Spring 2010 MBA Elective: Negotiation and Deal-Making, MOR-569

MOR-569 / 033-16716D / 06:30-09:30pm / T / Carnevale / JKP112

Negotiation guides all aspects of behavior in and between organizations and how individuals relate to one another and the organization, including terms of employment. The learning outcomes of this course include (a) appreciate when and where to negotiate, recognize negotiation situations, recognize strategies and tactics being employed by the parties in negotiation and, most of all, learn to not leave value on the table; (b) gain a broad intellectual understanding of a set of central concepts in negotiation, concepts that will be the building blocks to systematically understand and evaluate negotiation process and outcome(e.g., terms such as “Reservation Point,” “Aspiration Point,” “Lose-Lose,” “BATNA,” “Logrolling,” “Pareto Optimal,” “Formula-Detail,” “Low-Ball,” etc.); (c) develop confidence in negotiation as an effective means for handling problems; (d) improve analytical abilities in understanding and predicting the behavior of individuals and groups; (e) get experience in the negotiation process, including learning to evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative actions and how to manage the negotiation process. You will apply concepts by actually negotiating with others in class in simulated realistic settings. (A simulation is like a wind tunnel in aeronautical engineering. It lets you test the shape of your wings before going out and trying to fly. It lets you experiment, and learn, in a low-cost, safe environment.)

There are 3 main centers of negotiation education in US business schools, Kellogg, HBS, and Wharton. For our class, I’ve selected the most recent practice-mindedbook from each place, in addition to the classic Getting to Yes, which everyone knows.

Grades will be determined by a group project with in-class group presentation, negotiation reports, a mid-term exam, and a final take-home exam.

There are 4 required books and a small collection of readings.

  1. Fisher, R., Ury, W., Patton, B. (1991). Getting to Yes. New York: Penguin.
  2. Malhotra, D., & Bazerman, M.H. (2007). Negotiation Genius. Bantam. [Harvard]
  3. Shell, G. R. (2006). Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People. 2nd edition, Viking Press/Penguin Books: New York. [Wharton]
  4. Thompson, L. (2008). The truth about negotiation. Pearson Education: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. [Kellogg]

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Peter Carnevale is a Professor in the Department of Management and Organization at Marshall. His main area of research and writing is negotiation, and his most recent book, Methods of Negotiation Research (2006) won the best-book award from the International Association for Conflict Management.