PPMP20011 Portfolio Week 2: Theory and Practice of Negotiation

This document is a student's portfolio submission for Week 2 of the PPMP20011 unit, focusing on the theory and practice of negotiation. The assignment analyzes negotiation concepts, comparing them to the provided readings from Alfredson & Cungu, Kerzner, and Ury & Fisher, as well as relevant YouTube videos. It explores the applicability of negotiation to project management, specifically referencing the Chunnel project, and examines the role of negotiation in policy-making. The portfolio addresses the importance of soft skills in commercial negotiation, identifies motivating factors in negotiation processes, and discusses stakeholder management strategies. The student provides detailed answers to questions about the unit's learning outcomes, demonstrating an understanding of negotiation theory, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution in a project management context, with references to the provided resources.

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20011 Unit Portfolio for Week 2
Weekly Portfolio Learning Table
Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
Week 2 Topic:
Theory of
Negotiation and
Negotiation in
Practice.
Alfredson T., & Cungu
A. 2008. Negotiation
Theory and Practice;
Kerzner (2013)
Section
25.5 Managing
Troubled Projects;
William Ury and
Robert Fisher (2012)
GETTING TO YES:
Negotiating an
agreement without
giving in;
YouTube: Popular
Videos – Negotiation;
Negotiation is the
structural and
strategic analysis of
individuals that is
primarily used to
settle conflict of
interest. Negotiation
Is closely associated
with decision-making
and understanding of
the human
psychology.
1. Does the ‘Theory’ outlined in the Alfredson T., & Cungu A., 2008 paper
match the concept of negotiation in this unit?
Yes, the theory that has been outlined by the authors in their paper
accurately matches the concept of negotiation of this unit.
2. In the more serious YouTube videos do you find that they support or
contradict the concept of “commercial negotiation” as outlined in the
first two weeks of the unit?
The YouTube video that I have seen clearly demonstrates the ten best
steps that can be used while negotiating. These skills are inclusive of
negotiating with the vendor for the best price possible. Therefore, this
video and the demonstrator evidently supports the concept of
commercial negotiation.
3. Is the “art of negotiation” applicable to the Chunnel Project?
The art of negotiation can be partially applied to the Chunnel project.
Negotiation would have assisted to enhancing the execution of the
project by demonstrating the benefits of the tunnel to the government
of the United Kingdom. I have said partially here as the disasters that
occurred after the project was completed and the use of the tunnel for
illegal immigration is still a threat for the UK government.
4. Is negotiation really part of policy making? In what way is it so?
Yes, policy making includes negotiation. This because while developing
a policy, the policy makers and the employees have to negotiate the
terms of the policy between themselves before it is finalized. Such
negotiation is to avoid conflict between the policy executors and the
employees in the future.
Alfredson T., & Cungu
A. 2008. Negotiation
Theory and Practice
http://www.fao.org/do
cs/up/easypol/550/4-
5_negotiation_backgro
und_paper_179en.pdf
Stagg, A. (2018).
Negotiation Skills Top
10 Tips. YouTube.
Retrieved 25 March
2018, from
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?
v=oy0MD2nsZVs
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20011 Unit Portfolio for Week 2
Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
5. Is negotiating something that is related to a tangible outcome, such as
the Chunnel, the same as negotiating something that is intangible, such
as the end of a war?
The negotiation for outcomes such as the Chunnel is not the same for
negotiations results in the end of a war. The negotiation for tangible
objects is valid and acceptable till the object is created. However, after
the end of a war the situation still remains unstable. This is because
even if the current parties involved in the negotiation agree to the
current terms of negotiation, however the future parties from the same
countries might not and raise conflict again.
6. What bullets in this section apply to negotiation?
This section entirely applies to negotiation as the author focuses on
various strategies that can be used for negotiation.
7. Are there any similarities between Alfredson T., & Cungu A. 2008 paper
and this section?
There are some similarities between the two papers as the authors
closely analyse the different techniques that encompass commercial
negotiation and the skills that are required for this process.
8. Could Kerzner’s Recovery Life-Cycle Phases be applied in the Theory
outlined in Alfredson & Cungu?
Yes, the phases for the recovery of a project can be applied to the
theory stated in the Cungu and the Alfredson. This is because the
recovery of a project requires a huge amount of investment and
planning and therefore the skills of negotiation is necessary for the
process.
9. Are different stakeholders in negotiation?
There are four kinds of stakeholders, the supportive, the marginal, the
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20011 Unit Portfolio for Week 2
Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
non-supportive and the mixed blessing stakeholder.
10. How can we manage the stakeholders?
Different stakeholders must be managed in their own individual
manner. The supportive stakeholder must be involved in every
situation to have their maximum cooperation. The marginal
stakeholders usually remain inactive however, they raise questions
when the matter concerns them. Therefore, they must be carefully
observed and manage them when they get involved. The non-
supportive stakeholder is harmful for the organization and therefore
their interest in the organization must be minimized. The mixed
blessing stakeholder must be managed by collaborating with them that
would ensure their cooperation.
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner,
H. R. (2017). Project
management: a
systems approach to
planning, scheduling,
and controlling. John
Wiley & Sons.
Sphere, P. (2018).
Negotiation. YouTube.
Retrieved 25 March
2018, from
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?
v=1FeM6kp9Q80
Are any of the
activities above
relevant to your
reflections for the
learning outcomes
on the right?
4. Explain and apply
methods of
identifying and
reconciling
inconsistent and
conflicting objectives
and drivers that
develop, maintain,
11. Does Commercial Negotiation require soft skills, and interpersonal skills
or is it about contracts and procedures without any emotion being
involved?
Negotiation does require soft skills and the skill to communicate with
involved party irrespective of the nature of the negotiation.
Commercial negotiation is centred on contracts and procedures.
However, for effective communication and relationship development,
soft skills are necessary.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20011 Unit Portfolio for Week 2
Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
mange relationships
and communication
with key
stakeholders.
12. What are the drivers that motivate the parties involved in a negotiation
process?
The motivating factors in the negotiation process would be the need for
reaching a desirable outcome for both the parties that contributes to
elimination of any conflict of interest between them.
References
Alfredson T., & Cungu A. 2008. Negotiation Theory and Practice http://www.fao.org/docs/up/easypol/550/4-5_negotiation_background_paper_179en.pdf
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Sphere, P. (2018). Negotiation. YouTube. Retrieved 25 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FeM6kp9Q80
Stagg, A. (2018). Negotiation Skills Top 10 Tips. YouTube. Retrieved 25 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy0MD2nsZVs
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