협상과 문제 해결Negotiation and Problem Solving
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Make a formal proposal in a professional context, stating a position clearly and respectfully.
- Present a compromise by acknowledging another party's position before offering an alternative.
- Use conditional language to state terms, conditions, and contingencies in a negotiation.
- Read a short negotiation exchange and identify each party's opening position, concession, and final agreement.
- Listen to a short workplace negotiation and distinguish a firm position from a flexible one.
- Write and deliver a short proposal that states a position, offers a compromise, and specifies conditions for agreement.
This chapter continues Unit IV, 문체, 리더십, 그리고 프로젝트 (Style, Leadership, and Project). It applies the conditional, connective, and stance-marking systems already active from Chapters 3–4, 8, and 14, and the audience-adaptation strategies from Chapter 14, to professional negotiation and problem-solving interaction. No new particles, endings, honorific forms, or sound changes are introduced.
Opening Scenario
수아와 마이클은 인턴으로 일하는 사무실에서 팀 프로젝트의 일정 문제를 두고 다른 부서와 협의하게 된다. 팀장인 박 과장님은 회의 전에 이렇게 조언한다: "협상할 때는 상대방의 입장을 먼저 인정한 다음에 우리 제안을 말하는 게 좋아요. 그리고 조건을 분명하게 제시해야 나중에 오해가 없습니다." 두 사람은 처음으로 직장에서 제안하고, 타협하고, 조건을 협상하는 대화를 준비하게 된다.
- You will read a short negotiation exchange between two departments.
- You will identify how each party states a position and offers a compromise.
- You will listen to a short workplace negotiation and evaluate flexibility versus firmness.
- You will practice proposing, conceding, and setting conditions in spoken interaction.
- You will write and deliver a short proposal for a workplace or community negotiation.
Core Vocabulary
The following items support this chapter's focus on proposal, compromise, conditions, and professional interaction. All items are productive unless labeled receptive. Approximately 45–75 productive items are expected across the full chapter; the core set below anchors the chapter's grammar and tasks, and additional domain vocabulary should be recycled from Chapters 1–18 as needed for the reading and writing tasks.
| Korean | Category | Meaning | Register / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 협상 | noun | negotiation | professional/formal |
| 제안 | noun | proposal; suggestion | professional/formal |
| 제안하다 | action verb | to propose; to suggest | chapter form: 제안해요/제안합니다 |
| 타협 | noun | compromise | professional/formal |
| 타협하다 | action verb | to compromise | chapter form: 타협해요/타협합니다 |
| 조건 | noun | condition; term | professional/formal |
| 양보하다 | action verb | to yield; to concede | chapter form: 양보해요/양보합니다 |
| 합의하다 | action verb | to reach an agreement | chapter form: 합의해요/합의합니다 |
| 합의 | noun | agreement; consensus | professional/formal |
| 받아들이다 | action verb | to accept | chapter form: 받아들여요/받아들입니다 |
| 거절하다 | action verb | to refuse; to decline | Ch. 4 recycled, reapplied to negotiation |
| 유연하다 | descriptive verb | to be flexible | chapter form: 유연해요/유연합니다 |
| 단호하다 | descriptive verb | to be firm; to be resolute | chapter form: 단호해요/단호합니다 |
| 일정 | noun | schedule | Ch. 2 recycled |
| 예산 | noun | budget | professional/formal |
| 입장 | noun | position; stance | Ch. 4 and Ch. 18 recycled |
| 대안 | noun | alternative | professional/formal |
| 우선순위 | noun | priority | professional/formal |
| 이해관계 | noun | interests; stake | analytical/formal, receptive-leaning |
Receptive/analytical vocabulary for this chapter includes terms used only to discuss negotiation theory further (e.g., win-win 전략, 협상력) for learners who wish to explore further; these are not assessed productively.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter applies conditional forms, concessive connectors, and proposal endings already active from Chapters 3, 4, 8, and 14 to the domain of negotiation and problem solving. No new endings, particles, or honorific forms are introduced; the chapter's work is building fluent, professional control of already-active systems in a new communicative task.
1. Stating a Proposal Politely
A formal proposal in Korean professional contexts typically opens by acknowledging the situation, then states the speaker's suggestion using a softened proposal ending rather than a direct command. Learners have used proposal endings since earlier chapters; this chapter applies them specifically to negotiation openings.
2. Offering a Compromise (양보 + 조건)
A compromise typically pairs a concession with a condition, using the conditional ending -(으)면 and the contrastive connector -지만, both already active from Chapter 3.
