This course includes four books and a variety of articles. What readings were particularly useful? Why? In what ways? What readings seemed less relevant? Why? How so? In this section, comments on what you learned (or did not learn) from the class reading materials.
Being interested in international business negotiations I found Lee's The New Rules of International Negotiation to be one of the most helpful course readings. The book provided great insight into international negotiations in a business setting and the "Snapshots" at the end of many chapters on different countries and cultures were also interesting as well as useful. The book is a pretty easy read and I was able to go through the chapters quickly yet retained many good points from the reading.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the format of the Starkey et. al book International Negotiation in a Complex World. It set the negotiations up in terms of a game which I found more appealing as well as gave real world case examples of the concepts, many of which we covered and elaborated on in class so that was useful to me. The Narlikar book Deadlocks in Multilateral Negotiations also gave many real world examples that we covered in class. This book was more useful and pertinent to me towards the end of the term, especially with the last simulation we participated in.
The Brett book, Negotiating Globally, was rather difficult for me to read. It was very dense with many concepts, although they were very beneficial, it was hard for me to get through and retain what I had just read. This book provided the greatest information overall on negotiating concepts, particularly culture which is so vital in negotiations.
I didn't do much of the extra readings that were posted on Blackboard as I should have, but I read quite a few articles on Systems Thinking for the midterm exam which were all very useful. It was interesting to me to read Professor Walker's materials on this concept he knows so well and practically developed. Not only is Systems Thinking pertinent to negotiations but I can use it as well as situation maps for many other topics in school and situations that I will continue to face moving beyond college.
Brett: I found this textbook to be the most useful by far. The emphasis on integrative deal making, and exercise examples gave a solid context for understanding the more theoretical descriptions. I also enjoyed the fact that it was able to not feel overly focused on business or political applications.
ReplyDeleteNarlikar: I found this book to be the least useful. While deadlocks played a role in our simulations and our in class material, I feel that a lot of this information about deadlocks could have been provided in a few pdf files rather than needing to read the entire book. Had the course encountered more deadlocks, or examined them more in class, then this book may have seemed more relevant.
Lee: Parts of this books were useful, and it did provide a good contrast to the superior book by Brett, but its cultural characterizations and focus on business were rather uninteresting to me personally. I general the book seemed a little self-indulgent and I would have preferred a reading that concentrated more on theory with limited examples. I suppose those interested in business may have enjoyed this book more.
Starkey et al: This book was right in the middle for me. Some ideas presented were excellent and very helpful. However, I didn't go back to as often as the Brett book, I didn't have any disdain for it like I did the Lee book, and it was more applicable than Narlikar.
PDFs: When considering the book list, the pdfs seemed some weeks to just be overwhelming. While they were good resources, and I found a few of them very helpful, it was hard to really get to deep into any one article because of the high volume of other reading. I'd almost rather have fewer pdfs, but force students to more critically analyze them, than have as many as we did. More contemporary examples is always recommended, because as interesting as the Law of the Sea readings were, their age made them less intriguing to me personally.
The easiest read and my favorite of the four books was also Lee. I am not highly engaged in the business aspects of negotiation but the experiences discussed were still quite applicable to my situations. While a grounded understanding in theory is always important in any field, I gathered from Lee's book and stories the situational nature of negotiations and this point was very relevant to me. Our class was predominately upper-classman with an interest, if not a mostly completed degree, in communication. And yet, during our simulations many of the same obstacles and problems that are discussed in all readings prevented a satisfactory resolution. It seemed we knew the theory of Brett, Starkey, and Narlikar but we continually missed out on the personal characteristics also discussed in Lee and others.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the organization and approach of Narlikar but often felt that some of the major points were discussed to the point of redundancy. While dense at times, the examples were well illustrated and kept my interest.
I'm not sure it is was own personal bias, but the writing style of Brett was extremely difficult for me to get through. It seemed so crammed with tidbits and strategies that I felt overloaded and often found myself reading back through again and again to find a major point. Once I finally disseminated the content for myself, it did provide very relevant information and helped me to familiarize myself with all the jargon of a field I am unaccustomed to.
