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PRST 5700/6700/7700 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

PRST 5700/6700/7700 - Conflict Management and Negotiation

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

Negotiation and Conflict Management presents negotiation theory - strategies and styles - within an employment context. As a member of management, an employee, organizational development consultant, or human resource professional, you will be required to manage conflict successfully as part of your job.

Organizational conflict management is a specialized communication skill requiring theoretical understanding of human interaction, decision making, and organizational systems. In addition to the theory and exercises presented in class, students practice negotiating with role-playing simulations in threaded discussions and chat. Students also learn how to negotiate in difficult situations, which include abrasiveness, racism, sexism, whistle-blowing, and emergencies.

Course Outcomes:

At the end of this course each student will be able:

(1) To examine the communication strategies that enable people to find joint gains/common grounds;

(2) To develop communication strategies to protect your interests when joint gains do not exist;

(3) To learn how to plan and conduct conflict management interventions for both interpersonal and organization disputes.

"A negotiator's effectiveness is not determined by the pattern he or she follows, (i.e. cooperative vs. competitive) but rather by what he or she does with that pattern." 

- passage from Williams, Gerald.

Legal Negotiation and Settlement, West, 1983.

Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

Required core courses.  Admission to the Master of Professional Studies program or departmental approval. 

Course Topics:

1. Welcome, Expectations and Exploring "What Kind of Negotiator am I?" Read Chapters 1 and 2 Essentials of Negotiation.

2. Distributive and Mixed Motive Bargaining Read Chapters 3, 4, 7 Essentials of Negotiation.

3. Integrative and Mixed Motive Bargaining Read Chapters 5 and 6 Essentials of Negotiations and Start Reading Getting to Yes

4. Read Essentials of Negotiations, Chapter 8, 9

5. Read Essentials of Negotiations Chapters 10, 11

6. Read Essentials of Negotiations, Chapter 12

7. Read Difficult Conversations.

8. Read Getting to Yes

9. Source Journal Articles for your final paper

10. Source Journal Articles for your final paper

11. Week of Management Presentation

12. Week of Management Presentation

13. Week of Management Presentation

14. Week of Management Presentation

 

Specific Course Requirements:

Knowledge of D2L and Microsoft Office.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

Recommended, but NOT required: Roger Fisher and William Ury's, Getting Past No (Bantam, 1992). (Ury's The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop. USA: Penguin, 2000.)

Papers are to be written in APA format. APA Web Resources:

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

No tests will be given.

Grading Procedures:

The course is based on: readings, simulations, threaded discussions, team presentations and self assessments.

Negotiations Project 20 points

Discussions 10 points total

1) Student Homepage Discussion 1 point

2) Group Dynamics and Conflict Discussion 1 point

3) Planning for Negotiations Discussion 3 point

4) Ethics in Negotiations Discussion 1 point

5) Best Practice Discussion 1 point

6) A Debate 2 point

7) My Mission Discussion 1 point Assignment 4: Team Research Plan

Team Research Paper 20 points Team Week of Management Presentation 30 points Journal (Self-Assessment of Activities) 10 points

Total points available 100

Grades will be assigned on the scale presented above. There will be no rounding up a letter grade at the end of the course. There is no extra credit available in this class.

Grading Scale:

A, 90-100;

B, 80-89;

C, 70-79;

D, 60-69;

F, below 60. 

The grading scale emphasizes readings, tests, simulations and threaded discussions in the learning community.

Grades will be assigned on the scale presented above. There will be no rounding up a letter grade at the end of the course. There is no extra credit available in this class.

Assignments and Projects:

1) Negotiations Project 20 points

Each student must negotiate for something (either a product or service) that you would NOT HAVE NEGOTIATED FOR before you took the course.

Mid-way through the course, decide on how you will complete this assignment.

One of the goals of this exercise is to see how your learning is applied to your life. Briefly (4-5 pages) write up how the negotiation went. Be specific and link it to our readings. Discuss what you negotiated for and with whom.

How did you prepare for the negotiation? How did the other party react to your negotiation?

What do you wish you had done differently? Assess the impact of the negotiation on your relationship.

Assess the process of negotiation.

2) Discussion Board Participation. Mid-term and Final Feedback to be given. 10 points

3) Team Research Paper 30 points

Teams will choose from one of the following options:

Option A: Select a specific aspect of conflict management that is relevant to your career interests. Research 10-12 academic sources about this topic an d then interview two persons in your career area about his/her perspectives on the topic. This paper allows you to compare academic literature and practitioner perspectives. Use APA style.

OR

Option B: Select a specific aspect of conflict management that is relevant to your career interests. Research 20-22 academic sources. Identify main themes within the literature; critique the research; and identify its value for people in your career. Use APA style.

SUBMIT your draft paper to SMARTHINKING.

As a team review the feedback and comments. Make improvements to the final paper you submit to the instructor.

NOTE IN RED, changes made to the paper. In addition, submit SMARTHINKING comments with your final paper.

4) Team Week of Management Presentation 30 Points

Self-managed teams will be created. Your team will present your team research findings to the class. The team is randomly chosen by the computer and is self-managed.

Your team has the authority to plan your research paper and week of management presentation of your findings. Grading criteria is given both. Tools such as disciplinary action policy and project management plans are given for successful goal attainment.

5) Self-Assessment of Activities: 10 Points

There is a strong correlation between reflection and critical thinking, At the end of the course, you will present a paper on your participation.

Ethics and Plagiarism

Do not include propriety or copyrighted material from other sources without written permission. Papers are to be written in APA format.

You may be called on to present or share with other students’ materials you develop for this class.

You have copyrighted your own work and will be asked for permission to share it with others outside of class. 

I encourage you to work together as you are learning the knowledge and skills presented in this course.

Be sure to properly credit the sources for what you turn in, including any assistance with the assignments. 

If you have any doubts or questions, ask me, not another student for clarification. 

  • What is Plagiarism? URL on Plagiarism.
  • Some examples: Diligence and attention regarding adherence to US intellectual property laws...

See www.loc.gov

See www.uspto.gov

Class Participation:

As an online learner there can be a sense of loneliness if one does not communicate with his or her peers. To prevent that all students are required to participate in the class discussion forums. There are several different forum topics. Occasionally, the instructor may post discussion questions on the class bulletin board. If so, each student has two responsibilities: to post comments about the discussion question and to respond to the posted comments of at least one other student. The most important way in which class participation points can be earned is through asking for help from other students and responding to the calls for help of others via the discussion forum. Your class participation grade depends how much you contribute compared to your classmates. NOTE: since the Class Participation [Discussion] component is weighted at 10%, if at the end of the semester you have not participated as much as the average for your class, your overall final grade will be reduced by up to ten percentage points: that’s one letter grade.

Late Policy:

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on May 16, 2017