Course Syllabus

Course Information
Course Number/Section BA 4332
Course Title Conflict Management and Negotiation
Term Fall 2006
Days & Times Wed. 12:30 – 3:15

Professor Contact Information

Professor Laurie Ziegler, PhD
Office Phone 972-883-2847
Email Address WebCT email
Office Location SM 4.210
Office Hours Wed. 10:30 – 12:00; Thurs. 10:30 – 12:00; 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 as an
upper division seminar and depends primarily on each student’s individual contribution. It is
experientially based and draws heavily on simulations, case studies, videotape, quizzes, 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.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Students will be able to identify basic negotiation concepts.

Students will be able to explain the differences between distributive bargaining and integrative
negotiation.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of negotiation concepts.

Students will explore their conflict styles; learn how to diagnose conflict situations; and will be
provided the tools they need to successfully manage conflict

Students will understand and be able to apply influence techniques.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Conflict Management: A Practical Guide to Developing Negotiation Strategies, Barbara Budjac
Corvette, Pearson Prentice Hall, ISBN: 0-13-119323-6

negotiation: readings, exercises, and cases, 5th ed. Lewicki, Barry & Saunders, McGraw-Hill
Irwin, ISBN: 0-07-297310-2

Suggested Course Materials

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

Course Syllabus Page 1

 Course Requirements

Evaluation criteria for all assignments will be provided in separate documents.

Teams will be chosen the second week of class.

Preparation and Participation (35%)

Attendance Experiential exercises 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 two classes without penalty provided you notify the
instructor via WebCT email at least 24 hours prior to the class session. This is a no-fault
attendance policy. Every additional class missed will result in a loss of five points from
your overall course average regardless of reason. I am not trying to punish you;
however, this is a highly interactive course and if you are not here you will not be able to
regain the experiences you missed. Additionally, your classmates depend on you to
fulfill your simulation and exercise responsibilities. If you are unable to consistently
attend class, this course may not be the right one for you.

Contributions (15%) In class 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 credit by sharing a media event, your own experience, etc. with the
class. Discussions should be based on content information you have gained through
your readings and exercises and be relevant to that day’s topics.

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 by 9/6/06.

R Groups (20%) The purpose of the Reflective Group is to stimulate discussion about
your course experiences, to think about your strengths and weaknesses in resolving
disputes or enhancing opportunities, and to apply course concepts to your personal
situations.

Your R Group will be comprised of 4-6 members who will meet once a week for one hour
outside of class time. You may meet in person, via teleconference or chat, or using any
other synchronous method. You should spend a few minutes preparing for you R Group
meeting. Issues you might focus on during the meeting include:

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 • Course readings
• Simulations and exercises completed that week
o What happened?
o What strategies/tactics did I use? Did the other party use?
o What did I learn from the activity? What strengths/weaknesses were
identified?
• Personal experiences you had outside the course and how you dealt with
them in the context of course concepts.
• Other issues that have arisen as a consequence of the course and how they
impact your ability to resolve disputes and enhance negotiated outcomes.

Each group will submit a one-page statement per week (prior to the next class meeting)
via the WebCT Assignment link unless otherwise specified. The statement should
include your group name and members in attendance, a summary of your discussion,
and any issues you might like to bring to my attention. With the exception of the written
statement which I will review, ALL R GROUP DISCUSSIONS WILL BE CONFIDENTIAL
AS IS TRUE FOR ALL EXPERIENCES WHICH OCCUR DURING THE COURSE
ITSELF. Students are expected to respect the integrity of their classmates and to make
sure that none of the course-related information or experiences work their way into the
MBA gossip mill or other outside networks. It is the intention that you learn from and
apply your experiences but do not exploit the experiences of others for these purposes.

Spontaneous Responses I will ask several questions throughout the semester that
assess your understanding of the assigned readings. You might consider these “oral
quiz” questions. This is how it works. I will ask the question and if you want to respond,
raise your hand. If I agree with your answer you will earn the highly desired “extra
point”. There are no partial points. I will add these points at the end of the semester to
the participation points you have already accumulated. I will make every effort to call on
a variety of people so that every one has opportunities to earn these coveted points.

