Homework Question

For this assignment, develop four questions that could be asked of Alice Jones, senior Netflix executive, during an upcoming negotiation session. This information should be helpful in crafting an integrative bargaining proposal, i.e., a win-win situation that increases the likelihood of reaching a mutually beneficial outcome.

In other words, it meets, as best as possible, the extrinsic and intrinsic interests of both parties.

Specifically, you should keep these criteria in mind:

1. Create questions that will obtain information about Alice Jones’ interests in the bargaining session. They should cover all four categories: open, closed, alternative, and leading, as defined below. Possible questions could explore Alice Jones’ short- and long-term career plans, personal interests, and any personal challenges she may be facing. In other words, you are trying to determine Alice Jones’ zone of potential agreement (ZOPA) and her best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA).
   • Open-Ended or Socratic Questions—Begin with who, what, when, where, how, and why. Example: “Why aren’t you taking some time off?”
   • Closed Questions—Can be answered with “yes” or “no.” Example: “Are you ready to begin?”
   • Alternative Questions—Offer the listener a choice with a few options. Example: “Do you want to start the meeting at 3:00 or 4:00?”
   • Leading Questions—Are aimed at soliciting a particular point of view. Example: “The new vacation policy is very fair, don’t you think?”
2. Make sure the parameters of your questions are within acceptable legal limits, e.g., avoiding topics such as age, marital status, any disabilities, religion, race, pregnancy-related questions. For legal advice, click on this Investopedia link: 8 Things Employers Aren’t Allowed To Ask You. Click WCM 510 8 Things Employers Aren’t Allowed To Ask You (CC) for a captioned video.
3. Compare and contrast the value of each type of question and whether it will advance an integrative bargaining position. Refer to the following link for an excellent guide on integrative bargaining and crafting questions that identify interests of the other party: Integrative or Interest-Based Bargaining.
4. Explain the possible impact of each question, including whether it would improve the likelihood of success during the discussion(s) and how it would be perceived. In other words, how will the questions be perceived? Will they seem manipulative? Fair? Biased?