HDDR 6302

NEGOTIATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

 

John R. Lowry, J.D.

Assistant Dean for Executive Education and

Assistant Professor of Management

Lipscomb University

College of Business

 

One University Park Drive

Nashville, TN 37204

Office Phone (615) 966-5951

Mobile Phone (616) 516-2003

john.lowry@lipscomb.edu

 

Greeting from Dr. Lowry

 

Welcome to the Negotiation and Dispute Resolution course at SMU’s Center for Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management. I look forward to our time together as we examine the negotiation process and learn strategies for managing it more effectively. This course will be highly interactive in nature and will give you the foundational skills needed to become a healer a conflict. Please take note of the reading assignment to be completed in advance of our first class meeting. The Negotiation and Settlement Advocacy text was written for law students, but the insights on the negotiation process presented therein can easily be applied to other contexts.

 

As an SMU alum, I am confident you will find your learning experience in this program to be useful, valuable and enjoyable. Thank you in advance for your commitment to enhancing your professional skills through this course. I look forward to seeing you November 6th.

 

Dr. John Lowry  

 

Goals

 

1.                  Increase understanding of the dynamics of negotiation and dispute resolution;

 

2.                  Learn how to develop and employ and strategy for each negotiation;

 

3.                  Enhance ability to manage and control the negotiation and dispute resolution process;

 

4.                  Increase proficiency in both the distributive and integrative bargaining processes;

 

5.                  Learn how to prepare for negotiation;
 

6.                  Identify strengths and weaknesses in personal negotiating style;
 

7.                  Improve ability to overcome barriers to negotiation;

 

8.                  Consider the ethical implications of negotiation;
 

9.                  Learn how to use influence in the negotiation and dispute resolution processes; and

 

10.              Gain confidence in negotiation and dispute resolution skills.

 

Class Policies

 

Academic Integrity; Students are reminded of the SMU Honor Code as referenced in the Student Handbook. Intellectual integrity and academic honesty are both the foundation and the goals for this program. Please reference and review the university policies on the responsibilities and penalties regarding academic honesty at:

 

http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/PCL_05_HC.asp

 

Class Attendance:  Regular and punctual attendance is REQUIRED.  Missed classes will affect your participation grade and can result in an incomplete, unless excused by the instructor. Walking into class late is disruptive, as is leaving early, so please avoid this whenever possible.

 

Course WithdrawalStudents must consult with the instructor before withdrawing from the course. Notifying the instructor does not constitute official withdrawal. To withdraw officially, the student must submit either a Drop or a Withdrawal form to the Counseling Office. Students may not submit Drop or Withdrawal forms online.

 

Class Decorum: Turn off (or set on vibrate) all cell phones or mobile devices.  Do not read newspapers, books for other classes, or other outside reading material during class.  Walking into class late is disruptive as is leaving early.  If you have to leave early, make arrangements before class begins, and then, when you leave, do so quietly.  Professional respect and courtesy for your fellow students is imperative at all times.

 

Late Assignments:  An assignment that is turned in late is reduced by one-half grade for each portion of a 24-hour period that it is late, unless an extension has been given by the instructor.


Questions Outside of Class:  Questions are welcomed before and after class, as well as by telephone and e-mail.

 

Religious Observance:  Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professor in writing at the beginning of the term, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

 

Disability Accommodations:  Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and establish eligibility for accommodations.  They should then schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.


Required Books & Materials

 

Charles B. Wiggins & L. Randolph Lowry, Negotiation and Settlement Advocacy: A Book of Readings, (2nd ed. 2005).

 

Roger Fisher, et al., Getting to Yes (2nd ed. 1991) (This is a very reader-friendly paperback that can be easily be read in two sittings.)

 

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (to be purchased from Dr. Lowry on the first-day of class for $20).

 

Additional materials in the form of articles, notes, and role-play problems will be distributed throughout the course.

