ABSTRACT
The simulation about negotiating a disputed invoice, which is a common experience in business at all levels. There are all kinds of reasons for cost-overruns, and negotiating a solution is an alternative to putting the issue to an arbiter or, in extreme cases, to undertaking the expense of litigation. The context of the simulation is taken from the offshore oil industry, although this context is less important than the everyday issues of disputed invoices. Negotiators can argue about who was to blame for the problem or they can practise proposing solutions. Conto negotiators often prefer to spend large amounts of money on litigating their problems rather than 60 minutes negotiating for their goals. Holt negotiators just as regularly demand full payment without signalling any prospect of traded movement. Participants are asked to take a common-sense view of the context and not be blinded by the unfamiliarity of offshore engineering.
