Knowledge and Understanding Gained in STRM060 Module Portfolio

This individual reflective portfolio, submitted for the STRM060 module at the University of Northampton, explores the knowledge and understanding gained throughout the course. The report, written in the first-person, analyzes negotiation techniques, strategies, and cross-cultural communication within an international business context. It focuses on key themes from selected weekly modules, including negotiation styles, critical skills, and cross-cultural communication, drawing on academic research and in-class activities. The portfolio evaluates two in-class negotiation activities, discussing underlying principles and learning development. Furthermore, it examines the nuances of international business negotiations, specifically focusing on the cultural contexts and their impact on communication and negotiation processes. The student reflects on personal experiences and provides insights into conflict management and negotiation failures, using examples and case studies to illustrate key concepts. The report adheres to the University of Northampton's Harvard referencing style, providing a comprehensive overview of the student's learning journey and practical application of negotiation principles.

Assessment Two
Module Code Level Credit Value Partnership Assessment & Quality
Coordinator
STRM060 7 20 Tuan Dinh
Assignment Brief
Assignment title: Knowledge and understanding gained throughout the STRM060 module.
Assessment type: Individual self-reflective portfolio (AS1)
Weighting: 60%
Deadline: 05.02.2020
Feedback and Grades
due: 4 working weeks after the submission date
Resit Date Please see the assignment submission point on NILE
Please read this assessment brief in its entirety before attempting your assignment.
The second assignment is an individual 2,500-word academic portfolio, written in the first-person, which
needs to incorporate the knowledge, skills and understanding gained throughout the duration of the
STRM060 module. Academic understanding needs draw from textbooks and your own academic
research as the module unfolds. It follows that students engaging closely week-by-week will be most
confident about completing the assignment successfully and to deadline.

Learning Outcomes:
The learning outcomes that are being assessed in this assignment are:
LO1: Analyse and apply negotation techniques, for example, signalling, ploys, techniques and tradables.
LO2: Devise negotiation strategies appropriate to a variety of business situations by analysing and
synthesing relevant data sources.
LO3: Critically reflect upon own personal and professional development, using prescribed development
activities.
LO4: Academic referencing / structure and presentation of the portfolio.
The portfolio needs to follow this format:
Title page
Content page
Introduction
Six weeks [select any week to a total of six and highlight then discuss the key points / themes learned
from that class. You will need to put the date of each class].
Class activity one [choose one of the in-class negotiation activities and academically discuss the
underlying negotiation principals of the activity, and what you learned.]
Class activity two [choose another in-class negotiation activity and academically discuss the underlying
negotiation principals of the activity, and what you learned.]
International Negotiations [academically discuss what you have learned in the context of cross-cultural
negotiation.]
Conclusion
Reference section
Appendices
Please note: for marking and moderation purposes all sources used in the main body of the portfolio
need to follow the University of Northampton’s Harvard referencing style and the page number of each
source MUST be included i.e. Jones (2010, p.21). Additionally, all submission will need to be in
Microsoft Word format.

Introduction
The following is my personal reflective report on the learning experience I have gained throughout
my course and the assignment that I undertook. The reflective portfolio is based on international
business relations. There are two important topics concerning the IBN sessions and the assignment that I
was provided that I choose. As per the assignment, the first topic is negotiation style and the second topic
is consultation, bargaining, mediation and conciliation in a cross-culture context. This was chosen as the
topic as my previous assignment has covered the same. The course have been very effective for me
concerning my development through the learning process. The weekly modules have covered important
topics such as conflict management, negotiation styles, negotiation ethics, strategies for negotiations,
social negotiation contexts and bargaining and mediation. This helped me to understand more about the
different aspects that are connected with the negotiation processes. It is important to understand that the
course materials as well as the learnings from the differing weeks helped me to gain important insightful
understanding of business negotiations. In this report I evaluate the learnings that I have gathered from a
total of modules for 6 weeks out of the many weeks that I have covered for the course. The key aspects
that were learnt in these weeks are highlighted. Moving forward, I evaluate the in-class negotiation
activities that I went through. I evaluate two activities and assess my learning development. Lastly, my
learnings about the cross cultural negotiations are discussed. Reflections are important as they can help
to provide a personal perspective on the learning process that one have undergone. It helps to create a
positive personal mindset with regards to the various things that are learnt through a process.

