MKH_POCF The Psychology of Business

Faculty of Economics and Administration
Spring 2016
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Ing. Jan Kuba (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Božena Šmajsová Buchtová, CSc.
Department of Business Management – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Vlasta Radová
Supplier department: Department of Business Management – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Timetable
Sat 5. 3. 8:30–11:50 P104, Sat 12. 3. 12:50–16:15 P104, Sat 23. 4. 12:50–16:15 P104
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is thematically divided into 6 units:
I. Image of a company;
II. Tactics and strategy of business negotiation;
III. Hard sell to close the deal;
IV. Psychology of personal sale;
V. Communication skills in trade, negotiation with trading partners.
VI. Ethical principles in trade negotiation. Cultural differences in trade.

In the introductory session conditions of successful business negotiations are briefly explained with an accent on healthy level of confidence and knowledge to work with the time and information. In other parts phases of cultivated business meeting are defined. Preparation for meetings, presentations of business offers and business negotiation process is analyzed in detail. Another section is devoted to the psychology of personal sale. The necessary equipment for good sales representative and negotiators are communication skills. Emphasis is placed on body language as a mean of communication, asking qustions techniques and technics for telephony. A separate section is devoted to an image of men and women in business. The final part of the course is devoted to a success in international trade which is rest upon knowledge of social conventions of a culture.

The main objectives of the course are:
- To enrich student’s knowledge with the psychology of business, whose cultivation is necessary for future managers and entrepreneurs
- To gain insight into the tactics and strategy of successful business practices and methods of negotiation, techniques of self-enforcement, principles of effective communication and methods of increasing personal performance
- To gain awareness of an ethical way relevant to business success
- To gain insight into cultural differences in the contingent of trade
Syllabus
  • Thematic plan and intent of the course (according to weeks of education):
  • I.
  • Opening seminar
  • Introduction to the psychology for the economists
  • Presentment of the participants of the course - training of presentation skills
  • Setting of themes for the individual education and for the preparation of presentation during classwork
  • Image of a company. Designing future image of a company, principle of differentiation.
  • Bearers of corporate image.
  • Relationship between corporate culture and corporate image.
  • II.
  • Tactics and strategy of business negotiation.
  • Background of successful business negotiation.
  • Psychological variables entering into relationship between people in business.
  • Preparing for business negotiation inland and abroad. Principles of negotiation in teams.
  • Phases of business negotiation.
  • Manners of business negotiation. Pressure tactics and their negotiation.
  • Example from practice - a case study. Training of successful negotiation strategy in practice.
  • III.
  • Art of passing a business
  • Seller-professional
  • Form of presentation of business offer
  • Negotiation of exceptions
  • Setting the business conditions
  • Establishment of perspective business relationship
  • Video "Selling conversation" followed by a discussion in teams.
  • IV.
  • Psychology of personal sale
  • Principles of business conversation
  • Motivation of different types of customers
  • Management of consumer care
  • Work in teams and chain of customer/supplier
  • Video "Sophisticated customers" followed by a discussion in teams.
  • V.
  • Communication skills (art of listening, technique of asking questions, technique of telephony, business correspondence)
  • Body language as the instrument of communication
  • Video " Body language in business" following discussion in team Dealing with business partners
  • Etiquette in business negotiation (addressing, principles of introduction, social precedence, form and task of business cards, principles of business diplomacy)
  • Principles of social behaviour for men and women in business
  • Image of men and women
  • VI.
  • Ethical principles in business
  • Ethical principles in negotiation
  • Moral aspects of decision making
  • Practical instruments for solving the ethical problems in business situations
  • Team solution of a case study followed by a discussion in teams
  • Culturally conditioned differences in business
  • Behaviour differences in countries of the European Union
  • Countries of Eastern Europe
  • Dealing with Japanese. American culture. Arabian countries.
Literature
    required literature
  • ŠMAJSOVÁ BUCHTOVÁ, Božena and Viktor KULHAVÝ. Psychologie v obchodní činnosti firmy. (Psychology of business.). Brno. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2006, 101 pp. I. ISBN 80-210-4061-0. info
    recommended literature
  • ŠMAJSOVÁ BUCHTOVÁ, Božena and Jiří POKORNÝ. Podnikání a kulturní odlišnosti (Business and cultural differencies). Brno: ESF MU, 2004, 247 pp. skripta. ISBN 80-210-3490-4. info
Teaching methods
The class consits of a self-preparation done by student at home and a consultation held at the faculty. For each consultation student is obliged to review given topics (theoretical preparation) and write two assignments for given topics. In the class the information is delivered in the form of a lecture joined with discussions or solving a case study. Student is handing in one assignment on the given topic.
Assessment methods
Students are working out one seminar work during semester.
Final test contains three questions; time limit to answer them is half an hour. Final test is assessed on scale passed - failed. Condition for the successful completion of the final test is to answer at least 70% of questions. None of the question can be assessed by mark F.
Any copying, recording or leaking tests, use of unauthorized tools, aids and communication devices, or other disruptions of objectivity of exams (credit tests) will be considered non-compliance with the conditions for course completion as well as a severe violation of the study rules. Consequently, the teacher will finish the exam (credit test) by awarding grade "F" in the Information System, and the Dean will initiate disciplinary proceedings that may result in study termination.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information about innovation of course.
This course has been innovated under the project "Inovace studia ekonomických disciplín v souladu s požadavky znalostní ekonomiky (CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0227)" which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

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The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2016, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/econ/spring2016/MKH_POCF