Best Free MOOCs In Business In October

International and Cross-Cultural Negotiation

School: ESSEC Business School

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link:  REGISTER HERE

Start Date: October 9, 2017 (4 Weeks Long)

Workload: 1-2 Hours Per Week

Instructors: Aurélien Colson and Alan Jenkins

Credentials: Colson and Jenkins are both faculty members at ESSEC Business School, with Colson serving as Professor of Political Science and Jenkins operating out of the Department of Management. At ESSEC, Colson heads the Institute for Research and Education on Negotiation and is the author of the best-seller, The First Move. Before entering academia, Colson also spent four years as an advisor to the French Prime Minister. Jenkins’ teaching and research focuses on the group dynamics and conflict management and his research has been featured in outlets like Organizational Studies and Employee Relations.

Graded: Students must complete all assignments to finish the course.

Description: Negotiation strategy is often influenced by the national origin of the participants. In France and Germany, negotiators earn respect by focusing on facts and logic. For the Chinese, negotiation is a drawn out process, with initial meetings focused heavily on collecting information. The art of the deal is almost a national sport in Singapore, where many negotiators rely on tactics ranging from stalling to anger to gain concessions. In contrast, Americans tend to leave no doubt where they stand, in hopes that negotiation will be quick and smooth affairs.

Every negotiator brings different demeanors and tactics to the table, particularly in areas like “approaches to risk, to authority, to the individual, to time, etc.,” say the instructors. In other words, shrewd negotiators can gain an edge by understanding the cultural background of participants. In this course, students will examine the various dimensions of communication, including verbal and non-verbal cues, context, perceptions of fairness, and regional negotiation styles. In addition, students will learn how to act and foster dialogue in bilateral settings.

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Additional Note: This course is the third course in a “Negotiation, Mediation and Conflict Resolution” specialization. To learn more about these courses and register for them, click here.