Key points from the modules
The group sessions conducted were very important in developing better knowledge of the course
concepts. The IBN sessions helped me to identify all the major factors that were associated with the
negotiation’s tactics. I was able to understand more about negotiation processes and their importance in
organizational development. There were some important materials that were provided in regard to critical
skills for negotiation, cross cultural communication, negotiation styles and international business
negotiations.
In one group sessions, we learnt about the negotiation styles. The concepts that are intrinsically related to
negotiation types were effectively learnt. I learnt some of the most important concepts learnt in this week
was the stated and the in-practice styles of negotiations (Miller 2014). It felt great as I began to
understand the topic of my study more effectively. The class was very important in developing sound
knowledge of the concepts. The good thing was that I was able to grasp the concept of negotiation styles
effectively. I’ve also learnt about the critical skills for business negotiations. This was an important
learning phase. The key concepts that I learnt were related to the negotiation processes that are present
across various organisation.
In another group session, I learnt about the intrinsic and extrinsic elements of cross-cultural
communication. The class was very important as it gave me the opportunity to learn and understand
about the need for cross cultural communication in organisation. I was able to greatly improve my
understanding of business communications, not only for the experience shared by the tutor, but also from
the input from my peers. I got to learn much importantly about the cultural anthropology. This helped to
know more about the history of communication.
IBN sessions continue to provide me with valuable skills and techniques to negotiations, as I got to learn
more about the international business negotiations. The key concepts that were learnt were the cultural
contexts that become very important in view of international communication. I learnt that language
barriers need to be overcome as well as cultural barriers when it comes to international communication.
The lessons were challenging as I continue to learn the cultural contexts that affect businesses touched
upon subjects like sociology, history and social sciences.
I learnt about a case study of China and how the negotiation processes take place in the country. The
negotiation of the people from the western culture with the people of China was an important part of my
learning. Some things that I learnt vary in different cultures were work perception, perseverance and
cultural motivation. I also learnt about the cultural differences that might be present in the organizational
structures of two different countries. I learnt about how people perceive their work in various countries.
The class helped in making the concept of business management clearer. The most important concepts
about negotiations became much easier to comprehend.

Reflections on Class activity one
In the first group assignment presentation, I worked with my peers to conduct a deep dive into business
negotiations. The case study was regards to a company falling in a foreign country and how the correct
negations will help to succeed in the new environment. This assessment was very important in view of
developing further knowledge about the course and how it can help me in my future endeavors using the
underlying negotiation principles behind this class task were consultation, bargaining, mediation and
conciliation in a cross-cultural context.
During the presentation research, it led me to research many authentic documents and gain some
important negotiation principles that were used for the study were cross cultural communications and the
theories of cultural differences. I used the knowledge I’ve gained to further explain the impacts of
leadership styles in two nationalities. The Russians used much lesser universal standards in business.
The French on the other hand were more inclined towards using international standards. The
individualistic vs Collectivistic aspects of organizational culture were also found to be different among the
Russians and the French. The communication contexts were found to be high for Russians and low for
French. The assignment was important in determining how conflicts can arise within the various
organizations due to cultural differences.
The understanding that was developed from this assignment helped me to gain sufficient insights on the
different cultural contexts play different roles for various organizations. At the same time I developed
deeper understanding of the communication concepts. One instance can be provided of a failed
negotiation of my own. In this negotiation situation the suppliers were reluctant to take less money for the
hired vehicles. In this case the suppliers kept on taking the stance that they are already charging the
lowest possible price. In this negotiation situation the suppliers were reluctant to take less money for the
hired vehicles. In this case the suppliers kept on taking the stance that they are already charging the
lowest possible price. The negotiation process never moved smoothly and no one was able to reach
mutually agreeable terms.
The implications of the study pointed out that the some of the best negotiation methods to establish good
negotiation are collaboration, studying the environment and creating more awareness. The assignment
was very important for me to develop greater understanding of the negotiation contexts that are very
important for all organizations.
Reflections on Class activity two
This activity tested all the things that were learnt from the IBN sessions. This activity required fair
amount of research. This helped me to gain even better understanding of the negotiation processes. In
this in class negotiation activity was to identify some of the key definitions of negotiation. This activity
became more important in understanding the negotiation styles and their application in the business
communication contexts. The questions that were much importantly asked were, what is negotiation?
What are the negotiation skills? The four stages of negotiation, the cultural factors influencing negotiation,
the daily negotiations that occur and the academic sources concerning negotiation. A negative situation
occurred while negotiating once with the customer and myself. In this case the customer did not agree to
the price. I was unable to convince the customer about the pricing and this led to the failure of the
negotiation.
This activity was important in understanding negotiation in better ways. It is important to evaluate
the activity in regards to the learning that I was able to develop as a result of undertaking the in class
activity. I was greatly influenced by the learning that I received. Before starting the course I was unaware
of many concepts that were present in regards to negotiation and business communications. However
this activity helped me to gain sufficient insights into the subject matter. In this regards, theory of Shell
(2011) was much important. In essence, this assessment helped to understand more about the
negotiation styles that were used across various organizational contexts. The Thomas-Kilmann conflict
mode instrument (TKI) was an important learning area with regards to this in class activity. The TKI is a
psychological assessment tool that is used to understand conflict management through negotiations. This