Presentations (10%)

Each team is responsible for providing a synopsis of a reading(s) from negotiation:

readings, exercises, and cases. The synopsis should highlight the key points of the
readings as you see them. You may use Power Point slides, handouts, video clips, or
anything else that illustrates the key points. Do not merely regurgitate the reading(s).
Find your own unique way to get the material across to the rest of us. You have 20
minutes for your presentation.
Exams (30%)

There will be three exams (10% each). The exams assess new material only (i.e. they
are not comprehensive). Exams dates are: 9/20, 10/25, and 11/29.

Team Term Project: Film (25%)

Film is a powerful learning medium. Film offers a multi-sensory experience that

enables the viewer to understand abstract concepts and theories while seeing them put
into practice. Many films have organizational themes or contexts that make them
uniquely effective in illustrating management issues. Through analyzing a film, you will
see how various concepts are interrelated and, often, interdependent.

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Viewers use their own unique perceptual lens when they experience a film. They
also have a variety of responses, emotional and cognitive, to film. The use of film for
this assignment has the following learning functions:
Film as Case Study – A “good” film presents material much more forcefully than a written
case. This film is actually a video case. It will help you develop your analytic skills
because you will apply the material you have learned.
Film as Meaning – Visual and auditory elements of film provide meaning to theories and
concepts that are not provided in written or spoken formats.
Film as Experience – The film you choose may evoke strong feelings. You may use film
to experience other cultures, other organizational roles, etc.
Film as Time - You may also view a film and its remake to note changes over time.

You can view film information at www.imdb.com .

Steps to Completing Your Analysis

In approximately ten typewritten pages your team will submit a film analysis. Your goals
are to develop a deeper understanding about course concepts; learn how they
interrelate; apply the concepts; and demonstrate that learning to me.

1. Submit the film title and a brief description (4-6 bullets) of the concepts you will cover
by 9/27/06. This will help you in your goal-setting endeavors for this project and will
provide me the opportunity to review the films. Your choices are not set in stone. You
may change the topic (your film) and the concepts as you gain more knowledge about
course concepts. Please keep in mind if you change the topic at a later date I may not
have the opportunity to review the film.

2. Before viewing, write down the concepts identified in step 1 and any additional
concepts you wish to analyze. You may adjust these as you view the film.

3. View the film taking note of the concept(s) you are using to analyze the film. Think
about how the film relates to your own experiences or newsworthy topics. Incorporate
these into your paper.

4. Research these concepts. This is very important. Don’t rely exclusively on your
textbook. You should also access journals, magazines, newspapers, books, etc. to
supplement your analysis. Particular emphasis is placed on academic, refereed
publications. The quality of your external resources is vital to the quality of your paper.
You should not rely on internet sources unless you are accessing full text journal and
news articles. Check with the UTD Library SOM Liaisons for help with resources. The
SOM liaisons are Loreen Phillips at 972-883-2126 (lsp014100@utdallas.edu).

5. Guidelines: The paper should be approximately 8 -10 pages in length (excluding

appendices), numbered pages, double-spaced containing standard fonts and margins.

(Page 1). All assignments must have a cover sheet containing:

Your team name

Team member names in alphabetical order

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Date submitted

Unique Title: e.g. Ocean’s 11 Revisited: Influence, Ideas, and Idiots Over Time

Table of Contents with Page Numbers

6. Film Information (Page 2): Write the name of the film, the director, producer, the main
actors, and the year of release. Then, in one good paragraph, retell the plot. Do not
relate all of the details. Just condense the main story line into 5 – 8 sentences.

7. Introduction (Page 3): Tell me why you are interested in the research you conducted.
Build your case. Provide a thesis statement and tell me “what you are going to tell me”
in the rest of the paper.

