GRA 3112 Negotiation and International Networks
GRA 3112 Negotiation and International Networks
As firms become increasingly embedded in international networks and more important activities for a firm get done outside of the firm and in other countries from where a firm is based, the ability to develop and manage relationships has become essential to firm survival and success. This practically-focused course is particularly relevant for startups seeking to grow or larger firms trying to innovate while simultaneously protecting their innovations. However, managers frequently encounter issues in their international collaborations, such as those pertaining to conflicting objectives, cultural differences between partners, and intellectual property rights protection. This course aims to develop students’ understanding of the ways in which firms can collaborate, the challenges associated with collaboration in an international context, practices which can minimize collaboration challenges, and the ways in which conflicts which do develop can be resolved. Students will learn through engaging discussions, cases, simulations, and lectures. The course will also have a number of executives as guests who will not only come from Norway but also other countries.
The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully establish and manage international interorganizational relationships.
Students will develop an understanding of:
- Practices and strategies to help facilitate success in international negotiations.
- An understanding of the different ways of organizing interorganizational relationships, such as international alliances, international joint ventures, networks, and international mergers and acquisitions;
- How to identify the best alternatives for collaboration in different situations and what strategies and management practices help ensure success when using a particular mode (e.g., international alliance);
- An understanding of the key challenges associated with the formation, coordination, and maintenance of relationships in the international context;
- Practices that can facilitate innovation through leveraging networks;
- The ways in which external collaboration can facilitate firm growth and innovation;
- An understanding of the different types of conflict that can arise in international collaborations and how conflicts can be resolved.
- Students should be able to successfully devise and assess negotiation strategies across a range of potential situations
- Students should be able to formulate strategies for the formulation and maintenance of interorganizational relationships, and for the development of international networks to gain access to relevant resources and knowledge
- Students should be able to assess the challenges associated with international collaboration and devise strategies to overcome these challenges
- Students will develop the skills to reduce and successfully overcome conflicts that may arise in international collaborations
- Students should understand which strategies and practices help design and manage international alliances and international mergers and acquisitions
- Students should understand which practices and strategy can facilitate innovation through leveraging networks
- Students should be able to use their understanding of the different ways of collaborating and the challenges that arise in international collaboration in a range of interorganizational situations.
- Students will learn analytical reasoning through analyzing different cases
- Through negotiation exercises in class students will develop their analytical skills to understand and overcome conflicts in a range of situations.
The course will consist consist of three main parts:
- International networks. This part will focus on the strategies and management practices that help facilitate managing various types of inter-organizational relationships (international alliances, international joint ventures, international mergers and acquisitions, and networks).
- International negotiation and conflict management. This part will be aimed at developing the students’ understanding of common conflicts in international collaboration and the tools and skills necessary to successfully negotiate and resolve conflicts.
- Practices that can facilitate innovation through leveraging networks.
The course is highly interactive and much learning will occur via class sessions. The course will use diverse teaching methods including cases, simulations, discussions, and lectures. Many sessions of the course will be in person, but some sessions will be virtual, for example, when we leverage executive guest speakers from around the globe.
The examination for this course has been changed. It is not possible to resit the old version of the examination.
The course is likely to take place in half of the term to allow students time to focus on their theses and other activities.
Mandatory coursework must be approved before you can take the exam. Active presence is expected of students in this course in at least 75% of the class sessions. By active, we mean that the student is expected to have studied cases, simulation, or other literature before the lecture, and to be willing and prepared to discuss them (or take part in a simulation) when asked to do so by the lecturer. This includes being able to initiate discussions about cases, draw conclusions, and justify their conclusions. By presence, we mean that the student is present in the physical classroom. In a digital classroom (e.g., a video conference), presence means that the student is visible (camera on), shows full name, and is available and ready to participate in the discussion if requested by the lecturer or other students. Active presence also means preparing for simulations by reading needed pre-material and meeting with your team to prepare for the session if required, taking part in online discussion forums if required to, etc.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
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| Mandatory coursework | Courseworks given | Courseworks required | Comment coursework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory | 1 | 1 | Minimum 75% attendance is required. Students are expected not only to be present in the classroom, but to meet prepared and participate actively. |
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Submission PDF Exam/hand-in semester: First Semester Weight: 100 Grouping: Individual Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: Term Paper Exam code: GRA 31124 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 30 Hour(s) | |
Group work / Assignments | 10 Hour(s) | |
Group work / Assignments | 45 Hour(s) | Individual assignments |
Prepare for teaching | 75 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.
