Negotiation Mastery: Essential Strategies and Skills for International Negotiation

Introduction

(Max 30 students each semester)

Negotiation mastery focuses on teaching individuals the skills and strategies needed to effectively negotiate with others. Negotiation is an important skill in many settings, such as in business, law, and politics. In this course, students will learn about the different phases of the negotiation process, including preparation, opening, bargaining, and closing. They will also learn about different negotiation styles and tactics, as well as how to handle difficult negotiation situations. The course will also cover topics like ethical considerations in negotiation and the role of emotions in negotiation. In addition, this course focuses on cross-cultural negotiations, specifically within Norway and Japan, and will combine intercultural communication theory with integrative and distributive negotiation theories. Consequently, an interdisciplinary approach with perspectives from cultural studies combined with key international business and leadership issues will be applied.

Classroom sessions will concentrate on international research discussions, group work simulations, and case studies. Empirical cross-cultural research and cases used in discussions will focus on issues related to international companies operating both in Scandinavia and Asia. This course will help prepare students to meet the challenges of international negotiations within multi-national business operations where different national contexts can impact the way we negotiate, lead and co-operate in everyday business dealings. By the end of the course, students should have a good understanding of the principles and techniques of effective negotiation and be able to apply them in their own lives.

During the course there will be an intensive study trip to Tokyo. The length of the trip is approx. 1 week. Students taking this course have to fund their own travel expenses. The programme for the trip is tentative and subject to change. The trip is not mandatory, but those who do not join the study trip will complete an additional assignment to compensate for the learning. 

Course content

The course will be a joint project with a Japanese business school. The first part of the course will consist of teaching in Norway on intercultural communication and negotiation theory. Upon arrival in Japan, Norwegian students will attend company visits to observe Japanese working cultures. Some lectures and negotiation simulations will be conducted at the collaborating university in Japan.