tool is further utilized as a teaching aid (Koley and Rao 2018). Learning about this tool was one of the
most important phases of my learning development. I got to know more about the tool and its various
usage. This helped me in understanding myself more with regards to the subject that was being learnt.
These were some of the most important aspects that are connected with conflict management and
negotiations. The various negotiation styles that were understood as a part of the assessment helped me
to gain further insight into the subject matter. A negative situation occurred while negotiating once where
the customer. In this case the customer did not agree to the price. I was unable to convince the customer
about the pricing and this led to the failure of the negotiation. The main issue was that the customer
remained adamant on the demands. These demands could not be met and this led to the ultimate failure
of the negotiation process.
The most important fact that I learnt about TKI was that it can be used as an instrument to know
more about negotiation styles. It also helped to understand that conflict is not merely a situation of
disagreement. I understood through answering the questions that not knowing about the needs and
requirements of all the stakeholders is also a form of conflict situation. It is in regards to the various
conflict situations that that the conflict management styles need to be utilized. It is essentially understood
that the TKI has two important dimensions, these are concern and satisfaction for the needs of one’s own
and concern for the satisfaction and needs of the others. It is much important to develop the standards of
conflict management in accordance of the things that are understood through the TKI framework (Sandin
and Francis 2018). In essence, it becomes important to develop strong notions of negotiations through
the TKI. The understanding developed from this part of the assessment helped me to develop my own
concept of negotiation. Later I would be able to utilize the same in business application.
Reflection on international negotiations
International negotiations was one of the most important area of understanding that I gained
through the process of learning. Cross-cultural negotiations are one of the most important areas of
international business management. The course has helped me to understand more about the cross-
cultural negotiation processes. Communication is much important in any negotiation process. In regards
to the same both the selected themes of consultation, bargaining, mediation and conciliation in a cross-
cultural context and the different negotiation styles. With regards to negotiation styles, cross-cultural
communication becomes much important in developing greater standards of communication. In this
regards business strategy becomes an important tool for consideration. The strategic negotiations are
important in developing strong levels of understanding among two different negotiating parties. According
to Zhang and Zhou (2008) the western businesses have provided greater emphasis in understanding the
Chinese culture after the emergence of the Chinese economy. Some of the important findings that
emerged from the previous studies in regards to the subject matter points towards aspects such as the
time orientation, space orientation, individualism, power differences, masculinity and uncertainty
avoidance.
It is important to understand that cultures vary between various organizations. At the same time
cultures also vary between different countries. It becomes important in light of cross-cultural
communications that these exact areas are understood essentially. For example- organizations can either
have collective oriented or individual oriented structural systems. It is important to view consultation,
bargaining, mediation and conciliation in a cross-cultural context (Schneider and Lewicki 2016). This
means that the cultural differences between the various countries need to be understood. Moving forward
these differences need to be analyzed to devise strong plans to address the cross cultural barriers that
can exist within the various organizations. The learning process has helped me to learn that preparation
for negotiations are required for forming strategies. These include the preparation phase for the
intercultural communications, the selection of the team members, the information gathering exercises, the
negotiation brief, the building of cultural bridge and an offensive strategy. There is one important aspect
that need to be noted whenever one is engaging in cross-cultural communication. This is the aspect of
understanding cultures. This is important as it can help to develop better and more important strategies to
tackle cultural factors that can limit the negotiation processes. I learnt about the cultural differences that
might be present in the organizational structures of two different countries. I learnt about how people

perceive their work in various countries. The class helped in making the concept of business
management clearer. The most important concepts about negotiations became much easier to
comprehend. The leanings that have been developed from the essential understanding of cross cultural
concepts can help to build stronger and more essential understanding of cross cultural communication. It
is always important to remember that the negotiation process determines the feasibility of establishing
business relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion I can say that the International Business Negotiations sessions I attended and the
learnings I received, the class activities and the cross-cultural learning development has helped me to
understand more about the negotiation aspects. Business negotiations are important in developing
effective business partnerships. At the same time it is important that negotiations are done only after
thorough analysis of the business environment where it is being applied. The course and the various
activities that were related to it helped me to gain essential understanding of the subject matter. It is
important to understand that business processes are dynamic in nature and in the present age of
globalization, cross-border business development is the way forward. The activities that I discussed
above has helped me to develop clearer understanding of conflict and negotiations. It has been very
important for me towards developing course concepts that can ultimately help me to create a better
understanding of the business negotiation process. The themes that I have selected have been effective
towards determining the value of knowledge that I was able to develop from the study. I would be able to
use the learning moving forward in life to develop better value for the organizations I would be associated
with.

References
Koley, G. and Rao, S., 2018, October. Adaptive human-agent multi-issue bilateral negotiation using the
Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument. In 2018 IEEE/ACM 22nd International Symposium on
Distributed Simulation and Real Time Applications (DS-RT) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
Mamabolo, M.A., Kerrin, M. and Kele, T., 2017. Entrepreneurship management skills requirements in an
emerging economy: A South African outlook. The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and
Small Business Management, 9(1), pp.1-10.
Miller, O., 2014. The negotiation style: a comparative study between the stated and in-practice negotiation
style. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 124(1), pp.200-209.
Sandin, R. and Francis, J., 2018. The Complexity of Executing International Negotiations while
Maintaining Business Ethics-Developing the value-based International negotiation model from an ethical
perspective-the Sanfran Ethical International Business Negotiation Model (SEIB NM): An exploratory case
study within the defence industry.
Schneider, A.K. and Lewicki, R.J., 2016. The Past and Future Challenges of Negotiation Theory. Ohio St.
J. on Disp. Resol., 31, p.1.
Zhang, T. and Zhou, H., 2008. The significance of cross-cultural communication in international