Main Content
Syllabus
CAS 404: Conflict Resolution and Negotiation (3): Theories and strategies important for conceptualizing, developing, and managing conflict negotiation, mediation, and third-party intervention. Prerequisite: CAS 100 (formerly SPCOM 100)
Overview
You are about to embark on the study of a social phenomenon—namely, conflict—that has substantial impact in determining how well people in relationships, groups, organizations, other institutions, and even societies function and get along. In the 14 lessons that make up this course, you will become acquainted with various theories of conflict, its characteristics, and the mechanisms that influence how it unfolds, as well as the role of communication in contributing both to the constructive and nonconstructive uses of conflict. Central to the examination of conflict, therefore, is a concern with interaction, or the ways in which the acts of members of such social aggregates as those mentioned above are connected, what connects them, and the impact that those connections have on the outcomes achieved by the parties involved.
For each lesson, there is a reading assignment, a set of objectives, a list of key ideas that will help you focus your attention and be better prepared to appreciate what the authors of the textbook develop in much more substantial detail, and a list of thought questions that will help you to reflect more actively and critically on the claims you encounter. For many of the lessons, the written assignment will require that you address one of the thought questions. In other instances, that will not be the case, but spending a few minutes going over the thought questions can nevertheless influence how you approach the requirements and what you say in the documents you produce. It is a very good idea not to focus on thought questions while you are doing the reading for a lesson, as that could be a source of distraction. Waiting until after you have completed a reading assignment will help you to make more sense of the material and also serve as a bridge to the written assignment.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course you will
- understand how conflict impacts interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, and organizations;
- have an appreciation of a variety of theoretical perspectives on and models of conflict that scholars have developed;
- understand how style, power, and concerns with face affect how the parties to conflicts manage them and their prospects for successful management;
- recognize strategies and tactics on which one can draw for converting potentially destructive conflicts into constructive experiences; and
- appreciate the circumstances under which resorting to third-party intervention is preferable to self-management and what type is most appropriate.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Software
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Buying Software section of the Course Materials page.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Assignment Philosophy
In that there are 14 assignments to complete in the course at the rate of one per week (and two per week on two occasions in the Summer Session), it is important that you remain on schedule. There is a substantial, although not unreasonable, amount of material to be covered in a relatively short time. The total number of written pages you will be submitting for the course will likely be between 50 and 55 when all is said and done. (This assumes approximately 250 words per page.) Hence, even though the number of words per assignment may not appear to be overly formidable, the cumulative effect across assignments is considerable.
If you take the lessons for the course seriously and do your best work, you will learn a great deal about relationships, groups, and organizations; their nature, how they function, and the kind of impact conflict interaction has on those who are a part of them, as well as on others. There is much to learn, and the materials that follow have been designed to assist you as much as possible in the process. In the final analysis, however, how much you learn will be a product of how much effort you expend in trying.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.
| Getting Started | |
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| Lesson 1: | The Nature of Conflict and Conflict Interaction |
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| Lesson 2: | Conflict as a Process of Communication |
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| Lesson 3: | Psychological Theories of Conflict |
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| Lesson 4: | Interaction-Based Theories of Conflict, Part 1 |
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| Lesson 5: | Interaction-Based Theories of Conflict, Part 2 |
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| Lesson 6: | Conflict Styles |
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| Lesson 7: | Selecting Conflict Styles, Recognizing Cultural and Gender Influences, and Being Aware of Tactical Limitations |
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| Lesson 8: | Conflict and Power, Part 1 |
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| Lesson 9: | Conflict and Power, Part 2 |
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| Lesson 10: | Conflict and Face-Saving |
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| Lesson 11: | Conflict and Face-Giving |
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| Lesson 12: | The Effects of Context and Climate on Conflict Interaction and Conflict Interaction on Climate |
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| Lesson 13: | Conflict Management Through Self-Regulation |
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| Lesson 14: | Third Parties in Conflict Interaction |
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Overall Grading Philosophy
You will be able to test your understanding and mastery of the materials covered in the textbook for the course by means of various exercises that the assignments require. For each assignment, you will submit a written document for the related exercise. There are no exams required. For 10 of the 14 assignments, these documents are to be approximately 1,000 words in length. For the other four, since the reading assignment in each case is a little lighter or possibly less rigorous, the documents are to be approximately 750 words in length. The weights of the assignments also vary according to length. For the first set mentioned, each will count 0.08 toward the course grade. The other four will count 0.05 each.
Course Grading
| Letter Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 95-100 |
| A- | 90-94.9 |
| B+ | 87.9-89.9 |
| B | 83.3-87.8 |
| B- | 80-83.2 |
| C+ | 75-79.9 |
| C | 70-74.9 |
| D | 60-69.9 |
| F | 59.9-0 |
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.