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The Dangers of Stereotypes

• Negotiations are conducted between people, not national stereotypes

• Cultural factors often make huge differences• Negotiation behaviors are different across regions, genders, and

type of industry• Age and experience also make important differences• Consider the culture of customers and business partners, but treat

them as individuals

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The Pervasive Impact of Culture on Negotiation Behavior

• Regional generalizations very often are not correct• Cultural differences cause four kinds of problems in international

business negotiations:- Language- Nonverbal behaviors- Values- Thinking and decision-making processes

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Differences in Language and Nonverbal Behaviors

• Americans are near the bottom of the languages skills list• Americans don’t like side conversations by foreigners in their

native language• The variation across cultures is greater when comparing linguistic

aspects of language and nonverbal behaviors than when the verbal content of negotiations is considered

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Differences in Values

• Objectivity- “separating people from the problem”

• Competitiveness and equality- Japanese appear to be the best negotiators with the highest profits- Japanese appear to be more equitable with buyers

• Time- The passage of time is viewed differently across cultures- These difference most often hurt Americans

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Differences in Thinking and Decision-Making Processes

• Western approach: sequential• Eastern approach: holistic• Americans: business negotiation is a problem-solving activity• Japanese: a business negotiation is a time to develop a business

relationship with the goal of long-term mutual benefit

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Implications for Managers and Negotiators

Four steps for more efficient and effective international business negotiations:

1. Selection of the appropriate negotiation team

2. Management of preliminaries, including training, preparations, and manipulation of negotiation settings

3. Management of the process of negotiations

4. Appropriate follow-up procedures and practices

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Negotiation Teams

• Willingness to use team assistance• Listening skills• Influence at headquarters (senior executive)• Gender should not be used as a selection criterion for international

negotiation teams

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Negotiation Preliminaries

Checklist for planning international negotiations:

1. Assessment of the situation and the people

2. Facts to confirm during the negotiation

3. Agenda

4. Best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA)

5. Concession strategies

6. Team assignments

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Negotiation Preliminaries (continued)

Aspects of the negotiation setting that should be pre-manipulated:

1. Location

2. Physical arrangements

3. Number of parties

4. Number of participants

5. Audiences (news media, competitors, fellow vendors, etc.)

6. Communications channels

7. Time limits

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At the Negotiation Table

1. Nontask sounding

2. Task-related exchange of information

3. Persuasion

4. Concessions and agreement

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Nontask Sounding

• Learn the mood of the other side• Learn about the client’s background and interest for cues about

appropriate communication styles• Judgments about the “kind” of person in the negotiation

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Task-Related Information Exchange

• Let the foreign counterparts bring up business• Expect a large number of questions but little feedback• Allow periods of silence• Use multiple communication channels• Understand the lack of, or the bluntness of negative feedback• Meet aggressive first offers with questions, not anger

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Persuasion

• Task-related information exchange versus persuasion• Avoid threats, warnings, and other aggressive negotiation tactics• Avoid emotional outbursts• Ask more questions• Use third parties and information channels of communication

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Concessions and Agreement

• Write down concession-making strategies• Understand differences in decision-making styles• In many cultures, no concessions are made until the end of the

negotiations

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After Negotiations

• In most countries other than America, legal systems are not depended upon to settle disputes

• Japan – contacts primarily contain comments on principles of the relationship

• China – contracts are more a description of what business partners view their respective responsibilities to be

• Many foreign CEOs expect a formal contract signing ceremony• Follow-up communications are very important

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Conclusions

• Experience levels are going up worldwide• Culture still counts• Differences between countries and cultures, no matter how

difficult, can be worked out when people talk to each other in face-to-face setting