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WCM 510 Module Five Assignment: Questions for a Negotiating Session
Simona Elskoe
WCM-510-X2572 Negotiation/Advocacy in Work 22TW2
December 1, 2022
Introduction
Negotiation is often unavoidable within the working environment. They are often time-consuming ventures characterized by parties making offers and counter-offers until they achieve a resolution (Lewicki et al., 2020). Even though negotiating parties can adopt various strategies, the most effective one is integrative bargaining (Lewicki et al., 2020). This strategy requires parties to cooperate to attain a win-win or mutually beneficial outcome. Parties’ interests often inform the mutually beneficial agreements of the negotiating parties (Spangler, 2003). These interests include a part’s desires, fears, needs, and concerns. Since understanding the other party’s interests is key to arriving at an agreement with them, this paper will develop four questions that will help Sharon Slade, Netflix’s CHRO, understand Alice’s ZOPA and BATNA, making it easier for her to advance an integrative bargaining position.
Question I: Open-Ended
What made you an excellent performer in previous years? As intimated in the introductory paragraph, when integrative bargaining is used as a bargaining strategy, it often leads to a mutually beneficial agreement (Spangler, 2003). The first step in implementing this strategy is identifying the opposing party’s interest (Spangler, 2003). In this case, it involves identifying Alice’s interests. The open-ended question above will help Sharon advance an integrative bargaining position. Specifically, this question will allow Sharon to understand the various elements that contributed to Alice’s prior excellent performance, which she can then use to push Alice to adopt to improve her declining performance. This question might be perceived as fair since it seeks to identify the various things that made Alice a high performer and see if she can replicate them to improve her performance.
Question II: Closed Questions
Do you think the dip in your performance is concerning? Even though this is a closed question, it will go a long way in helping Sharon advance an integrative bargaining position. This is because the question will enable Sharon to identify whether Alice not only noticed that her performance was declining but also whether she is doing or willing to do something to change the situation. Essentially, this question will help Sharon ascertain if Alice is committed to improving her performance. Unfortunately, this question might be perceived as manipulative, considering it seeks to elicit information from Alice without her fully knowing the objective or end goal of the question.
Question III: Alternatives
Do you believe you have the requisite competence to continue in your current role, or do you need supplementary training to fill any knowledge or skill gaps? Alice’s response to this question will allow Sharon to advance an integrative bargaining position. Specifically, the question will help Sharon understand Alice’s perception of her competence deficiencies and whether she believes they can be addressed. By understanding this, Sharon can offer Alice a concession during their negotiation by recommending she undergoes further training rather than letting Alice go. This question is fair, considering it seeks to find the best alternative to terminating Alice from her current role at Netflix.
Question IV: Leading Questions
Terminating your employment if the training does not lead to an improvement in your performance is fair, don’t you think? Alice’s response to this question will enable Sharon to advance an integrative bargaining position. This is because the question will help Sharon determine if Alice will commit to training and if Alice’s assessment of her knowledge and skill gaps was honest and accurate. This question might be perceived as manipulative, considering it seeks to elicit information from Alice without her fully knowing the objective or end goal of the question.
Conclusion
Individuals who embrace positional bargaining during negotiations incur the risk of failing to reach an agreement with the opposing party. Such an outcome negates the essence of a negotiation, which many agree should lead to a win-win or mutually beneficial outcome. The four questions shared and discussed in this paper will help Sharon not only identify Alice’s ZOPA and BATNA but also allow her to advance an integrative bargaining position. This will increase the likelihood of achieving a mutually beneficial agreement for the company and Alice.
References
Lewicki, R.J., Barry, B., & Saunders, D. M. (2020). Negotiation (8th ed). Mcgraw-Hill Education.
Spangler, B. (2003, June). Integrative or Interest-Based Bargaining. Beyond Intractability. Retrieved from https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/interest-based_bargaining