ABB206 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

The development of conflict management and negotiation skills is essential for those tasked with shaping the built environment. In this unit, you will acquire skills in effective communication, analysis of disputes and creative problem-solving through active participation in role-playing and reflective activities and intense investigation of real-world conflicts that arise through the development of land. You will learn to manage conflicting stakeholder perspectives, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perspectives. Learning to think about and respond to conflict in a rational manner will prepare you for group work within your studies and into professional practice. Stakeholder Engagement and Planning Law units build on this unit.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Understand and evaluate theories, strategies, and methodologies involved in effective negotiation and conflict resolution.
2. Reflect on your own and others' styles of negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and teamwork to shape ongoing professional development.
3. Negotiate and communicate by applying reasoned analysis, empathic understanding, active listening, and appropriate use of assertive behaviour.
4. Apply ethics and conflict values and critically assess your role as an ethical built environment professional in dispute resolution processes.

Content

Learning Approaches

The unit primarily consists of weekly unit meetings combining lectures and small group discussions, featuring interactive simulated negotiations.

It is anticipated that you will undertake both prescribed and self-paced readings as directed in advance of these meetings, such that you will be prepared to engage in discussions with your colleagues and teaching staff regarding theories, strategies, and methodologies involved in effective negotiation and conflict resolution.

You'll participate in interactive learning with your peers through negotiation exercises towards resolution of simulated conflicts, providing additional opportunities to hone your developing skills. While the exercises undertaken during the sessions will not be graded, you will be assessed on submission of a reflective report in response to unit activities, including these negotiations. Sincere participation in resolution of simulated conflicts makes theories more relevant and aids in understanding of conflicts and the development of the necessary skills to resolve them. Your understanding of unit content as developed through these simulations is essential to successful completion of the graded assessments as described below.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Self-Feedback:
Students will use self-assessment tools to develop self-awareness of negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and teamwork styles, and will be provided with detailed, structured rubrics to facilitate review of their assessments before submission.

Peer feedback:
Students will routinely undertake post activity debriefings to promote social learning and facilitate peer feedback on learning

Adaptive feedback:
Online self-assessment tools will provide students with adaptive feedback to contribute to their understanding of their own negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and teamwork styles

Teacher feedback:
Students will receive structured feedback, in workshops/tutorials, on the elements of their preparation for performance review.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment in this unit has been designed to give you the opportunity to show your learning against the unit learning outcomes.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional Development Plan

This assessment aims to provide an opportunity to reflect on your own style of negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and teamwork to identify existing weaknesses and develop an ongoing professional development plan to improve your skills in these areas.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Reflection Report

Throughout the semester you will develop knowledge of the theories, strategies and methodologies involved in effective negotiation, and then apply this knowledge to a range of simulated negotiation activities of varying complexity. In this assessment you will reflect on these exercises by reporting your experiences undertaking these negotiations, and other negotiations from your professional/personal lives, to critically analyse the efficacy of normative approaches to negotiation and your own personal development as negotiator.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Examination (written)

An examination that assesses your knowledge and application of the textbook and lecture content presented during the unit.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

No special requirements, however attendance at tutorial sessions is very important to enable success in assessment 2.

Costs

Course test book

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Effective Negotiation by Ray Fells

Risk Assessment Statement

All commencing Faculty of Engineering students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction

You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)

1. Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
   Relates to: Professional Development Plan, Reflection Report, Examination (written)
2. Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
   Relates to: Professional Development Plan, Reflection Report, Examination (written)
3. Communicate knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
   Relates to: Professional Development Plan, Reflection Report, Examination (written)
4. Strategically collaborate with diverse stakeholders and communities, including First Nations peoples.
   Relates to: Professional Development Plan, Reflection Report, Examination (written)
5. Reflect on feedback and experience, and display professional and ethical judgment and initiative.
   Relates to: Professional Development Plan, Reflection Report, Examination (written)