PON – Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School - https://www.pon.harvard.edu
Business and Commercial Role-Play:
Chiptech
$0.00 – $6.00
Deborah Kolb
Two-party negotiation between a company's chief financial officer and the head of the human resources department regarding the budget for the department's reorganization
Log In or Register to download the free Teacher's Package Sample.
SCENARIO:
Chiptech, a large company that markets a variety of electronic products for business and personal use, is in the midst of its annual budget process. Terry Austin, Chiptech's head of Human Resources, has approached CFO Chris Brown about a budget increase that is far above the limit set in a memo by Brown. Austin claims that the increase is necessary to implement the HR reorganization plan that was recently approved by the president of the company. This is their meeting.
NOTE: This simulation is based on Multimode by Lawrence Susskind.
MAJOR LESSONS:
The degree to which issues other than the percentage increase or cut should come into play is a useful focus for a discussion of good outcomes.
Both of the parties want the best for Chiptech, but they have different perspectives on how to do this. Austin wants to improve the HR element, and Brown wants to improve the financial element. This can lead to interesting discussion. Can each party understand where the other is coming from? Does this help them come to a solution, or just keep things civil?
CFO Chris Brown has the final say on Austin's budget proposal. How does this color the negotiation?
Teacher's Package Includes:
One copy of each set of confidential instructions
No teaching note currently available. For a similar role-play with a teaching note please see Multimode
Prof. Susskind’s Top 5 Environmental Negotiation Teaching Materials
From time to time, the Teaching Negotiation Resource Center asks PON-affiliated faculty to nominate their top five books, top five teaching videos or top five role-play simulations in certain fields or teaching settings. These change periodically.