 

Grading

 

Assignment

Points Possible

Points Earned

Application of Distributive Bargaining Paper

40 points

 

Personal Reflection Papers Due 11/20

20 points

 

Application of Negotiation Theories to Conflict Paper

80 points

 

Personal Reflection Papers Due 12/11

20 points

 

Class Participation

40 points

 

TOTAL POINTS

200 points

 

 

  

All grades will be available within a reasonable time after assignment completion. Please consult with Dr. Lowry directly if you have any questions regarding your progress throughout the class. Letter grades will be assigned according to the percentage of points earned.

 

            A = 90-100%

            B = 80-89%

C = 70-79%

D = 60-69%

F = 59% and below

 

Class & Assignment Schedule

 Please note that I reserve the right to change the schedule as needed.  This reservation includes the right to change assignments and point allocations.

 

Reading Assignment to be completed prior to first weekend of classes:

 

Negotiation and Settlement Advocacy, Chapters 1-3 & 16

 


Friday, November 6, 2009

4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

 

1.      Course Overview

2.      Class Introductions

3.      Conflict Continuum

4.      Five Approaches to Conflict

a.       Thomas-Killman Conflict Mode Instrument

5.      The Negotiation Process

 

Saturday, November 7, 2009

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 

1.      Discussion of Observation of Negotiation

2.      Managing Mixed Motives

3.      Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty

4.      Knowing the Game Your Playing

5.      Avoid Exploitation

6.      The Predictability of Distributive Bargaining

 

Sunday, November 8, 2009

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 

1.      Distributive Bargaining Simulation and Debrief

2.      Opening Offers

3.      Opening Offers Simulation and Debrief

4.      Linkage

5.      Linkage Simulation and Debrief

6.      Anchoring

7.      Ethical Considerations in Distributive Bargaining

 

Reading assignment to be completed prior to second weekend of classes:

 

Negotiation and Settlement Advocacy, Chapters 4 & 11

Getting to Yes

 

Writing Assignments to be completed prior to second weekend of classes:

 

(1) Apply the strategies of distributive bargaining to a context of your choice.  Explain how the strategies learned will shape your management of this process carried out in your context. Discuss your chosen context with Dr. Lowry before proceeding with completion of this assignment. Your paper should be 3-4 pages in length.

 

(2) Please write no more than one page of personal reflection on:

a.       Your own conflict style and behavior using the data from your Thomas-Killman instrument

b.      Your strengths and weaknesses in conflict situations and what you like to work on in this course

 

BOTH ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009

 

Friday, November 20, 2009

4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

 

1.      Review

2.      Paper Presentations

3.      Introduction of Integrative Bargaining

4.      Identifying Issues and Interests

5.      Integrative Bargaining Simulation & Debrief

 

Saturday November 21. 2009

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 

1.      Using the Creativity of Integrative Bargaining

2.      Creativity Simulation and Debrief

3.      Benefits of Good Relationships

4.      Multi-Party Negotiations

5.      Simulation and Debrief

6.      The Negotiation Planning Instrument

7.      Simulation and Debrief

 

Sunday, November 22, 2009

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 

1.      Communication Issues in Negotiation

2.      Psychological Issues in Negotiation

3.      Emotional Issues in Negotiation

4.      The Use of Power in Negotiation

5.      The Use of Tactics in Negotiation

6.      The Use of Influence in Negotiation

7.      The Role of Negotiation in Managing Conflict

 

Writing Assignments to be completed after the second weekend of classes:

 

(1) Apply the theories of negotiation to a conflict of your choice. Take the role of a party and develop a strategy for resolving that conflict using the negotiation process. What type of bargaining will you engage in and why? What will be your strategy for your chosen style of bargaining and why? Reference the readings, any other outside sources and classroom presentations as you describe your negotiating strategy. Your paper should be 6-8 pages in length. 

 

(2) Please write no more than one page of personal reflection on:

a.       Your reaction to the integrative bargaining process and the techniques required to be successful

b.      Ethical considerations in negotiation

 

BOTH ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY 5:00 P.M. (CST) ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009