Subject Overview

International Business Negotiation examines how firms prepare, conduct, conclude and implement negotiations across national, cultural, legal and institutional boundaries. It integrates negotiation theory, intercultural competence, strategy, analytics, ethics, governance and digital tools through cases, simulations and managerial applications.

Learning Goal

Students will be able to analyze international negotiation contexts; develop evidence-based strategies; communicate across cultures; manage power, conflict, teams and stakeholders; create and claim value ethically; evaluate agreements; and use analytics, digital platforms and AI responsibly in contemporary business negotiations.

Syllabus

1. Foundations of International Business Negotiation

Learning Objective: Define negotiation terminology and distinguish international negotiation from domestic bargaining. Explain interdependence, interests, positions, reservation points, aspiration levels, concessions, outcomes and cross-border complexity.

Category: foundation

2. Negotiation Theories and Core Models

Learning Objective: Apply distributive, integrative, mixed-motive, behavioral, game-theoretic and principal–agent perspectives. Evaluate BATNA, WATNA, ZOPA, anchoring, bargaining surplus and Pareto-efficient outcomes.

Category: foundation

3. International Negotiation Context and Institutions

Learning Objective: Assess how political, economic, legal and institutional environments affect bargaining. Examine country risk, trade regimes, regulation, sanctions, corruption exposure and formal versus informal institutions.

Category: core

4. Culture and Intercultural Intelligence

Learning Objective: Use major cultural frameworks critically to interpret communication, hierarchy, time, trust, face, relationship orientation and decision styles while avoiding stereotypes and developing cultural intelligence.

Category: core

5. Negotiation Preparation and Strategic Planning

Learning Objective: Conduct stakeholder, issue and interest analysis; research counterparties; calculate BATNAs and reservation values; prioritize objectives; design opening offers, concession plans, agendas and scenario-based strategies.

Category: core

6. Communication, Persuasion and Relationship Building

Learning Objective: Develop questioning, active listening, framing, reframing, signaling and persuasive argumentation skills. Interpret verbal and nonverbal communication, manage language barriers and build cross-border trust.

Category: core

7. Value Claiming, Value Creation and Deal Design

Learning Objective: Use anchoring and concession tactics responsibly while creating value through trade-offs, logrolling, contingent agreements, package offers, objective criteria and multi-issue deal structuring.

Category: application

8. Power, Influence, Conflict and Difficult Tactics

Learning Objective: Diagnose sources of power and dependence, respond to threats, deception, deadlock and hard bargaining, manage emotions and cognitive biases, and apply conflict-resolution and mediation techniques.

Category: application

9. Teams, Agents and Multiparty Negotiations

Learning Objective: Organize multicultural negotiation teams, define roles and authority, manage internal alignment and agency problems, and address coalitions, constituencies, stakeholders and multiparty decision processes.

Category: application

10. Contracts, Risk, Governance and Implementation

Learning Objective: Translate negotiated outcomes into enforceable cross-border agreements covering price, currency, delivery, intellectual property, confidentiality, compliance, dispute resolution and adaptation. Monitor implementation and relationship performance.

Category: application

11. Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainable Negotiation

Learning Objective: Evaluate truthfulness, disclosure, conflicts of interest, bribery, human rights and fairness using ethical frameworks. Integrate ESG, sustainability, responsible sourcing and organizational governance into negotiation decisions.

Category: strategic

12. Negotiation Analytics and Decision Making

Learning Objective: Apply decision trees, expected value, scoring models, sensitivity analysis, negotiation scorecards and post-deal evaluation. Use data to compare alternatives, quantify uncertainty and reduce cognitive bias.

Category: advanced

13. Digital, Virtual and AI-Supported Negotiation

Learning Objective: Manage virtual and platform-based negotiations, cybersecurity, digital identity and electronic contracting. Use AI for research, scenario generation and agreement analysis while addressing privacy, bias, transparency and human oversight.

Category: contemporary

14. Complex Global Deals and Future Practice

Learning Objective: Integrate the course through simulations involving alliances, licensing, mergers, procurement and public–private negotiations. Examine geopolitical fragmentation, supply-chain resilience, automated negotiation and evolving professional competencies.

Category: strategic