Methods

Methods

            When it comes to learning more about business negotiations I decided to take a few approaches of research.  I decided to start off with interviews with business owners of both small and large companies.  I started an interview with small business owner Kim Frazier, who owns her own restaurant.  Her input was very insightful when it came to small business etiquette.  I then decided to interview a close friend John Burelson who owns a water bottling company.  His experience helped me understand how negotiations are handled in a big business environment as well as abroad.  I kept track of these interviews with transcripts that I had written down and also with some basic notes to go along with them.  These interviews gave me viewpoints of different businesses and their approach to their business negotiations. 

            I also had sit-ins on negotiations with the same people as I mentioned before.  This gave me firsthand experience on how they handled negotiations.  Of course with the interviews I was able to see how a general negotiation would be handled.  However, every negotiation varies with its own twists and turns.  These sit-ins gave me insight how owners reacted or dealt with certain problems that came up in the negotiation process.  I could tell that some things required more care and thinking than others.  I was also able to see the planning process before these negotiations which showed me how they prepared for negotiations within the company.

            Another method that I found useful was making general surveys.  Knowing that I couldn’t sit in or interview owners with every company, I decided that surveys would be the best to find out information.  I created a list of ten questions, all concerning with the environment of the company and the different approaches they used for negotiations.  With this I found that all companies used different kinds of methods.  Also, this allowed me to analyze these answers in a different way.  I could see a large amount of answers in a short amount of time.  These surveys helped me get a larger research target.

            I found that all of these types of research really helped me gain knowledge about businesses and how they handle negotiations.  This research allowed me to go inside and find information from business owners themselves about the importance of negotiations.  I found that the importance of negotiations differed for every company but for most it was extremely important.  With these three kinds of research I was able to find enough information for my paper and allowed me to finish it. 

Digital Short Narrative

My digital short will show how every business is different.  I will start off showing all the different owners and employees and how they all vary in dress and appearance.  I will then show how all the companies are different in size and environment.  Most people believe that these negotiations are basically all the same.  However, everything is different with every company.  Different people and locations create different challenges for every company.  Seeing the environment and cultures of every company will allow the viewers to see that every negotiation requires different skills. 

To Do List

TO DO LIST: 

1.  Finish my interviews
2.  Get more pictures of businesses
3.  Digital Short
4.  Revise Paper
5.  Finish my binder
6.  Finish with my sit-ins
7.  Find some outside research
8.  Type up my transcripts

Paper Intro

            Imagine yourself as the owner of a new business and you get an important phone call from a possible business partner.  During the conversation he suggests that you two should meet up and work out a negotiation.  You know the importance of this business partnership and immediately jump on and set up a date.  You set up the meeting and you are extremely excited and nervous.  However, you realize you have never had a business meeting in your life and have no idea how to approach it.  You ask yourself; what should I wear, how should I approach the negotiation, and how do I make myself look the best I can?  These questions are always on the minds of business men when they approach a negotiation.  Though, this all depends on what kind of business you’re working with.            

Every business must be able to adapt to whatever environment they are in, whether they are a small business or a large corporation.  The size of a business can have a major impact on how business negotiations are handled.  Of course every business is different than others but most of them will have some similarities when it comes to negotiations.  When businesses engage in negotiations with other companies they must approach them very carefully.  They must have a set plan for how they will approach conversation and try to reach an agreement.  Negotiations are a vital tool for businesses that can open up new windows and allow deals to be struck. 

            As we look into negotiations we must be able to understand their importance and their ability to change business operations.  Negotiations are the greatest tool for business men in today’s business world.  It allows presidents and Chief Executive Officers to get a whole new view of a business.  In most cases companies would just do some detailed research while looking at a resume given by the company.  With negotiations however companies are able to get a better look at how the company works.  This can all be seen through the body language, speech, and philosophies of the other owners.  This can show how a company actually works instead of what it usually says on paper.  It gives a more personal view of the company and an owner can make a decision based on their morals and their feelings of the other owners.  This is why negotiations are a vital tool for companies to a company.

