-2847
Email: WebCT internal email
Office Hours: M 5:00-6:00; W 3:15-4:15; and by appointment. I am flexible.

Instructional Assistant: Cliff Landers

Office: 2.501
Email: WebCT internal email
Office Hours: MW 3:00-6:00; R 2:00-6:00

Course Information

Required Materials:
1. The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, 3rd ed., Thompson, Prentice Hall.
2. Influence: Science and Practice, 4th ed., Cialdini, Allyn and Bacon.
3. Additional readings as assigned.
4. Case information and user’s fee
5. Scantrons Form 882-E
6. Name placard/tag

Course Communication:
Email communication, calendar changes, group and general discussions will take
Place using the WebCT platform. You may also wish to use the Chat forum to discuss
your strategies for the assigned team negotiations and team term paper/presentation.
Access information is provided at the end of the syllabus.

Course Objectives:
1. To develop an understanding of concepts, research, and theories in the study of
negotiations in a variety of contexts. In this way, students will have a sound
framework to draw on when analyzing negotiation situations.
2. To introduce the student to primary research on influence and the application of
associated theories to conflict resolution and negotiation. Emphasis is placed on
the application of this information to the business environment.
3. To provide case studies, role-plays, and exercises that help students incorporate
contemporary knowledge of negotiation into their thinking and behavior.
4. To create an awareness of the relationships that diversity and ethics have in
organizations and on social science concepts.
5. To help foster improved competency in several critical management skills and to
augment the technical and diagnostic skills students obtain through their MBA
studies.
6. To help students develop confidence in the negotiation process and to prepare
students to transfer this knowledge to real world settings.
 Course Format

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. Through your graduate studies you are developing a broad spectrum
of analytical skills needed to diagnose organizational situations and to reach optimal
solutions. The development of negotiation and other dispute resolution skills will help
you analyze issues from a variety of perspectives and secure acceptance of the
solutions you reach. This course is conducted as a graduate level seminar and
depends primarily on each student’s individual contribution. It is experientially based
and draws heavily on simulations, role-plays, case studies, and class discussions. This
is not a lecture course. Sound principles derived from the studies of influence, conflict
resolution and negotiation provide the theoretical underpinnings of the course.

Course Requirements

Attendance

Experiential negotiations are crucial to the achievement of the stated course objectives.
You are expected to come to class prepared and to fully participate in the negotiation
exercises and discussions. The attendance policy is commensurate with these
expectations. You may miss one class without penalty provided you notify the instructor
via WebCT email at least 24 hours prior to the class session (exceptions will be made
for the notification requirement in cases of documented emergencies). Every additional
class missed will result in a loss of five points from your overall course average.

Participation (10%)

Discussions Discussion contributions are assessed based on the quality of your

contributions to the negotiation exercises, simulations, and discussions. Your
comments will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
a. reflective and critical thinking that contributes to the flow of the
discussion but does not dominate the discussion
b. insightful and creative ideas based on the topics and theories
discussed in class
c. integration of relevant personal experiences and current events
d. builds on comments of others
e. goes beyond the “I feel” concept and provides some evidence or logic for
your comments.
f. Does not “reiterate/recap” your negotiations

You may also earn participation points by sharing a media event, your own experience,
etc. with the class. Discussions should center around content information.
Unless otherwise specified, you will not be graded on the outcome of the simulation
exercises. You are strongly encouraged to be creative in the development and
implementation of your negotiation and dispute resolution strategies and to learn from
the strategies used by others and the mistakes that occur along the way.

Personal Statement Submit a one page personal statement for the edification of your
classmates and me. Information you provide might include: who you are, what you do,
what industry you are in, what your hobbies are, and what you want to get from this
course. You could attach a picture of yourself (with family, friends, pets, alone, etc.) if
you like. Submit this through the discussion board – personal statement forum.

Quizzes (50%)

The quizzes are based on the assigned readings. The purpose of the quizzes is to
make sure that you come to class having read and understood the material. This
course is based on classroom discussion and simulations. To adequately participate,
you must stay current with the course assignments. If you are not in class, you will
receive a zero for the quiz. I will drop each person’s lowest quiz score.

Team Term Paper (28%)

You have a number of options for your term paper and may submit an assignment of
your choice subject to my approval. Here are some ideas:

a. Research and analyze a negotiation as reported in the media –

e.g. a labor-management dispute, international negotiations,
Iraq/North Korea nuclear weapons, major business deals, etc.
There are an unlimited number of topics to be taken from history, politics,
labor relations, business, and international affairs.

b. Research and analyze a negotiator. You may choose someone

on the international or national level or choose someone you are
personally familiar with. Actual interviews with car dealers,
real estate salespeople, insurance adjustors, etc. often provide
interesting experiences. You may choose to analyze more than
one negotiator within a particular area.

c. Prepare a paper that summarizes a stream of research in one of

the many areas of negotiation or influence. You should draw
on the materials we use in the course and supplement them with
research-oriented textbooks and journals.

d. Analyze a movie using course-relevant concepts. Provide a brief

description of the movie (< 1 page) and put after your cover page.
The papers should be approximately 10 pages in length, double-spaced containing
standard fonts and margins. Provide a cover page with your team and individual
names, table of contents, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference list. Grades will
be based on the quality of the writing, integration of course materials, creativity, and
originality. You should supplement the required readings (conflict and negotiation
concepts) with materials you have a acquired independently from class with particular
emphasis placed on academically-oriented sources. The papers must be well
organized, cite outside sources in the body of the paper, and document all sources used
in a reference list using MLA format. Please obtain a copy of MLA if you do not have
one. If you have difficulty writing, please make an appointment with the Learning
Resource Center located in the Library. Your grade will be substantially reduced if you
have grammatical, syntax, or spelling errors.

