BUSI 455 is Liberty's conflict resolution and negotiation course. Its written work is one forum (a 500-word thread with two scholarly sources, then two 200-word replies), a 100-word ExpertNegotiator self-analysis, a series of team negotiation simulations in ExpertNegotiator with written planning, results and a self-critique, and an 800-word ethics paper on deception in negotiation from a biblical worldview.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as BUSI 455 Conflict Resolution and Negotiation, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as BUSI455.
What BUSI 455 covers
The catalog description: A review of the theories, processes and practices of conflict resolution and negotiation. Students will analyze the factors that impact negotiations and diagnose and identify negotiation strategies. Cultural aspects of conflict and negotiation will be examined.
The course reviews the theories, processes and practices of conflict resolution and negotiation; students analyze the factors that affect negotiations, diagnose and identify negotiation strategies, and examine cultural aspects of conflict and negotiation. The texts are Lewicki, Barry and Saunders, Negotiation: Readings, Exercises, and Cases, and Sande and Johnson, Resolving Everyday Conflict.
There are no quizzes or exams. Students register in ExpertNegotiator in Week 1, are paired with a classmate and placed on a team for the term, and the Week 8 self-critique includes peer evaluations (25 points).
Textbook named in the published guide: Lewicki et al., Negotiation: Readings, Exercises, and Cases (2015 Create ed.). Sande & Johnson, Resolving Everyday Conflict (2015). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
BUSI 455 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum | 160 | Thread at least 500 words; replies at least 200 words |
| 2 | ExpertNegotiator Analysis | 40 | 100 words |
| 3 | Negotiation 1: Planning | 100 | Not set in the guide; follow the simulation instructions |
| 4 | Negotiation 1: Negotiation and Results | 150 | Not set in the guide; follow the simulation instructions |
| 5 | Ethics Paper | 150 | At least 800 words |
| 6 | Negotiation 2: Planning | 150 | Not set in the guide; follow the simulation instructions |
| 7 | Negotiation 2: Negotiating | 150 | Not set in the guide; follow the simulation instructions |
| 8 | Negotiation 2: Self-Critique | 75 | Not set in the guide; follow the simulation instructions |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum
A 500-word thread with 2 scholarly sources beyond the course material in Week 1, then two 200-word replies with 2 scholarly sources each in Week 2. How to write BUSI 455 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum.
Week 2: ExpertNegotiator Analysis
A 100-word self-analysis, posted in ExpertNegotiator, of what you want to accomplish in the course and how you will use the software to do it. How to write BUSI 455 Week 2 ExpertNegotiator Analysis.
Week 3: Negotiation 1: Planning
Plan the first simulated negotiation with your partner in ExpertNegotiator: your role, interests, targets, walk-away points and strategy. How to write BUSI 455 Week 3 Negotiation 1: Planning.
Week 4: Negotiation 1: Negotiation and Results
Negotiate the assigned issues with the other pair on your team, then post the results and your reflections in ExpertNegotiator. How to write BUSI 455 Week 4 Negotiation 1: Negotiation and Results.
Week 5: Ethics Paper
An 800-word paper on the ethics of deception and withholding information in negotiation from a biblical worldview, with 3 sources beyond the Bible and textbook. How to write BUSI 455 Week 5 Ethics Paper.
Week 6: Negotiation 2: Planning
Plan the second, more complex simulated negotiation with your partner, applying the lessons from Negotiation 1. How to write BUSI 455 Week 6 Negotiation 2: Planning.
Week 7: Negotiation 2: Negotiating
Conduct the second negotiation with the other pair on your team and document it in ExpertNegotiator. How to write BUSI 455 Week 7 Negotiation 2: Negotiating.
Week 8: Negotiation 2: Self-Critique
A self-critique of your performance in Negotiation 2, with peer evaluations of your partner and team. How to write BUSI 455 Week 8 Negotiation 2: Self-Critique.
How BUSI 455 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The forum thread is 100 and the replies 60, the ExpertNegotiator analysis 40, Negotiation 1 planning 100 and negotiation and results 150, Negotiation 2 planning 150, negotiating 150 and self-critique 75, peer evaluations 25, the ethics paper 150 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion Board Forum Thread | 100 |
| Discussion Board Forum Replies | 60 |
| ExpertNegotiator Analysis | 40 |
| Negotiation 1 Planning | 100 |
| Negotiation 1 Negotiation and Results | 150 |
| Negotiation 2 Planning | 150 |
| Negotiation 2 Negotiating | 150 |
| Negotiation 2 Self-Critique | 75 |
| Peer Evaluations | 25 |
| Ethics Paper | 150 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 900 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach BUSI 455
Register in ExpertNegotiator in Week 1 and watch its tutorials before the Week 2 self-analysis.
The simulations depend on your partner and the other pair on your team, so agree on how and when you will communicate as soon as pairs are assigned.
Questions students ask
What is ExpertNegotiator in BUSI 455?
Software used for the course's simulated negotiations, where students take assigned roles, post planning and strategy discussions with their partner, negotiate with the other pair on their team and post results and reflections.
What is the BUSI 455 ethics paper?
A paper of at least 800 words in current APA on the ethics of common negotiation strategies, especially deception and withholding information, from a biblical worldview, with at least 3 sources besides the Bible and the textbook.
Working through BUSI 455 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.