- 예산을 줄이기는 어렵지만, 일정을 조정하면 가능할 것 같습니다.Reducing the budget is difficult, but if we adjust the schedule, it seems possible.-지만 contrast + -(으)면 condition
- 저희가 먼저 자료를 보내 드리면, 그쪽에서도 일정을 좀 앞당겨 주실 수 있을까요?If we send the materials first, could your side move the schedule up a little?-(으)면 condition + polite request
| Function | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| opening proposal | -이/가 어떨까 합니다 | 일정을 조정하는 것이 어떨까 합니다. |
| concession | -기는 어렵지만 | 전부 받아들이기는 어렵지만... |
| condition for agreement | -(으)면 | 조건을 조정하면 합의할 수 있습니다. |
| confirming agreement | -기로 하다 | 다음 주까지 결정하기로 했습니다. |
Every pattern in this chapter reuses grammar activated in earlier chapters: conditional -(으)면 from Chapter 3, contrastive -지만 from Chapter 3, decision -기로 하다 from earlier volumes, and proposal endings recycled from Chapter 2's institutional requests. The chapter's new work is combining these systems fluently in a professional negotiation sequence: acknowledge, propose, concede, condition, confirm.
연습 — Practice: Combine the following ideas into a single proposal-and-condition sentence using -지만 and -(으)면.
- 예산을 늘리기 어렵다 / 일정을 늦추다 → 가능하다
- 전부 동의하기 어렵다 / 일부만 먼저 시작하다 → 진행할 수 있다
Model Dialogue
수아와 마이클이 다른 부서 담당자와 프로젝트 일정을 협상하는 장면 (교육용 예시)
Reading Practice
Read the following short negotiation summary written for a team meeting record. It is a general-purpose instructional text written for this course, not an authentic published source. Identify each party's opening position, concession, and the final agreement.
모범 자료 (교육용 예시)
기획팀은 처음에 예산을 20% 늘려야 한다고 주장했다. 반면 재무팀은 예산을 늘리기는 어렵다는 입장을 밝혔다. 여러 차례 논의한 끝에, 기획팀은 예산 증액 대신 일정을 한 달 연장하는 것을 받아들이기로 했다. 재무팀도 일정 조정이라면 문제가 없다고 답했다. 결국 두 팀은 예산은 그대로 유지하고 일정만 조정하는 것으로 합의했다.
내용 이해 — Comprehension questions:
- What was the planning team's opening position, and what expression signals that it was their initial claim?
- What was the finance team's position, and how does it differ from the planning team's?
- What compromise did the planning team accept, and what condition made it acceptable to the finance team?
- What was the final agreement between the two teams?
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a language partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following short workplace negotiation aloud. Listen twice, then complete the tasks below.
두 직원이 회의실 예약 문제를 협의하는 장면 (교육용 예시)
듣기 과제 — Listening task: Listen and answer in English.
| 질문 | 답 |
|---|---|
| Which speaker takes the firmer position, and which expression signals that firmness? | ______ |
| What compromise does Employee B propose, and what condition does it depend on? | ______ |
Writing Workshop
Write a short proposal (5–7 sentences) for a workplace or community negotiation. State your position, acknowledge the other party's likely concern, offer a compromise, and specify at least one condition for agreement.
체크리스트 — Checklist:
- The paragraph states one clear position.
- At least one sentence acknowledges the other party's concern using -지만.
- At least one compromise is proposed using a softened proposal ending.
- At least one condition is stated using -(으)면.
- Vocabulary and predicate forms are limited to what has been activated in Chapters 1–19.
- Spacing, particles, and Hangeul spelling are accurate, with no romanization.
- The register remains professional and polite throughout, appropriate to workplace negotiation.
Speaking Practice
1단계 — 낭독 — Reading aloud
Read your proposal aloud, using a steady, professional tone for your position and a slightly warmer tone when acknowledging the other party's concern.
2단계 — 역할극 — Partner role-play
With a partner, take turns playing each side of the negotiation. Respond to your partner's proposal with either acceptance, a counter-condition, or a further compromise.
혼자 하는 연습 — Solo alternative
Record yourself delivering your proposal, then draft a plausible response from the other party and record your reply to that response.
Culture and Communication
In many South Korean professional settings, negotiation proposals are commonly softened with tentative endings such as -이/가 어떨까 합니다 rather than stated as direct demands, even when the underlying position is firm; acknowledging the other party's constraints before presenting a counter-proposal is often treated as a sign of professionalism rather than weakness.