Presentation (12%)

Each team will give a 20 minute presentation over their term paper topic. The
presentation may be supplemented using audio/visual formats. If you use PowerPoint
slides in your presentation, please post them to the discussion board under the
“Presentation” forum at least 24 hours prior to your presentation. After all presentations
are given, students will vote on the presentation they believe is the best. This
presentation will receive an automatic “A”. You may not vote for your own presentation.

Peer Evaluations

For each team assignment (paper and presentation), students need to complete a peer
evaluation via a word document available on the WebCt assignment link. Students
allocate 100% among all team members to reflect the level of contribution made to the
assignment. For example, in a four person team, if everyone’s contribution is
substantially equal, then each member receives 25%. If you believe that a team
member did not adequately contribute, provide a reason for the reduced evaluation. In
the event a team member fails to contribute adequately to the team project, his/her
grade will be lowered from the team grade. Individual grades will also be lowered by
two points for each 24 hour period they are late so please provide these on time. Peer
evaluations are kept strictly confidential. I will provide general feedback to any poor
performing members.

Scholastic Dishonesty, Sexual Harassment, and Honor Code

Students are expected to be above reproach in all scholastic activities. Students who
engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the
possibility of failure in the course and dismissal from the university. You may also be
asked to verify your identification during examinations and class projects. Although I
believe in the inherent honesty of people, experience dictates that policies on cheating
must be strictly enforced. I strongly encourage you to let me know if you suspect that
cheating is taking place. Scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, the course, and
the integrity of the university. You may obtain information about your rights and
obligations regarding scholastic dishonesty at:
www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html. Students are expected to treat one
another with respect and dignity at all times. You may obtain a copy of your rights and
obligations regarding sexual harassment at:
www.utdallas.edu/utdgeneral/business/hr/sexual_harassment.htm.

You may not share confidential information with the other parties. However, you may
reveal what you like during the negotiation process as long as you do not fabricate
information that substantially changes the power distribution of the exercise or read
verbatim from your confidential information. You may use any strategy except physical
violence to reach agreement. This includes the misrepresentation of information or, as
known in the media, spin. You may not borrow notes, discuss exercises and cases, or,
in any other manner, obtain information related to this course from previous or current
students. All of your work must be original. Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated.
 Course Schedule
Readings, in addition to the texts, may be assigned on an ad hoc basis.

Session 1 (1/11)
Topic: Course Overview, Syllabus, Expectations, Icebreaker

Session 2 (1/18)
Topic: The Nature of Conflict
Self-Assessment: Conflict Styles; Personal Bargaining Inventory

Session 3 (1/25)
Topic: Dispute Resolution Techniques: Influence & Reciprocation
Text: Chapters 1 & 2 Cialdini (C)
Quiz 1

Session 4 (2/1)
Topic: Negotiation Overview: Preparation Skills
Text: Chapters 1 & 2 Thompson (T)
Quiz 2

Session 5 (2/8)
Topic: Preparation Skills continued
Text: Chapter 2
Quiz 3

Session 6 (2/15)
Topic: Distributive Bargaining
Text: Chapter 3 (T)
Quiz 4

Session 7 (2/22)
Topic: Distributive Bargaining continued
Text: Chapter 3 (T)
Quiz 5

Session 8 (3/1)
Topic: Creativity and Problem Solving
Text: Chapter 8 Thompson
Quiz 6

Spring Break (3/7-3/13)

Session 9 (3/15)
Topic: Win-Win Negotiation: Expanding the Pie
Text: Chapter 4 (T)
Quiz 7
Session 10 (3/22)
Topic: Win-Win Negotiation continued; Commitment and Consistency
Text: Chapter 4 (T) Chapter 3 (C)
Quiz 8

Session 11 (3/29)
Topic: Win-Win Negotiation continued
Text: Chapter 4 (T);
Quiz 9

Session 12 (4/5)
Topic: Social Proof (Truth)
Text: Chapter 4 (C)
Quiz 10
Team Presentations
Team Term Paper Due
Peer Evaluation Due by 11:59 pm CST

Session 13 (4/12)
Topics: Establishing Trust and Building a Relationship
Text: Chapter 7 (T)
Quiz 11
Team Presentations

Session 14 (4/19)
Team Presentations

* The schedule may be modified based on the dynamics of the course. Any schedule
changes will be noted on the WebCT calendar.
 Instructions on How to Access Your Course on WebCT
UTD School of Management On-Campus Courses

1. Get your login id and password

(known as a NetID/Unix ID and password and as your WebCT username and
password)

To get your NetID and establish your password go to:

https://netid.utdallas.edu/warp/servlet/WARP
Please notice there is a letter "s" after http

2. Go to the WebCT login page and login with your UTD NetID and password:

http://webct.utdallas.edu

3. What to do if you have a problem accessing your course (that is, your username
and password don’t work)

Email assist@utdallas.edu
or
call 972-883-2911 (UTD Technical Support Help Desk)

4. There is a generic WebCT Student orientation (PowerPoint web presentation)

located at:

http://som.utdallas.edu/training/gettingstarted.htm

5. To report Technical Problems within WebCT

Examples: can’t see discussion messages, online quiz not working correctly,
how to check your grades (click on Grade icon), etc. EMAIL:
gmbasupport@utdallas.edu
(This is the School of Management WebCT email support account)

Reminders:

• DON’T EMAIL YOUR INSTRUCTOR IF YOU HAVE LOGIN PROBLEMS (email

assist@utdallas.edu)

• DON’T EMAIL YOUR INSTRUCTOR IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS ONCE YOU

ARE INSIDE WEBCT (email gmbasupport@utdallas.edu)

• Thank you for your attention to the above details and for your cooperation in
emailing your WebCT problems to the above email addresses.