Discuss and analyze a real-life negotiation that took place in the entrepreneurial setting by using public information and what you have learned in class. The purpose of this assessment is to apply the framework and insights you have gained through the module and demonstrate that you can competently read, interpret, and analyze negotiations in entrepreneurial settings.
You can choose any negotiation case that has entrepreneurial significance. Examples include cases related to the funding of a new venture, the recruitment of new team members, the formation of the founding team, the sale of a start-up, conflicts that occurred within the venture, among others.
It is advisable that you choose a case in which there is enough material from public sources to allow for an in-depth examination of negotiation dynamics. You are expected to cite the material that informs your analysis, but you should not limit your essay to a summary of the case or what was reported in public sources.
In your essay, I expect you to:
Identify the parties involved and their interests, positions, and relationships
Identify and summarise the unfolding of events and the key decisions
Discuss the cognitive (biases, emotions), interpersonal, and contextual factors that shaped the negotiation process and outcome
Reflect on what went wrong/right, why, and how the situation could have been handled differently (what the parties could have done better and why)
To inform your analysis, I recommend you look for diverse data like news articles, interviews, and press releases. Major news outlets and entrepreneurial magazines are usually a good place to start. You want to find at least a few articles and sources on your case; one source is unlikely to be enough. I refrain from telling you how many articles and other sources you should look for because their number depends on their quality.
You have the liberty to organise the case in a way that you think is effective. At a minimum, your case study should include an introduction, your analysis, and your conclusions. I expect you to communicate your points and ideas concisely and write formally as you would do in professional writing.
If you analyze a public negotiation case, please cite all the newspaper articles and sources from which you drew your information. I expect you to relate your analysis to the notions and framework we discussed in class.
Framework in class:
1. Distributive Negotiation
2. Integrative Negotiation
Please choose one of these frameworks
