100% (1)
Pages:
7 pages/≈1925 words
Sources:
4
Style:
APA
Subject:
Business & Marketing
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 34.02
Topic:

Personal Negotiation Paper

Essay Instructions:
I. Personal Negotiation Paper This should be a situation in which you have planned to engage in negotiation. The substance of the negotiation may be anything -- a purchase, something related to a job or employment search, relations with peers, co-workers, or family members, etc. In conducting the personal negotiation, the following rules apply: - This should be a new negotiation - You should articulate and write down a negotiation strategy beforehand, including the major elements of strategy we discuss in this course. Participants are required to submit a written paper summarizing the live negotiation experience. Your real world negotiation paper should be ~6 typed pages (no longer than 7 pages) double-spaced, Times 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Note that the key is to focus on an analysis and synthesis rather than a description of the negotiation. You should critically analyze what occurred in the negotiation and integrate concepts as well as offer your insights, lessons-learned, etc. Paper Content: - Brief summary of the situation: ~1 page o Briefly describe the situation o Briefly discuss what you negotiated for and with whom (identify the parties of the negotiation) - Summarize your planning for the negotiation: ~1 page o Describe how you prepared for the negotiation. Give details of:  What did you expect? Goals / Targets.  BATNA: Did you quantify? Justify.  Reservation prices: Did you quantify? Justify.  Aspiration prices: Did you quantify? Justify.  Your strategy: Distributive / Integrative? Justify. - Summarize the exchange: ~1 page o Provide an overview of key events during the negotiation - Analysis of the situation: 1-2 pages o Did the interaction go as you planned? o Who controlled the interaction? How? o What were the critical factors that affected the negotiation situation and outcomes? o What strategies and tactics did you use in this negotiation? o How do you feel about your strategy and tactics? Were they effective? Which strategies and tactics worked, which didn't? o How did the other party react to your negotiation strategy and tactics? o What would you have done differently? What should you have thought of or prepared for that you didn't? o What surprised you about your behavior or the behavior of others? - Synthesis and Reflection: 1-2 pages o Include an assessment of how course material would explain the process and outcome as compared to your predictions (identify relevant course concepts). o What did you learn about yourself and others from the experience? o What did you learn about negotiation or conflict from this situation? o Consider the strategies employed. What would you do the same or differently in the future, or how would you like to behave in order to perform more effectively?
Essay Sample Content Preview:
Personal Negotiation Paper
Student:
Professor:
Course title:
Date:
Personal Negotiation Paper
The negotiation over salary increment at the workplace is one thing I had never thought myself getting into. I enjoyed my job and it was pleasure working with everyone else at the company. I had worked with the organization for over three years and had never thought of looking for another job in a different company. I knew that the company’s revenue and profits has been increasing steadily for the past one and a half years mainly because one of the company’s biggest rivals had collapsed due to poor performance and corruption related incidences. This closure was a blessing for my employer, since the number of customers increased and this translated into increased revenue.
I have always thought that the salaries of employees in any company need to be commensurate with the labor they provided, but this was not the case in my situation. As the company was making more and more money due to the increased client base, my workload kept increasing yet my income remained the same ever since I joined the company. I realized after consulting with my fellow workers from my department and also from other departments, that nearly ninety percent of them had received pay hikes. One employee in particular who works in the human resources (HR) department informed me that the company’s leadership six months earlier decided to raise by 15% the salaries of its managers, executives and senior staff members who made up twenty percent of the company’s workforce. He added that three months later, some middle level employees also received pay hikes. This revelation was surprising to me since I had been loyal with the company for over three years yet my salary had never been raised. Therefore, I decided to negotiate a pay hike with main reasons being increased workload and difficult economic conditions. The parties of the negotiation included the HR manager of the company who represented my employer, and me.
Prior to the actual day of negotiation, I knew that I needed to make adequate preparation. I always have the determination of making my time as well as efforts count for something worthy. I therefore had to make proper preparation since an ill-prepared discussion had little chance of getting my goal accomplished, and this would make me feel uncomfortable. I knew that preparation would be a good way to effectively and carefully allow for a deal, which would be satisfactory to both parties and continue a long-term relationship. Coming up with my expected new salary was my first priority.