8. Write the body of you paper incorporating outside resources properly cited (MLA
format).

9. Conclusion: Include a brief summary of you paper; limitations of your research and
the resources used; and directions for further study.

10. Reference List: Alphabetized using APA or MLA format.

11. Appendices

This assignment is due 11/8/06.

Peer Evaluations
You are required to complete an evaluation of your participation and the participation of
your team mates on the team projects. I want to know how well you worked with each
other, how you divided the tasks, and how well each member executed his/her part.
Among other issues you may find important, consider each member’s ability to adhere to
deadlines, availability, interpersonal skills, creativity, leadership, and responsibility to the
team. The Team Peer Evaluation is confidential.

You have two ways to evaluate your team process. The first is to rate each team
member by assigning a letter grade. The second is a forced-ranking of each team
member. You must include yourself in both evaluations.

The rubrics are as follows:

Rating/Grading
Above and beyond: (A+) went above and beyond and deserves a score higher
than the majority of the team members
Full contributor: (A) receives all team points; contributed fully to the team project
Less than full: (B, C. F) give support for why you graded them as less than full
contributors

Forced Ranking
Rank the top contributor as 1, second contributor as 2, and so on. You can use
each number only once. In other words, there are no ties.

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 Overall Evaluation
I will review the feedback and determine if you deserve a “0” (full participation),
“+” points (members rate you consistently above and beyond the other team
members) or “-“ points (members rate your participation consistently below that
of full participation). If you contribute fully you will receive a “0” on the peer
evaluation and receive full credit on your team assignment. It is possible for you
to earn or lose points based on your overall team contribution assessment. If you
are consistently rated low (social loafing) you may fail the team project.

Provide the following information.

Last name, First

Team Name

List team member names in alphabetical order by last name, and assign grades and
rankings. Include yourself in the list.

Team Member Name Grade Ranking

Team Member #1
Team Member #2
Team Member #3 etc.

1. Explain the roles each member took and the contributions that each team member
made. Be specific.
2. Why did you grade each person the way you did? Why did you rank your #1 person
the way you did?
3. What worked well with your team. What would you do to improve the team process?

Peer evaluations are due 11/15/06.

Grading Policy

97 and A+
above
92 to 96.99 A
89 to 91.99 A-
87 to 88.99 B+
82 to 86.99 B
79 to 81.99 B-
77 to 78.99 C+
72 to 76.99 C
69 to 71.99 C-
67 to 68.99 D+
62 to 66.99 D
59 to 61.99 D-
Below 59 F

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Note: There has to be a grading cut-off somewhere. This is where our course grades
are delineated. Do not ask me to give you a different cutoff at the end of the semester.

Classroom Citizenship

Honor Code: Students are expected to respect the integrity of the course and their
fellow students. Do not share any information about your classmates with others. We
need to feel secure in our classroom environment in order to fully gain from the course
experiences. Regarding experiential exercises, 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 Policies

There are no make-ups or extra credit. Late work will not be accepted.

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 Schedule

Date Topics Readings

8/23 Introduction & Ice Breaker

8/30 Defining Negotiation and Its Components; Conflict Chapters 1 & 3

9/6 Personality; Negotiation Style; Negotiation Temperments Chapters 2, 4, 5

9/13 Communicating in Negotiations Chapter 6

9/20 Interests & Goals in Negotiation; Perception in Negotiations Chapters 8 & 9

Exam 1

9/27 Effects of Power in Negotiation; Asserting Yourself Chapters 10 & 11

10/4 Principles of Persuasion Chapter 12

10/11 Principles of Persuasion – continued

10/18 Rules of Neg. & Common Mistakes; Neg. Process & Principles Chapters 13 & 14

10/25 Alternative Styles, Strategies and Techniques of Negotiation Chapter 15

Exam 2
11/1 Team Negotiation Chapter 16

11/8 Neg. in Leaderships & PR; Culture and Gender Differences Chapters 17; 7

11/15 3rd Party Intervention Chapter 18

11/22 Wrap-up

11/29 Wrap-up
Exam 3

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

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 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.

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