This chapter develops practical Korean language for proposing, conceding, and setting conditions in professional interaction, rather than training learners in negotiation theory, labor law, or contract drafting. Learners are not expected to produce legally binding agreements or to master professional negotiation tactics as a specialist would.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Stating a proposal immediately without acknowledging the other party's position or constraint, which can sound abrupt or one-sided in professional Korean.
Correction: Open with a brief acknowledgment using -지만 or a similar contrastive connector before presenting the proposal.
Error: Using an imperative form such as 바꾸세요 ("change it") to state a proposal, which can sound like a demand rather than a negotiation offer.
Correction: Use a tentative proposal ending such as -이/가 어떨까 합니다 to present the same idea as a suggestion open to discussion.
Error: Offering a compromise without specifying what condition makes it acceptable, which can lead to confusion about what was actually agreed.
Correction: State the condition explicitly using -(으)면, and confirm the agreement clearly using -기로 하다 once both sides accept.
Chapter Review
Section A — 어휘 (Vocabulary)
1. Define 타협, 조건, and 합의하다 in your own words.
Section B — 문형 (Grammar Patterns)
1. Complete the two combination-practice items from the Grammar section above.
2. Write one original sentence that offers a compromise using -지만 and states a condition using -(으)면.
Section C — 읽기와 듣기 (Reading and Listening)
1. Complete the reading comprehension questions above.
2. Complete the listening task questions above.
Section D — 쓰기와 말하기 (Writing and Speaking)
1. Complete the writing workshop paragraph and checklist.
2. Complete both stages of the speaking practice, either with a partner or using the solo alternative.
누적 복습 — Cumulative review
This chapter recycles position and stance vocabulary from Chapter 4, conditional and contrastive connectors from Chapter 3, decision language from earlier volumes, and the audience-adaptation strategies developed in Chapter 14, while applying them together to professional proposal, compromise, and conditional negotiation for the first time.
Practical Performance Task
수행 과제 — Chapter 19 Performance Task
협상 제안서 — A Short Negotiation Proposal
Write a short proposal (5–7 sentences) for a workplace or community negotiation, stating your position, acknowledging the other party's concern, offering a compromise, and specifying at least one condition, then deliver it aloud in a role-play or recording.
- Reading: Complete the analysis of the model passage's positions, concessions, and agreement.
- Writing: Submit the final proposal paragraph with a clear compromise and condition.
- Speaking: Deliver the proposal aloud, either to a partner or recorded.
| Criterion | What is evaluated |
|---|---|
| Position clarity | The proposal states one clear position on the negotiation issue |
| Acknowledgment | The other party's concern or constraint is acknowledged before the proposal |
| Compromise | A compromise is offered using an appropriately softened proposal ending |
| Condition | At least one condition for agreement is clearly stated |
| Reading analysis | The model passage's positions, concessions, and final agreement are correctly identified |
| Oral delivery | Tone remains professional and polite throughout the negotiation exchange |
| Hangeul and spacing accuracy | Accurate spelling and level-appropriate spacing throughout, no romanization |
| Scope discipline | No structures used productively beyond Volume IV, Chapters 1–19 |
Answer Key
Grammar practice
- Sample response: 예산을 늘리기는 어렵지만, 일정을 늦추면 가능합니다.
- Sample response: 전부 동의하기는 어렵지만, 일부만 먼저 시작하면 진행할 수 있습니다.
Reading comprehension
- Sample response: The planning team's opening position was that the budget needed to increase by 20%, signaled by 처음에... 주장했다 ("initially claimed").
- Sample response: The finance team's position was that increasing the budget was difficult; it differs from the planning team's position by rejecting the budget increase outright.
- Sample response: The planning team accepted a one-month schedule extension instead of a budget increase; this was acceptable to the finance team because it involved only a schedule adjustment, not additional funds.
- Sample response: The two teams agreed to keep the budget the same and adjust only the schedule.
Listening comprehension
- Sample response: Employee A takes the firmer position, signaled by 양보하기가 좀 어렵습니다 ("it's a bit hard for us to yield").
- Sample response: Employee B proposes starting 30 minutes earlier and finishing before the other team's meeting; this depends on the other team being willing to use the room only after that time.
Section A — Sample response
타협 is a compromise reached when two sides each give up part of what they originally wanted; 조건 is a specific term or requirement that must be met for an agreement to hold; 합의하다 means for two or more parties to reach a shared agreement after discussion.
Looking Ahead
지금 할 수 있는 것 — What you can do now
You can state a professional position, acknowledge another party's concern, offer a compromise, specify conditions for agreement, and confirm the outcome of a negotiation, both in writing and in spoken interaction.