Finally, Starkey's book was similar in my mind to Brett in the familiarization with a foreign topic but the format of the book allowed me to better organize and learn throughout the reading. It seemed somehow less intimidating to me.
The major benefits of the pdf's was in their variety. I found it refreshing to have multiple formats from powerpoints, to journal articles all related to the same topic. Also, the content of the provided readings differed so greatly that I found myself reading one more intently than other because the area was of greater interest to me.
Stacey Frederic
Out of all the readings that were offered for this course the ones that I found to be most useful were the textbooks, most specifically the Brett Book, “Negotiating Globally.” I found that this text had the most relevant readings that went along with what we were learning/doing in class, it was the Brett readings that best prepared me for each upcoming class. I felt like the material that was introduced in “Negotiating Globally” was presented in a way that was pretty easy to follow; the topic/concept was introduced and then an example of that topic was given. For example, in the first chapter of the text the concept of deals was introduced, then the different type of deals was explained and an example was given.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the books that were included in this course there was only one book that I really did not care fore; “The New Rules of International Negotiation” by Catherine Lee. I understand why this book was included in this course, there was obviously a lot of useful information that was presented. The problem I encountered with this book was that I thought it was a lot more “business” centered than “communication” centered . I don’t necessarily think it was a bad book, I just preferred the other readings.
Besides “Negotiating Globally” by Brett, I thought that the articles provided were the most useful, and probably the most relevant readings for this class. The articles provided examples of how the concepts and information learned in the other readings and class actually play out in real life. The only thing that I had a problem with the articles was that for a few of them I didn’t have a lot of previous knowledge on the issues so I felt a bit lost at times. This could also be considered a good thing, when I was less familiar with a subject I would do some research on it, therefore allowing me to learn more about a subject that I might have not otherwise.
-Haley Fletcher
Looking at the readings I think is most effective by looking at them individually and ranking them in order of value.
ReplyDelete1.) Bret: I found Bret's book, alongside Lee's, to be the most useful for the class and the papers/simulations. I particularly enjoyed how Bret gave case studies or examples of each item discussed in the chapters. I also felt that the information relayed, especially about culture and negotiating tactics/strategy was very useful.
2.) Lee: I found the Lee text to be almost equally as useful as the Bret text especially because I am interested in business which this book focused on. I also enjoyed seeing the practical applications in which the ideas Lee was relaying were shown in country or case examples. I found the language to be simple and easy to read which also helps when I have a bunch of reading for other classes.
3.) Starkey: I found the Starkey text to be fairly hit and miss. Some of the information was very helpful, especially the section on power. I found the language to be a bit difficult at times and also felt as though it kind of jumped around a bit too much and was a little too broad. Overall it was okay.
4.) Narlikar: As was warned at the beginning of the class this was definitely the most difficult of the class readings. There was a lot of information and it was hard for me to find information that I could use in simulations as we never really reached any deadlocks which was what the book was about.
Future: For the future I would recommend using the Bret and Lee books for sure, the Starkey one could be possibly used but was not as useful, and I would not recommend using the Narlikar text in the future.
The course readings were fairly easy and clear reads pertaining to the course. However, my favorites were Bret and Lee just like previous students have stated. These two books offered the best information along with examples that were applicable to better understand the concepts they were expressing. In turn, the material found in these books were the ones I used mostly on course papers. The other two applied to the course, but in my opinion didn't offer as great of a tool for learning the nuances of international negotiation. Thus, Bret and Lee's books are a definite keeps for later teachings of the course.
ReplyDeleteMy two favorite books were Brett and Narlikar because of the applicability to the simulations we participated in. Brett always had good straight forward information that was easy to read, and I found Narlikar section on deadlocked negotiations to be especially useful when analyzing the third simulation from the term. The other two books, Lee and Starkey, were good but I didn't find them as useful when analyzing the key components of the simulations, and I wasn't able to engage as much with them.