The goal of my negotiation was to get a pay of $11, 700.00, and the minimum I could settle for was $10,980.00. My monthly income by then was $ 9,000.00, yet my colleagues in the same rank earned $10, 400.40. I knew that if I succeeded in the negotiation, I would earn at least $10, 980.00 monthly. Additionally, I knew that employees in similar companies within the locality with the same qualifications earned at least $ 10,980.00 as monthly salary. Furthermore, I justified my salary hike from the fact that my job responsibilities had increased significantly due to the increase in number of customers coming into the company. Therefore, I had to be compensated for the increased workload through pay rise.
According to Lewicki, Barry and Sauders (2010), the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) refers to the course of action that a party to a negotiation will take if an agreement cannot be reached and the current negotiations fail. In my situation, one of the local companies that paid much better compared to what I was earning, and was willing to hire me was the best alternative and represented my BATNA. Lutz (2012) stated that an integrative negotiation strategy is where the aim is to reach a result that is as good as possible for both parties, and it is a win-win negotiation. This strategy was used in the negotiation to reach an agreement that would be the best possible for both my employer and me.
The day and time for negotiation arrived and I was well prepared. I started with a calm, innocent voice questioning why my colleagues with similar qualifications had received pay hikes yet I had been left out. I initiated the conversation with Mr. Daniels, the HR manager since it was I who was looking for a pay rise. I explained that I needed my pay to be raised to $11,700.00, given that my workload had significantly increased. I also reminded him gently that I have been working with the company for three and a half years, never received a pay rise yet the cost of living has gone up. He nodded in an understanding gesture and confirmed that fact. I spoke calmly and looked straight into his eyes, as I tried to let him know that I needed to be understood and deserved a pay rise. After all, he knows what a devoted, experienced and skilled employee I was and how the economy has been, so he must understand where I was coming from. It turned out that he did. Moreover, I told him that I had compared the salary ranges of my job type to similar companies in the locality to figure out if what I was asking for was reasonable. This did not seem to surprise him one bit, so I figured that he knew the competitive salary range.
The Zone of possible agreement (ZOPA) is the zone where both parties in a negotiation agree to each other, and represents the set of all deals which are at least as good for both parties as their respective BATNAs (Lewicki, Barry & Saunders, 2010). My initial request was a pay of $11,700.00 monthly salary, and I would be happy to end up with a pay of $11,205.00, and this represented my target or aspiration amount. However, if the new salary would be less than $10,980.00 (resistance point), which was my bottom line or walk away position, I would quite the job and move to my BATNA. After telling him that I needed the pay rise, he remained silent for a moment, then stated that due to the rising operational costs that have affected the company’s profitability, he could offer $10,400.00. After I explained that I could not settle for that, he raised it to $ 10, 980.00, and this represented the employer’s aspiration or target figure. After further negotiation, he stated that the maximum I could be offered was $11,205.00 (employer’s resistance point). The company’s BATNA was another person with similar qualifications who was willing to be hired and paid $11, 205.00 and if I settled for this figure, I would be happy. Since my walk away position was $10,980.00, while my employer’s walk away position was $11,205.00, which represented its reservation amount or bottom line, the $225.00 difference represented ZOPA. My BATNA, which was another similar firm that offered $10, 980.00 is similar to my resistance point, which was also $10, 980.00. My employer’s BATNA, another person with similar qualifications who would be offered $11,205.00, is the same figure as its resistance point that was also $11,205.00.
After the HR manager stated that he could settle for $11,205.00, I was quite surprised and felt I was closing the deal already. He stated the rising operational costs had greatly affected the company’s profitability even though the client base had increased, and that was why salaries of all staff could not be increased. I got the sense that he was proud of me for bringing up the negotiation and wanted to come up with an agreement that would be beneficial to both of us. He also stated that he was aware of the current economic situation, and that the company was not making much profit. At that moment, I kept my calm demeanor and affirmed the $11,205.00 new pay, which would serve my cost of living nicely. At last, I felt a sense of relief when we shook...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:
Sign In
Not register? Register Now!