Course Description
Negotiations and Conflict Resolution equips working professionals with the frameworks, strategies, and communication skills needed to negotiate effectively and resolve conflict constructively in complex business environments. Students apply principled negotiation frameworks, diagnose conflict using structured analytical tools, and develop communication practices — including listening, framing, and de-escalation — that enable difficult conversations to move forward productively. The course addresses negotiation preparation, cross-cultural dynamics, multi-party complexity, and ethical dimensions of influence, culminating in a comprehensive Negotiation Strategy and Conflict Resolution Plan. All assignments are grounded in real professional scenarios and designed for immediate application.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Analyze negotiation styles, interests, and power dynamics in professional scenarios to identify the conditions that lead to value-creating agreements.
- Apply principled negotiation frameworks to prepare for, conduct, and debrief high-stakes business negotiations, including multi-party and cross-cultural contexts.
- Evaluate conflict situations using diagnostic frameworks to distinguish conflict type, source, and appropriate resolution strategy.
- Adapt communication strategies — including listening, framing, and de-escalation — to navigate difficult conversations and resolve conflict while preserving professional relationships.
- Develop a negotiation strategy and conflict resolution plan for a complex, real-world professional scenario that integrates preparation, communication, and ethical judgment.
Outcome Proficiency Groups
MBA 566 helps you grow in three of the five MyMBA program outcomes:
Strategic Thinking & Decision Making
Prepare for and lead high-stakes negotiations that create value for every party.
Analytics & Critical Thinking
Diagnose conflict type, source, and power dynamics before choosing a resolution strategy.
Communication & Influence
Use listening, framing, and de-escalation to move difficult conversations forward.
Where This Course Leads
The skills you build here carry forward to the MBA Capstone, where you bring all five outcome proficiency groups together to tackle a contemporary business challenge.