ReplyDeleteBruce Bingham
6/11/12
The course readings were easy to understand most of the time, and clear reads when trying to understand concepts from the course that were earlier discussed. They were extremely helpful when working on the midterm and essays for the course so they could back up the evidence you were trying to use. I believe that Narlikar and Starkey were hard reads, sometimes they did not pertain to what we were discussing so as a whole they were just a difficult read. When, I personally liked reading Lee's book. It was easy to understand it also lined out the negotiation beyond borders, and what works and what doesn't. It was very helpful in this class. I enjoyed the readings were something was presented in class and the reading that followed backed that up and helped you understand what the concept that was presented was. Overall I believed Lee's to be the most beneficial to my learning. All of them were decent reads.
ReplyDeleteAs I have said over and over again I have enjoyed reading from Jeanne Brett’s book, Negotiating Globally. Everything from her style to layout compliments the materials very well. This enjoyment in reading her work has me skimming through pages that are or are not assigned just to see where she takes things. BUT because I always choose to quote her I would like to discus Catherine Lee’s book, The New Rules of International Communication.
ReplyDeleteThis book and I had a love hate relationship. Many of my favorite lessons came out of this book but I would often have to sift through the text to get my own clear picture. Chapter 4 for example, Superiority complex: Sophomores of the Global Economy, was able to provide me quite a bit of introspection in regards to my “competitive spirit” in the business world. Lee’s comparison of competitive sports to business changed the way I respond to questions when at work completely. In addition to that, the way I have come to think about, how I think about, other people from different countries has changed. I am someone who has a very rich and diverse ethnicity so I feel that I am able to live my life without judging others, but have I limited that open mind to just people of my own nationality? Are the “developing peoples” of the world a muted group in this white man’s business world? Lee has raised many good points but I must admit that her use of example, in most cases, does not click with me. In my opinion she will often tell of irrelevant details, or drag an example out too long.
As far as Blackboard reading, I usually have a hate-hate relationship with them. I am not a fan or reading off the computer or printing out photo copied pages… However I must admit I rather enjoyed this class’s selection of outside, the text books, material. I have only been fortunate enough to be in one, maybe two other classes where I was able to learn from lectures and writing done by the professor teaching the class. This comprehensive coverage of the material has really only been matched in one or two classes I have taken with Dr. Sanders over the years. Someone who loves the material can explain it in the clearest way, but can make their audience excited because they are.
Of the four books Deadlock on Multilateral Negotiations, seemed to be my least favorite. I found it to be repetitive and found myself not turning to it after the initial reading as other books. I am similar feelings about Negotiating a complex world. I enjoyed the readings I did but did not find myself dwelling of key sentences or theories after I set the book down.
-Michael Ryan Fashana
My two favorite books were Catherine Lee’s: “The New Rules of International Negotiation” and Jeanne Brett’s: “Negotiating Globally.” I liked Lee’s book because it dealt with the many different aspects of culture and how it plays a huge role in the negotiation game. I also thought it was very helpful when she started associating culture with building relationships and trust, then expanding upon that by giving examples of different cultures and how each individual culture has a unique way of building those trusting relationships. The most important aspect that I got from the book is: vulnerability is a prerequisite to a trusting relationship. But in the competitive arena vulnerability is considered a weakness.
ReplyDeleteI found Brett’s book useful because of its explanation of culture being an iceberg. Knowing and observing the proper behavioral patterns of a people and their institutions is extremely important in negotiations today. Brett’s definition of cultural values, individualism vs. collectivism, hierarchy vs. egalitarianism, and beliefs all help better understand the undercarriage of the iceberg. Knowing how to identify these can help you show respect for the culture you are negotiating with.
I thought there were a few articles that were less relevant than others to this class. For example: ‘‘Real Men’’ and Diplomats: Intercultural Diplomatic Negotiation and Masculinities in China and the United States. This was a decent article but considering we didn’t really touch on gender in the negotiation fields that much I found it less useful.