            Small business’s negotiations can vary widely depending on the company and the owner.  They can be very formal or very informal depending on the timing and the place.  Small businesses can also be very different because they do not always follow a strict plan when they go into the negotiation.  Small business owners also seem to stray away from what most people learn in college.  In college we learn to use a power-point and to have a detailed plan of execution before heading into negotiations.  However, with smaller companies that are locally based they try to stay away from these guidelines and use what they are comfortable with.  Small businesses can be efficient if they know how to handle negotiations.

            Large corporations have caught a lot of heat hear recently thanks to the 2008 financial crisis.  People now have an idea that a majority of corporations are corrupt and do not have negotiations but rather make deals under the table.  This however is not true; in fact they are involved in negotiations almost weekly if not daily.  Unlike small businesses, large businesses try to stay with the guidelines that they learned in college.  They also are much more formal than smaller businesses when it comes to negotiations.  With negotiations being so important for both sizes of companies they must be able to effectively use them to their total advantage.  They can do this by doing a variety of different techniques. 

           

My Artifact

My artifact for my paper is the Power-Point application on computers.  This artifact is the first thing I really learned to work with when it came to business presentations.  This tool could be very useful because it catches the eye and keeps viewers interested.  As a business major I have used this application multiple times and I have done fairly well with it.  This has helped transform business negotiations for the better in my opinion because it helps give the negotiation structure and guidance.  It also just gives the viewers something to look at which can help people who are nervous about public speaking.  This artifact is extremely important and can show the readers some of the different kind of tools used in business negotiations. 

Three Cups of Tea

"Three Cups of Tea," is an enthralling story of Greg Morteson's journey to build peace in the Middle East.  While Morteson's journey takes many twists and turns we learn quite a bit about the culture.  The main theme overshadowing this story are the cups of tea.  The first cup you are a stranger, the second you are a friend, and the third is when you become family.  This story also became a study of the culture. 
Morteson is able to show the Western Civilization the Middle East in a whole new light.  We are used to seeing it through the news and its negative connotations but Morteson's book shows the people of these countries.  You start to learn many things about this culture.  It's customs pace, and differences compared to the U.S.  Like many other countries it is at a much slower pace than the U.S.
This book was extremely interesting.  It kept me on my toes at times while also making me feel like I'm there.  We look at the Middle East as a rebellious area.  However, with this book it is obvious that is not the case for everywhere.  "Three Cups of Tea" has made me more aware about the situation regarding peace in the Middle East.  His uses of detail and pace give the story great structure and lets the reader jump into the story.  This book is great and I highly recommend it for everyone. 

Letter to Mom

Dear Mom,

 I hope you're doing well.  I have had a lot happen these past two months.  I have a Third Year Writing class where I have this huge project.  I have to write a 15-20 page paper about how business negotiations differ from small businesses to large businesses.  So far i have interviewed John Burleson of English Mountain Water Company.  I've also have gone to a few other companies to just get the feel of their business enviornment.  I know you're thinking that I'm doing a lot of work for this.  The thing is I have to do all of this research so that I can write a good paper.  Also, I need as much info as possible because I don't think I'd be able to write 15-20 pages with just my basic knowledge of negotiations.  Also, I was hoping that I can sit in on a business negotiation with you.  I know you're busy since you just opened up the restaurant.  But if you can that would really help me.  Keep me updated about what's going on.

Love,

Miles Frazier

Class Interview with Kirk

I decided to interview Kirk who sits beside me in my Third Year Writing Class.  Kirk decided to go to Belmont and has been there since his freshman year in 2008.  He is currently majoring in Entrepreneurship with a focus towards the media industry.  His reasoning for choosing Belmont was its strengths in the audio engineering department.  He also started the Wakeboarding club at Belmont and has planned some trips to for their members.