National University March 2006

School of Finance, Accounting & Economics

Course Outline

Course Code and Title:

Negotiation, Bargaining, and Conflict Resolution, EMB689

Instructor:
Michelle T. Ross
Email: michelle.ross@natuniv.edu

Course Textbook:

Dubrin, A. J. (2004). Leadership: Research findings, practice and skills (4 th

ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Thompson, L. (2005). The mind and heart of the negotiator (3 rd ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Course Prerequisites:
None

Course Description:

This course examines the nature and process of leadership and developing
negotiation strategies in executive environments. It surveys theories of
leadership, negotiations, bargaining and conflict resolution. The course
emphasizes case studies and problem solving employing ethical business
models.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the theories of leadership in international settings.

2. Evaluate the impact of leadership theories on organizational effectiveness.

3. Analyze strategies for bargaining, negotiations and conflict resolution

using case studies.
4. Employ technology in researching, writing and presenting ethical business
communications in writing and orally.
Course Requirements:

Students are expected to attend all chat sessions, participate in

all threaded sessions, complete quizzes, homework and papers
as scheduled on time. Failure to do so may result in the loss of
points.

Quizzes:
There will be no mid-term exam or final exam. Instead there will
be four quizzes to test for understanding of the course materials.
The questions will be in the form of true/false, multiple choice
and/or short answer. Quizzes will be given during class and must
be completed in the time allotted. There will be no make-ups for
the quizzes.

Paper:
Your term paper is to be eight to ten pages in length, be
typed, double-spaced, have a minimum of six separate
sources listed as references and to utilize the APA style. You
may use the APA Internet site to assist you in formatting your
paper. All papers must be relevant to the course subject
matter.

I will grade for spelling, sentence structure, grammar and

format. Do original work! Your work may be check against
automated databases to determine originality.

Leadership:
Leadership has long been a key topic in several disciplines. Business
organizations recognize that leadership transcends senior executives.
With the recent exposure of the dark side of business leadership, such
as CEO’s finding ways to create fortunes for themselves at the expense
of employees and stockholders, more attention than ever is being paid
to the values and personal characteristics of leaders. Good leadership is
crucial to the effectiveness of any organization. Good teachers and
trainers need strong and visionary leaders at all levels to create an
environment in which they can flourish and in which learners can
achieve. We’ll examine an array of timely questions about leadership
such as: Why do we tolerate bad leaders? Why is leadership everyone's
business? And how does the new economy influence leadership?

Negotiation:
 As a manager in today's complex business environment, we require
negotiation skills for business success. We need to develop a toolkit of
negotiation strategies and understand how these strategies affect and
are affected by the environment in which we operate. In addition, we
must recognize when taking a short-term loss will lead to a long-term
gain. The purpose of this course is to help you understand the theory
and processes of leadership & negotiation so that we can not only lead
but also negotiate successfully in a variety of settings.
The course is designed to be relevant to the broad spectrum of
problems faced by the managers and professionals. Our class sessions
explore the many ways that individuals think about and practice
leadership & negotiation – with colleagues, employers, employees,
clients, Corporations, Government agencies, and others.

We’ll have a stimulating and intellectually provocative class that's bound

to challenge and help you form your own views about the nature and
future of wise leadership & effective negotiation. You’ll be challenged
with various quizzes, case problems, and paper.

Agenda for course:

You are responsible for reading the material in the textbook as well as the
website topics. Please, try to synchronize with the following agenda.

Topics Reading
Reading:
Week 1
Dubrin:
1 – The nature and importance of leadership Intro
2 - Traits, motives, and characteristics of Chapters 1–2
leaders

Thompson: Chapters 1-4

1 – Negotiation: The mind and heart
2 – Preparation: What to do before negotiation
3 – Distributive Negotiation: Slicing the pie
4- Win-win negotiation: Expanding the pie

Homework:
Case study – Problem B (Dubrin – pp. 60-61)

Week 2 *Quiz: Previous week's chapters

Reading:
 Dubrin:
4 – Leadership behaviors, attitudes and styles
5- Contingency and situational leadership Chapters 4-5

Thompson:
5 – Developing a negotiating style
6 – Establishing trust/building a relationship Chapters 5-6

Homework:
Case study – Problem A (Dubrin – pp. 161-163)

Week 3 *Quiz: Previous week's chapters

Reading:

Dubrin:
6 – Leadership ethics and social responsibility Chapters 6-7
7 – Power, Politics, and leadership

Thompson:
7 – Power, persuasion, and ethics Chapters 7-8
8 – Creativity and problem solving in
negotiations

Homework:

Case study – Problem B (Dubrin – pp. 227-229)

*Quiz: Previous week's chapters

Week 4 Reading:
Dubrin:
8 – Influence tactics of leaders Chapters 8,11,
11 – Creativity, innovation, and leadership 12
12 – Communication and Conflict Resolution
Skills

Thompson:
9 – Multiple parties, coalitions, and teams Chapters 9-11
10 – Cross-cultural negotiation
11 – Tacit negotiations and social dilemmas

Homework:

Case study – Problem A (Dubrin – pp. 395-397)

 *Quiz: Previous Week's chapters
Saturday *Papers due

Grades and Grading System:

Definition of Grades:
A Outstanding Achievement
B Commendable Achievement
C Marginal Achievement
D Unsatisfactory Achievement
F Failing
I Incomplete is a grade given when a student who has completed
at least two-thirds of the course class sessions and is unable to
complete the course requirements due to uncontrollable and
unforeseen circumstances. The student must convey (preferably
in writing) these circumstances to the instructor prior to the final
day of the course. If the instructor decides that an "Incomplete"
is warranted, the instructor must convey the conditions for
removal of the Incomplete to the student in writing. A copy must
also be placed on file with the Office of the Registrar until the
Incomplete is removed or the time limit for removal has passed.
An "Incomplete" is not assigned when the only way the student
could make up the work would be to attend a major portion of
the class when next offered. An "Incomplete" must be removed
no later than the second complete quarter following the original
course completion date, but may be for a shorter period at the
discretion of the instructor.

An "I" not removed within the stipulated time becomes an "F."

No grade points are assigned. The "F" will be calculated in the
grade point average.

U Unsatisfactory is a permanent grade given that indicates that a

credit attempt was not acceptable. An "Unsatisfactory" grade
merits no grade points and is not computed in the grade point
average. This grade is assigned for unsatisfactory work in field
experience courses.

W Withdrawal signifies that a student has withdrawn from a course

after beginning the third class session. A "Withdrawal" will not be
allowed after the beginning of the sixth class session. This is a
permanent mark with no grade points assigned.

Plus/Minus Grading:
 National University utilizes a plus/minus grading system. The
grades of A+, F+ and F- are not issued. The grade points per
credit used in the calculation of the grade point average are as
follows:

Grade Grade Grade

Points Points Points
Grade Percent Grade Percent Grade Percent
per per per
Credit Credit Credit
A 4.0 100- B- 2.7 83.9– D+ 1.3 69.9–
94 80 67
A- 3.7 93.9– C+ 2.3 79.9– D 1.0 66.9-
90 77 64
B+ 3.3 89.9- C 2.0 76.9- D- 0.7 63.9-
87 74 60
B 3.0 86.9- C- 1.7 73.9- F 0.0 59.9 –
84 70 0

Grade Point Average Requirements:

All course work completed at National University must average
3.0 or higher for the Graduate Program.
All course work completed at National University for the major or
in fulfillment of upper-division requirements must average 2.0 or
higher unless otherwise specified.
All course work completed at National University for the minor
must average 2.0 or higher. If the required grade point average
is not maintained, the minor will not be included within the
degree title.

Note on the grading of assignments:

Written skills will be a factor in the grading of work submitted by
the student, as well as critical thinking, reasoning, resolution &
problem solving, and rudimentary concept/phrase/term
recognition and understanding.

Diversity:
Learning to work with and value diversity is essential in every
business program. Students are required to act respectfully
toward other students and instructors throughout the course.
Students are also expected to exhibit an appreciation for
multinational and gender diversity in the classroom and develop
management skills and judgment appropriate to such diversity in
the workplace.
Ethics:
Ethical behavior in the classroom is required of every student.
Students are also expected to identify ethical policies and
practices relevant to course topics.

Technology:
Students are expected to be competent in using word-
processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software in this
course. Use of the Internet and E-Mail may also be required.

Writing Across the Curriculum:

Students are expected to demonstrate writing skills in
describing, analyzing and evaluating ideas and experiences.
Written reports and research papers must follow specific
standards regarding citations of an author’s work within the text
and references at the end of the paper. Students are encouraged
to use the services of the University’s Writing Center when
preparing materials.

Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas or work as
one’s own. Students found plagiarizing are subject to the
penalties outlined in the Policies and Procedures section of the
University Catalog, which may include a failing grade for the
work in question or for the entire course.

Attendance Procedures:
Students are expected to attend all class sessions. An absence
is assessed each time a student is not in attendance during a
regularly scheduled class period, whether or not it is an excused
absence. An instructor may withdraw a student from class prior
to the seventh session in undergraduate courses, and prior to
the sixth session in graduate courses if there are more than two
unexcused absences. Students who have more than three
absences, excused or unexcused, cannot be given a satisfactory
grade.
Grading Policies:

Students in this course are responsible for:

 Reading chapter assignments
 Homework assignments 200 points
 Participation in threaded discussions (response to question)
200 points
 Participation in threaded discussions (two responses
to other students per week) 100 points
 Participation in chat room discussions (one weekly)
100 points
 4 Quizzes 200 points
 Paper 200 points

Total Points                                                                   
1000 points

Corresponding letter 950-1000 A 900-949 A-

grades to points:
870-899 B+ 830-869 B 800-829 B-

770-799 C+ 730-769 C 700-729 C-

670-699 D+ 630-669 D 600-629 D-

599 and below F  

Extra Credit:

The graded assignments associated with this course are designed to support
the high level of intellectual inquiry, analysis, and scholarship expected in a
quality graduate program. Therefore, extra credit work will neither be
assigned nor authorized for any grading consideration.

GENERAL POLICIES

Threaded Discussions - Each week you will be expected to take part in the
threaded discussion session. Go to the Communications, Discussion Board
tab. There will be two threaded discussion question posted each week. The
threaded question requires you to answer a question that relates
specifically to the material in the texts. This question must be answered.
Participation means posting of a response to the question DUE BY
WEDNESDAY NIGHT (Midnight Pacific Time).
Secondly, you must respond to 2 (TWO) separate entries in response to
comments by other students. You must post your responses to the threaded
discussions by FRIDAY NIGHT (Midnight Pacific Time).

Your responses should ADD to the student's posting by challenging ideas or

supporting comments.

Entries need to meet the following criteria:

1. Content Driven – This requirement means that the student actively

thinks about the question or position stated and adds value to the
discussion.
2. Complete – Thoughts need to be fully developed to insure that when
other students and the instructor read the comments the comments
are cogent and coherent.
3. Considerate – The comments are academic discussion not personal
attacks.

Each week the threaded discussion entries are worth 75 points each, for a
total value of 300 points for the course: Response to questions (50 points
per week) and two responses to other students (25 points per week).

Please note, I will not be responding to every posting a student makes in the
threaded discussion. I will only respond where appropriate. However, I will
be monitoring every posting for participation and content. Your thread
grades will be posted each week.

Chat Rooms- Chats are conducted under the Virtual classroom session in
each week’s module. Make sure you download the Java Plugin. You will need
this in order to participate in the chats.

See the Calendar in the course outline/information section for dates and
times. Chats will be held Monday night from 7-8:30 pm. I open the log in
time at 6:50 PM to allow time for everyone to be ready to begin at 7PM.

Every student is required to take an active part in the chat room discussion
each week.

Chat rooms have certain requirements as well:

 1. This is a classroom discussion, not a personal chat like AOL or
Compu-serve. Topics covered will be restricted to the materials for
this class.
2. Just as in the classroom, courtesy and respect are expected of all
students
3. Participation is required. You must take an active part in every
discussion and not be a silent observer.

Announcements- Periodically, I will post announcements to the website.

Make sure you read them. If you don’t see them, you may have turned off
the banner/pop up menu switch in your browser. Turn it back on for the
duration of the class.

Problems
If you have problems with the class, contact me in order to discuss ways to
assist you. It is best to reach me via e-mail me at
michelle.ross@natuniv.edu. I will return your email within 24 hours.

Additional Resources:
Library Electronic Resources:

The NU Library System (NULS) purchases access to several databases of full

text articles from scholarly journals.

Go to http://www.nu.edu/library and click on "Electronic Resources".

APA Reference Guide:

http://www.apastyle.org/pubmanual.html

Additional Internet resources related to APA style:

http://www.psywww.com/resource/apacrib.htm