Universität Wien

030528 KU Introduction to Negotiation (2017W)

2.00 ECTS (1.00 SWS), SPL 3 - Rechtswissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

If you are interested in participating in this course, please send until 29 September 2017

(i) a brief statement (in English) explaining why you would like to take this course (maximum one page), and
(ii) your curriculum vitae (in English or German)

by e-mail to ulrich@kopetzki.at

  • Monday 16.10. 09:30 - 12:30 Seminarraum SEM44 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 4.OG
  • Monday 16.10. 13:30 - 18:00 Seminarraum SEM44 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 4.OG
  • Tuesday 17.10. 09:30 - 12:30 Seminarraum SEM64 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG
  • Tuesday 17.10. 13:30 - 18:00 Seminarraum SEM63 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG
  • Monday 23.10. 09:30 - 11:00 Seminarraum SEM64 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

We negotiate every day – with potential employers, coworkers, roommates, landlords, parents, bosses, merchants, spouses, and service providers – determining what price we will pay, the amount of our salary and compensation, what movie to watch, and who will clean the kitchen… all of these are negotiations. Furthermore, lawyers regularly negotiate disputes to avoid costly legal proceedings and they negotiate deals to advance their clients’ business interests. Although negotiations are a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives, many of us know little about the strategy and psychology of effective negotiations. Why do we sometimes get our way, while other times we walk away feeling frustrated by our inability to achieve the agreement we desire?
Negotiation is the art and science of securing agreements between two or more interdependent parties who are both seeking to maximize their outcomes. It is a way of getting what you want from others through communication. This course provides you with the opportunity to develop your negotiation skills in a series of simulations and debriefings that engage a variety of negotiation processes in the contexts of deal making and dispute resolution. Each simulation has been chosen to highlight central concepts that underlie negotiation strategy. The course is designed to address a broad spectrum of negotiation problems that are faced by lawyers, managers and other professionals. It is also designed to complement the knowledge learned in other courses during your studies. A basic premise of this course is that while lawyers needs analytical skills to develop optimal solutions to problems, a broad array of negotiation skills is needed for these solutions to be accepted and implemented. Successful completion of this course will enable you to recognize, understand, and analyze essential concepts in negotiations.

Assessment and permitted materials

Your grade will be made up of:

· Attendance and participation in class discussions: 50%

· Final exam: 50%

1. Attendance and Participation in Class Discussions

The course is built around a series of negotiation exercises. When negotiating, you should try your hardest to get the best possible outcome for yourself or your group. You are not graded on the outcomes of your negotiations, but rather on the quality of your preparation prior to the negotiation and your participation in post-negotiation discussions. The reason you are not graded on your outcomes is to encourage you to experiment with different strategies and techniques.

Your participation in class discussion will be evaluated on the quality of your contributions and insights. After each negotiation exercise, a debriefing session will include sharing information about results, sharing information about strategies attempted, and sharing reactions to the process. Quality comments possess one or more of the following properties:

· Offer a different, unique, but relevant, perspective based on analysis and theory.

· Contribute to moving the discussion and analysis forward.

· Build upon the comments of your classmates.

· Link relevant concepts to current events or past class discussions.

2. Final exam

At the end of the course, there will be a short written exam on the basic concepts learned during the course. The final exam will cover the concepts discussed in class. The exam will ask you to apply the course concepts, which means you need to know, not only the definitions of various concepts, but the pros and cons of using various concepts strategically.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The course is built around a series of negotiation exercises, which will be conducted in English. We will be negotiating every day. While the class officially meets at scheduled course times, you will be asked to prepare outside class for certain negotiation exercises.

You will receive instructions for the first negotiation on the first day of class some days in advance. Some of the negotiation exercises for the second day will be handed out at the end of class on the first day. You are required to read these instructions outside class and in advance of the second day, so make sure to schedule some time (app. two hours) for the required reading after class.

You need to be prepared for each negotiation exercise in order to ensure the best learning experience for you and your classmates. Please read the instructions for each negotiation carefully and think about how you will approach the negotiation.

We will debrief every negotiation in class. You are encouraged to participate in these class discussions.

Examination topics

Reading list

There is no required reading for this course, except for the negotiation exercises.

If you wish to deepen your understanding of negotiation practice and theory after the course, the following literature is recommended:

· Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (1991). Getting to Yes. New York: Penguin

· Thompson, Leigh (2014). The Mind and Heart of the negotiator (6th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 31.03.2022 00:15