Negotiation refers to the interactive process we participate in to advance individual and joint interests. Almost every transaction with another individual involves negotiation. We often use the same methods of negotiation in our personal, professional and political worlds. As we learn in this course, negotiation, conflict resolution, and relationship management are complex processes. Successful practitioners possess and apply a blend of perceptual, persuasive, analytical, and interpersonal skills.

In the ever-changing, modern business environment, business managers start and expand their business operations by virtue of their successful negotiations and the long-term relationships they develop among two, three, or more parties. These relationships can break down due to ineffective negotiating behavior and conflict management approaches. Breakdowns can also result from misunderstandings and misconceptions about the other parties’ positions and interests.

We begin this course by studying the conceptual framework of negotiations, as it applies to all areas of negotiation in the public and private sectors. We will focus on business negotiation skills and strategies designed to maintain healthy business relationships. Specifically, we will explore the concepts, processes, strategies, and ethical issues related to negotiation and appropriate conduct in multicultural business contexts.

In this course, we study the theory, processes, and practices of negotiation, conflict resolution, and relationship management to help you be a more effective negotiator in a variety of situations. We examine effective and ineffective strategies, determine why they work well and discuss successful alternatives if they do not. We also identify patterns of negotiation and conflict resolution in different national and cultural contexts, to gain an understanding for how interpersonal style, personality, culture, and other variables influence our negotiation and decision-making skills.