Spring 2015, 16679, Tuesday & Thursday, 2-3:50 pm
Professor: Michael W. Coombs, Ph.D.
Office: BRI 303
Office Phone: 213 740-9290
Office Hours: Available most mornings through evenings. Send an email to request a mutually beneficial time.
E-mail:
Course Description
This course in negotiation discusses theories, strategies, and ethics underlying negotiation and persuasion in contemporary organizations and societies. Particular emphasis is given to the knowledge and skills needed for effective negotiation and persuasion in a variety of business and non-business settings. The readings, lectures and case studies have been chosen for their relevance to the situations you are likely to face as a consumer and as a manager.
Learning Objectives
Every negotiation involves persuasion. As you will read, persuasion occurs when at least one person attempts to influence the thinking and/or actions of one or more others. Persuasion enters into most interpersonal and work related interactions. Our focus will be on persuasion as it occurs in the context of negotiation. Negotiation is the process by which two or more interdependent parties attempt to secure agreement.
The primary objective of this course is to broaden your understanding of how these two interrelated processes operate within and between organizations. Additional objectives include:
· Develop a greater understanding of the factors that facilitate and those that hinder effective negotiation and persuasion.
· Improve analytical abilities in understanding the needs, concerns, motivations, and desires of other negotiators.
· Develop strategic thinking skills in selecting behaviors that increase the likelihood of satisfactory negotiation both within and across cultures.
· Increase confidence in our ability to persuade and negotiate.
· Provide experience in negotiation through classroom and outside assignments.
· Prepare a strategic negotiation plan in advance of the negotiation.
· Evaluate performance by self and others and provide insightful, helpful comments which spur actions for further development and improved performance.
Course Notes
The class will include lectures, class discussions, class negotiation activities, quizzes and negotiation assignments outside of class. Be prepared to stay a few minutes after class to arrange meetings with other students for outside-of-class assignments. Negotiation session make-ups are not recommended. They are more staged than the original exercises and are difficult to arrange with all the other participants. They will only be arranged for serious medical or emergency situations.
The course is built around a series of negotiation exercises and debriefings. All exercises require some preparation in advance. Students are expected to be fully prepared for exercises prior to class and to participate in the debriefings. While some class time will be provided when group preparation is required, students will also need to meet outside of class.
Grading Policies
1. Participation and Contribution (10% of your grade)
Your participation and contribution score will be managed as a “Bank Account.” Positive behaviors will increase your account. Negative behaviors will decrease your account. Your preparation involves completing the assigned readings and preparing the negotiation exercise for that day. Because I try to observe as many negotiations as possible on any given day, it is often quite obvious when a student is not prepared. This harms your negotiation partner’s experience as well as your own, and will be noted by me, and taken into account in the final assignment of preparation scores. When negotiating, you must follow all the instructions that are provided for your role. However, you do have freedom to be creative in how you interpret this information and the kinds of strategies you employ, provided that they do not contradict any of the explicit instructions or fundamentally alter the negotiation’s structure.
Participation in class discussion involves active participation that contributes to the class. Merely showing up and having read the assigned readings does not get you any credit. Attendance is required, and is therefore not rewarded. Active participation means that you speak up in class. Whether this is accomplished by answering questions, making observations, commenting on other students’ comments or challenging the instructor’s views does not matter. The second requirement is that what you say actually contributes – merely repeating comments made by other students or telling the class that you agree with what someone else said does not count. Your comments should move the discussion forward. If you are shy, prefer to sit quietly in the back, or just do not feel comfortable speaking in front of your classmates, my suggestion is that you see this class as a challenge to improve those skills. No such excuses will be accepted when the day is done and the grades are assigned.
Note: This course has a strict attendance policy. You must provide prior notice to the instructor if you have to miss a negotiation. If you do not provide such notice, your negotiating partner for the day is left hanging and many people can end up being inconvenienced. If you miss a negotiation without prior notice to the instructor, you will be penalized in the final grading of the course. Even if you do provide prior notice, but miss multiple classes, you may also be penalized.
This syllabus contains the dates for all negotiation exercises. The ELC schedule will not be changed. If you need to miss an exercise, please refer to the latest version of the posted role assignments for that case, contact your assigned partner(s) to see if alternative arrangements can be made for negotiating the case [i.e., either with those partner(s) or with other classmates who have been assigned the requisite role(s) and who would be willing to switch with your assigned partner(s)] and inform me via e-mail regarding the outcome of these efforts. You must notify me of your absence from class, and any arrangements you have made with regard to this absence, at least 24 hours before the start of class so I can make the necessary classroom adjustments. Please note that I will not match up students for the purposes of establishing a make-up exercise. Such arrangements will be your responsibility.
If you have read to this point it should be obvious that this course requires your active participation. If your chosen field of study were music you would have some classes which present theory and other classes which develop your performance skills. This negotiation class contains both theory and performance. We are scheduled for 12 exercises through the semester which provide an opportunity to develop your skills in applying concepts presented in class and in the readings.
I reserve the ability to evaluate your contributions. Inappropriate behavior in class for any reason such as: checking email, eating, entering and exiting during class, late arrivals, early departures, and other distractive behaviors may result in receiving no credit for that class session. Only sitting in the class is also insufficient contribution.
