Live Negotiation/Final Paper

Sometime during the course (preferably after the 6^th week), you must actually go out and conduct a live negotiation. The substance of this negotiation may be anything of value, a major purchase, something related to a job or employment search, relations with peers or coworkers, etc.

The following rules apply for the live negotiation (and be sure to check with me if there is any doubt in your mind—at all—about whether the negotiation you have chosen fits the criteria suitably, because turning in an unacceptable “live negotiation” paper will cost points for not paying attention to instructions):

a.You must negotiate for something nontrivial (i.e., you should care how the negotiation turns out).

b.The opponent(s) may not be another student in this class, the instructor, or one of your parents.

c.The opponent(s) must not be aware either before or during the negotiation that it will be used to satisfy course requirements.

d. You must articulate (privately, in writing) a strategy beforehand.

e.If at all possible, you should try to interview your opponent and/or observers about the negotiation after it is over.

Students must write a final paper on the live negotiation. The paper must be no longer than 10 double-spaced (typed) pages. Your paper should describe your reactions, perceptions, impressions, and significant insights gained from participation in (and reflection on) the negotiation. You may talk about yourself or the behavior of other people. I encourage you to address such points as the following:

What was your goal? What happened in the negotiation (a brief overview of key events)?

What did you learn about yourself from the experience?

What did you learn about the behavior of others?

How does this experience compare to others that you have had in similar or comparable circumstances?

What did you learn about bargaining or conflict from this situation?

How do the concepts in the lectures or readings enrich your understanding of the process of this negotiation and its outcome?

What would you do the same—and what would you do differently—in the future, or how would you like to behave in order to perform more effectively in such situations?

Writing the paper should encourage you to engage in thoughtful analysis and understanding of the negotiation. It should incorporate the use of theory and research from the readings and lecture material. Although there are many creative formats for papers, a good paper usually includes the following elements:

• an introduction;
• a statement of the goal and the planning and preparation that took place;
• an objective description of the actual events that occurred;
• an analysis of those events;
• a discussion of what could or should have been done differently, and why;
• integration of readings, theory, and concepts as appropriate;
• a statement of “lessons learned” for the future;
• a summary self-evaluation of your own negotiation style, strengths, and weaknesses.