More than 200 role-play simulations are available through the Program on Negotiation Clearinghouse. These put participants in hypothetical situations and challenge them to deliberate and make decisions in new and different ways. Role-play simulations foster both individual and collective learning that can be transferred to “real world” situations. They also provide safe and flexible settings for experimentation.
Role-play simulations combine the best of traditional learning exercises, which feature fixed rules that limit the range of possible outcomes, along with role-specific assignments that leave room for creative problem-solving. Learners are given common general instructions that set the stage along with confidential instructions (based on interviews with people who have played those actual roles or something close to them). Role-play simulations are usually followed by debriefings in which participants – with the help of an instructor – reflect on how the exercise progressed, what they learned, and how these lessons relate to or diverge from their real world situations.
Technical information plays an important role in some role-play simulations, but the emphasis is primarily on human interactions. The role-play simulations in the Clearinghouse are ultimately designed to help learn become better negotiators and become more self-conscious about what they are doing and why.
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Role Simulations
MIT Students in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, under the supervision of Prof. Lawrence Susskind and Dr. Herman Karl
8-party nonscorable negotiation among commercial, environmental, and governmental stakeholders over a controversial proposal to develop offshore wind farmsRoger Fisher
Two-team, scoreable, multiple round, "prisoner's dilemma"-style negotiation between representatives of two countries over the monthly price for barrels of oil.Chris Jost, under the direction of David Fairman
Six-party negotiation among Hutu and Tutsi villagers regarding competing land claims and local authority issues in the wake of the Rwandan genocideKaren Falkenstein Green
Three-person small claims court mediation between a rug company owner and a customer over the return of a made-to-order rugPatrick Field, Ric Richardson, and John Harrison
Eight-person facilitated negotiation among seven landowners to develop voluntary private land-use plan to provide financial security while preserving open space and agricultural landEricka Gray
Three-party, multi-issue international trade negotiation among three culturally different countries over which of two countries will export rice to the third; inculdes coalition and ongoing relationship issuesMichael Wheeler
Two-party, single-issue distributive negotiation between two neighbors regarding the potential sale of a vacant lot; refinement of Appleton-BakerThree-party scoreable negotiation among three firms regarding the joint construction of an off-street parking facility; variation of "Three-Party Coalition"
Consensus Building Institute, Inc.
Two-party, two-issue scoreable negotiation between an office building owner and commercial tenant over the terms of a lease for parking spacesRon Karp and Bruce Patton
Two-party plea bargaining negotiation between a prosecutor and the court-appointed defender for a man accused of abusing his wife, who refuses to sign the complaint against himMark Drooks and Mark Gordon
Two-team, scoreable, multiple round, "prisoner's dilemma"-style negotiation between representatives of two companies over the monthly price for fictional products called "pepulators"Sheila Heen and Michael Moffitt, based on a case by Doug Stone
Two-party negotiation between the director of a county tutoring program and a tutor regarding pay, work conditions, and job performance; ethnic differences are an issueMichael Watkins, Marjorie Corman Aaron and Joshua Weiss
Two-party integrative negotiation between business partners concerning the ownership of a new computer program one of them has developed; condensed, non-agent version of PowerScreen ProblemBruce Patton, Mark Gordon and Andrew Clarkson
Two-party integrative negotiation between the lawyers for business partners concerning the ownership of a new computer program one of them has developedElizabeth Fierman under the supervision of David Fairman, David Plumb, Lawrence Susskind, Philip Angell, and Kelly Levin
Eight-party negotiation (with option for a ninth person facilitator) regarding climate change issues in a situation loosely based on the situation in Viet Nam.Lawrence Susskind and Susan Podziba
A set of three simulations developed for and used in training court probation officers in negotiation techniques.Mieke van der Wansem, Tracy Dyke and Lawrence Susskind
Thirteen-person, multi-issue, two-round, partially scoreable negotiation among government, industry, environmental, and farming stakeholders to develop a land-use plan (Part I) and among additional government stakeholders over plan approval (Part II)Orion Kriegman and Stacie Nicole Smith, under the direction of Stacie Nicole Smith and David Fairman
Six-person mediated negotiation among representatives of the Pullman Palace Car Company, its workers and others involved in a general strike, to address issues of workers' rightsTod Loofbourrow, Lawrence Susskind, Denise Madigan and Wendy Rundle
Seven-party, multi-issue, scoreable negotiation among regulatory, environmental, tribal, local government, and industry representatives to choose criteria for selecting a low-level radioactive waste disposal siteTod Loofbourrow, Lawrence Susskind, Denise Madigan and Wendy Rundle
Six-party, multi-issue negotiation among state and local government, enviromental, and industry representatives to select one of three sites for low-level radioactive waste disposalEricka Gray
Two-party workplace negotiation between two servers over how to fairly divide tipsKelly Davenport with Patrick Field and Lawrence Susskind
Two-team, four-issue negotiation between three members of a Native Canadian band and three representatives of Calgary Central Gas over a planned pipeline through the band's reservation; includes internal team negotiations as well as external negotiationTodd Bryan, Alexandra Mitchell, Hilary Collins, and Sarah Fordyce Bock
Five-party, multi-issue negotiation among elected officials, property owners, and a gravel company over a permit for a gravel quarry in a recreationally valuable canyonPat Aaron
Three-person small claims mediation between a landscaping company and its client over a disputed bill and quality of serviceBruce Patton
Three-party, scoreable, single-issue negotiation among three manufacturers over two- or three-party coalitions for complying with waste cleanup regulations; variation of Three-Party Coalition ExerciseAleza Spalter
Two-party negotiation between a supervisor and employee over a possible salary raise in the context of mixed job performanceTwo-party integrative negotiation between agents for an opera singer and an opera house regarding a possible contract for an upcoming production