In order to assure that your class participation grade is objective and fair, we will keep track of your contributions during class. It isn’t necessary that you talk all the time or that we call on you in order for you to be noticed. It is important to make quality contributions in class -- ones that facilitate learning and help reach class goals.
Thus, your active involvement in preparation and participation is required in this course. This will be reflected in your overall course grade. This semester the registration system permits students to choose to enroll for classes for 1) a letter grade, 2) Pass/No Pass) or 3) as an Audit. Putting forth less than optimum performance is of little value in developing your negotiation skills and affects the experience of your fellow classmates. Therefore, registration in this course on a Pass/No Pass or Audit basis is strongly discouraged. The same standard of performance will be expected of you in all course activities as students seeking a letter grade. Students registered on an Audit basis will be allowed to attend classes but not participate in class activities.
2. Skill-Based Modules (10% of your grade).
Skill-based deliverables provide an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of key concepts within the course. These will be used to evaluate your progress on specific occasions during the course. Some will be conducted during class, others may be prepared outside of class. They may be announced or not announced.
3. Team Cultural project and presentations (10% of your grade).
Analyze and report on cultural elements of a specific country. Use consulting format for the powerpoint report and make a brief (15 minutes) group presentation to the class describing cultural aspects of negotiating and business in another country / culture of the world. You are invited to share your own experiences with the class. More details will be given later.
4. Strategic Plans and Self-Evaluations of Negotiations (30% of your grade).
Strategic plans will be prepared in advance of each negotiation and submitted in the typed format which is provided. Following Negotiations 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 a word-processed self-evaluation of approximately three pages will be submitted describing your perceptions of your negotiation skills and those of your partner(s) and areas for improvement for both. There will be two sources of input for each of these reports: (1) classmates will provide you with comments based on their observations and, (2) you will watch the video recording of your negotiation on your own and make note of areas for your own improvement (Your evaluation report should be thorough and focused on information learned in course lectures and readings. These evaluations are a critical part of the learning in this course. Thus, your improvement in this course is not totally dependent upon the instructor but requires your own participation, awareness and evaluation. You should receive feedback from classmates as well.
The write-up for Negotiation 12 gives you an opportunity to integrate your experience overall during the course. You will be addressing the questions: “What have I learned about (1) myself, (2) about negotiation and (3) what will I do to improve my negotiation skills?” Comments regarding the functioning of your team throughout the course will also be evaluated. Specific details will be provided later.
Assignments must be submitted in hard copy at the beginning of class at the due date / time specified. Any assignment turned in late, even if only by a few minutes, will receive a grade deduction (for example, if your work is a B+ grade, you will be given a C+ grade). If your printer breaks down on the due date, you must email a copy to me by the due date/time.
5. Mid-Term Examination (20% of your grade)
This examination will include both multiple choice and short answer (essay) questions on information and materials used in the course.
6. Final Examination (20% of your grade).
This examination will include both multiple choice and short answer (essay) questions on information and materials used in the course.
Final course grades represent how you perform in the class relative to other students. Your grade will not be based on a mandated target, but on your performance. Historically, the average grade for this class is about a 3.3 gpa (B+). Three items are considered when assigning final grades:
1. Your average weighted score as a percentage of the available points for all assignments (the points you received divided by the number of points possible).
2. The overall percentage score within the class.
3. Your ranking among all students in the class.
USC Marshall Critical Thinking Initiative:
The USC Marshall Critical Thinking Initiative is a school-wide effort to improve your critical thinking skills in order to be more successful problem solvers in class and in the workplace. This means that you will engage in a variety of learning activities in your courses which are aimed at developing and applying your critical thinking skills in a disciplined manner so that you can outperform others to get your desired job and to further excel in your career. Your ability to think critically is an important part of the evaluation/grading process in this course. The centerpiece of Marshall’s critical thinking knowledge is a website that contains instructional materials and videos. During the course of the semester, the instructor may direct you to these instructional resources prior to various class discussions and exercises.
MARSHALL GUIDELINES
Add / Drop Process
If you are absent six or more times prior to Week 12, I may ask you to withdraw from the class by that date. These policies maintain the professionalism and ensure a system that is fair to all students.
Retention of Graded Coursework
The Marshall School of Business policy for returning papers is as follows: “Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student may be discarded after 4 weeks and, hence, will not be available should a grade appeal be pursued by the student following receipt of his/her course grade.”
Technology Policy
Laptop and internet usage is not permitted during academic or professional sessions unless otherwise stated by the respective professor and/or staff. Use of other personal communication devices, such as cell phones, is considered unprofessional and is not permitted during academic or professional sessions. ANY e-devices (cell phones, PDAs, i-phones, Blackberries, or other texting devices, laptops, i-pods) must be completely turned off during class time unless given permission. Upon request, you must comply and put your device on the table in off mode and FACE DOWN. You might also be asked to deposit your devices in a designated area in the classroom. Videotaping faculty lectures is not permitted, due to copyright infringement regulations. Audio-taping may be permitted only if approved by the professor. Use of any recorded material is reserved exclusively for USC Marshall students registered in this class. Be here, Now!
Students With Disabilities
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) at the beginning of each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible—at least three weeks before the date the accommodations will be needed. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. For more information visit www.usc.edu/disability.