Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

Negotiation Theory and Practice

• code 08548
• course 99
• term
• type op
• credits 3

Main language of instruction: Catalan

Other languages of instruction: Spanish

Head instructor

Office hours

To be agreed upon with the professor.

Negotiation is a highly valued skill at every level of the company.  Negotiation situations go from negotiating one's own working conditions, negotiating with pears, other departments, suppliers, employees, clientes, unions, stockholders, government, etc.

In this course, we wil approach negotiation in a practical way, through rol plays and practical case discussion.

• To know (from both a theoretical and practical point of view) the issues which are part of all negociation process, through rol plays and the case method, which allow for an interactive and participative learning. 

• 13 - To be familiar with and understand the terms and processes of company management.
• 36 - To interpret quantitative and qualitative data and apply mathematical and statistical tools to business processes.
• 37 - To be able to apply managerial methods, tools and techniques.
• 38 - To be able to connect the main variables (both formal and informal) which influence human behaviour in an organisation.
• 39 - To acquire the ability to solve problems and make decisions based on relevant information, applying the appropriate methods and situating the problem within the organisation as a whole.
• 50 - To acquire the ability to relate concepts, analyse and synthesise.
• 52 - To develop interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
• 54 - To be able to express one’s ideas and formulate arguments in a logical and coherent way, both verbally and in writing.
• 55 - To adopt good time management skills.
• 59 - To skilfully use software and ICTs.
• 63 - To be able to analyse business related behaviour and decisions and evaluate them from an economic, social and ethical point of view.
• 67 - To be able to express oneself in other languages.

• Know how to identify the negotiation style appropriate to each stuation and, accordingly, know how to approach the process.
• Be able to identify (through practical sessions) one's strenghts and weaknesses in a negotiation process and define an action plan in order to work on them.
• Know what are the criterias in order to evaluate the success of a negotiation so that every new negotiation situation is converted into an opportunity to improve.
• Being at ease in a negotiation situation

1.             Introduction to the basic concepts of negotiation (BATNA, tradeoffs, etc.)

a.     Definition

b.     Approach

c.      Power

2.             The process

a.     Preparation

b.     Negotiation

c.      Information Management

d.     Closing

3.             Human factor and negotiation styles

a.     Psychological necessities

b.     What is my style?

c.      Personal improvement plan

d.     Cultural factor

4.             Cooperative negotiation

a.     When is it more appropriate?

b.     Appropriate styles and techniques

c.      The “prisoner’s dilemma”

d.     The mediator

e.     The agent

f.      Reviewing of the personal action plan

5.             Competitive negotiation

a.     When is it more appropriate

b.     Appropriate styles and techniques

c.      Reviewing of the personal action plan

6.             Conclusion

a.     Summary of the main ideas

b.     Criteria to evaluate the success of a negotiation

c.      Practical advices

Case method, rol play, theory and group & class discussions.

Parcial exam: 20%

Final exam: 25%

Participaction: 10%

Homework and team work (based on the cases and rol plays): 30%

Attendance: 15%

Fisher, R. (1991) Getting to Yes:  Negotiating an Agreement without giving in. Arrow Business Books.