The course readings were all fun to read as it was my first time learning about negotiations/ international negotiations. I found Brett’s book Negotiating Globally the most interesting and most useful one. It breaks down negotiations in a way that is easy for beginners like myself to grasp. It starts with the basic you need to know, goes over cultures involvement in negotiations, touches on resolving disputes, talks about negotiation strategies, covers third parties, teaches about social dilemmas, and also about managing multicultural negotiating teams. It has tables and graphs that are easy to understand. They enhance learning in such a way that gives a lot of examples from the real world.
ReplyDeleteLee’s book I thought was probably most related to what the lecture slides discussed. I liked how it gave tons of examples about the rules of negotiating everywhere.
The online articles I found very repetitive of the lecture slides. However, I think it is still good to see how an article about negotiation looks and get familiar with it for future research.
My interest was primarily in the international business negotiations aspects of the course. This was the focus of many of my writings and I found Catherine Lee's book to be most helpful in understanding many of the factors involved in international business negotiations. Cultural issues were the most interesting as I was reading the various texts and Lee's book really puts the cultural aspects of negotiations in way that was easily understandable and the importance could be obviously identified. Bret was also a significant source for looking at issues in the cultural context, but Lee was more appealing and engaging for me.
ReplyDeleteThe readings that I found the most useful were Brett and Lee. I especially enjoyed "The New Rules of International Negotiation" because Lee tries to relate her own international negotiation encounters through stories to help the reader better understand how to handle each specific situation.
ReplyDelete"Global Negotiation" by Brett was the second most insightful book I used. I found it very helpful in explaining the areas of cultural differences and social dilemmas.
A few of the online reading were helpful. I am just not one who likes to read on the computer, because I can't take notes or high light anything from them.
The readings I enjoyed the most and found the most rewarding overall were the blackboard articles surrounding the International Climate Change negotiations and UNCLOS III. I particularly enjoyed reading Milner Ball's analysis of the UNCLOS III negotiations and why the consensus based approach was so innovative and ground breaking at the time. It was great to be able to read a technical article like Ball's regarding the Law of the Sea and connect it with the present day Climate Change talks that are trying to use the same consensus method. For better or for worse, the United Nations feels that the consensus style approach to negotiating climate change with over 100 nations, consisting of both developed and developing countries, is the best way to proceed. Considering the fact that the UN climate change summits have been trying to ratify an international agreement regarding the reduction of carbon emissions for 20 years now possibly indicates that the consensus method is not effective. I enjoyed reading the Walker conference powerpoint slides as well as the Walker and Daniels Chapter 6 reading that discussed systems-thinking. Systems thinking is really a very foundational and key method of conceptualizing the negotiating process because it connects all of the elements involved to produce an output. This type of conceptualization transcends all types of human-human and human-nature interactions and allows for visual analysis of the bigger picture. Overall, these readings were the most beneficial to my understanding of the larger real world issues at stake in present times.
ReplyDeleteI'm a history major and have learned about cultures through the ages and how business was done, politics, and negotiations that took place. However this class was really the first time where i got to look at it with a closer eye, and i have to say the books held my interest during the course of the term. The only one i finished completely was Catherine Lee's book The New Rules of International Negotiation because it was something...well new. Other than that I also enjoyed several of the articles that were posted on blackboard, the ones on the Law of the Sea and climate change we pretty cool to read through. I've always heard about climate change in school and in the news, but i never really paid much attention to what people are doing on the international level to help stop or at least slow it down. The readings and the class itself have peaked my interest in these kinds of subjects, so i have no doubt that I'll probably try to follow them more closely.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Brett and Lees book. The way they described things meshed with the way I take information in. So to me, I always enjoyed the readings that were in either of those books more. My favorite topic from the Lee was the cultural barriers. I like the examples that Lee used to illustrate the points. I've traveled a lot and I love hearing about the barrier in which i had to cross as well as learning about ones that I didn't know existed.
ReplyDelete