This document discusses the key components of intercultural negotiations. It identifies several factors that affect intercultural negotiations, including cultural noise, national culture, power and authority, perception, interpreters, gender, environment, and relationships. It also examines negotiation styles across different cultures like the US, China, Japan, and others. Effective negotiators are described as observant, adaptable, good listeners, and able to ascertain different cultural perspectives.
2. Topics
Cross-cultural Negotiation Components
Stereotypes that affect Intercultural
Negotiations
Comparative Negotiation Styles
Characteristics of Effective Negotiators
Importance of Protocol in Intercultural
Negotiations
Group vs. Individual Orientation
Face-to-face Strategies
Role of the Media
Personal Constructs
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
3. Cross-Cultural Negotiation Components
The players and situation
Cultural noise
National culture
Power and authority
Perception
Interpreters and translators
Gender
Environment
Relationship and substantive conflicts
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
4. The Players and the Situation
Learn the background of the players
Determine expectations of negotiators
Determine negotiating style
Determine role negotiators have played in the
past
Provide an environment free of tension,
conducive to exchange of ideas, and problem
resolution
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
5. Cultural Noise
Anything that distracts or interferes with
the message
Low- or high- context
Arguments emotional or logical
Trust based on laws or friendship
High or low risk takers
View of time
Authoritative or consensual decision-making
style
Oral or written agreement
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
6. National Culture
Patterns of personality
Governance structure
Integrate negotiators’ interests
Other cultures include: professional, social
class, ethnic, regional, gender, and
organizational
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
7. Power and Authority
Power is the ability to influence others
Authority is the power to give commands
Power has to be accepted to be meaningful
Balanced authority – is shared decision-
making
Authority advantage – one partner claims
superior resources or superior position
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
8. Perception
Process used to ascribe meaning to the
environment
Is culturally based
Stimuli have both physical size and socio-
environmental meaning; our experiences
determine to what stimuli we are sensitive
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
9. Interpreters and Translators
Language issues are key in negotiations
Interpreters and translators slow down
negotiations
Using interpreters and translators can
have both positive and negative impacts
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
10. Gender
Use of women as negotiators; viewed
as “window dressing” in some
countries – viewed as equals in
others.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
11. Environment
“Home court” advantage
The room and furniture arrangement
Seating arrangement
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
12. Relationship and Substantive Conflicts
Relationship conflicts are issues of long-
term friendships or partnerships
Substantive issues are use and control of
resources
Cognitive dissonance - the psychological
conflict or anxiety that results from
inconsistencies between what one does
and what one believes
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
13. Stereotypes That Affect Intercultural
Negotiations
How we view ourselves is probably not
how the other team views us.
Find out how others view your culture,
gender, and organization.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
14. Comparative Negotiation Styles
A successful negotiator within a culture
may not be successful in another culture.
A successful negotiator needs to be able
to ascertain where the opposition is
coming from.
Successful negotiators need to be able to
adjust their behavior appropriately.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
15. Characteristics of Effective Negotiators
Effective negotiators are
observant, patient, adaptable, and good
listeners
mentally sharp
think before they speak
do their country homework
praise what is praiseworthy and refrain from
criticizing the other side
keep their promises and negotiate in good
faith
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
16. Importance of Protocol in Intercultural
Negotiations
Three protocol types
Tribal
Collective
Pluralist
All cultures share the need for honesty, courage,
respect for human dignity, fairness, and love;
however, these have different meanings in
different cultures.
Reality is not always the same in every culture.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
17. Group vs. Individual Orientation
Group orientation
Your identity belongs to the group
Decisions reached by consensus
Contracts are flexible
Individual orientation
Your identity belongs to you
Decisions can be made by individuals
Contracts are inflexible
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
18. Face-to-Face Strategies
Negotiating in person rather than through
the mail, fax, telephone, lawyers, or other
intermediaries
Face-to-face negotiators’ behaviors
Irritators
Counterproposals
Argument dilution
Reviewing the negotiation
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
19. Role of the Media
Media may support or tear down
Media is a culture with cultural biases
Tend to have a stereotypical view of
business
See other cultures through the bias of the
U.S. perceptual grid
Movies promote stereotypes
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
20. Personal Constructs
An individual’s belief system and attitudes
Can differ within a culture as well as between
cultures
Expectations are based on learned life
experiences
Adaptability is important to success
Adages
Birds of a feather flock together
They’re in America; they should act like Americans
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
21. Negotiations - The Four Cs
Common Interest - each has something
the other wants
Conflicting Interests - include payment,
distribution, profits, contractual
responsibilities, and quality
Compromise - areas of disagreement
Criteria - conditions under which the
negotiations take place
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
22. Mindsets
Mindsets are controlled by language and
culture.
Realize the other side is having mindset
difficulties in the negotiation also.
People can alter their strategies based
upon their first-hand knowledge and
adaptability.
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
23. U.S. Negotiators
Focused on completing the deal
Profit oriented and direct
Do not need personal relationships with
other negotiators
Work during meals, golf, at any time
Tend to be informal
Individually oriented
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
24. Canada
Two groups: the Anglophones and the
Francophones
Well informed and analytical
Sense of self-determination
Trust is an important component
Individually oriented
Mixture of tribal and pluralistic
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
25. China
The Chinese want a win-win strategy
Harmony is important
Neutral site is important
Team members need to be matched on
both sides
Relationship building is important
Group oriented and prefer face-to-face
negotiations
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
26. England
Objective, matter-of-fact about
negotiations
Tend to understate their position
Individualistic but company policy followed
without question
Relationships not necessary
Very deadline oriented
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
27. France
Negotiators should have the correct social
and education background and authority
to make decisions
A relationship will help negotiations
Enjoy debates; are indirect
Quality more important than speed
Individualistic and prefer face-to-face
negotiations
Mealtime is not a time to talk business
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
28. Germany
Permanent and stringent contracts
No-nonsense negotiators
Relationships not necessary
Individualistic and prefer face-to-face
negotiations
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
29. Japan
The Japanese want a win-win situation
Negotiation takes place away from the
negotiation table
Relationships are important
Group and consensus oriented
Prefer face-to-face negotiations
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
30. Mexico
Relationships and connections very
important
Senior executives make the decisions
Time is fluid
Emotional arguments are considered to be
persuasive arguments
Strategies are more win-win
Neutral sites are preferred
Leave room to bargain
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
31. The Netherlands
Averse to chaos; very organized
The Dutch are direct and pragmatic
Decision is based on consensus
Will tend to move fast and expect you to
also move fast
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
32. South Korea
Rank/status very important
Harmony is important
Can be direct, express emotion, and use
aggression
Need to be introduced and develop a
relationship
South Korea is a collective culture
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin
33. Taiwan
Relationships need to be developed
Seating protocol is important as is
matching team members
Self-control and harmony are very
important
Taiwanese are collectivistic
Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed., Chaney & Martin