ROLE OF CROSS-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NEGOTIATIONS

1. ROLE OF CROSS-CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES IN NEGOTIATIONS
Cross-cultural negotiations is the interactions
that occur between various cultures. These
negotiations are typically viewed as occurring
between various nations, but cross-cultural
studies can also occur between different
cultures within the same nation.

2. Aim
Time and space, personal responsibility, face and
face-saving, and nonverbal communication — are
much more complex than it is possible to convey.
Each of them influences the course of
communications, and can be responsible for conflict
or the escalation of conflict when it leads to
miscommunication or misinterpretation. A culturally-
fluent approach to conflict means working over time
to understand these and other ways communication
varies across cultures, and applying these
understandings in order to enhance relationships
across differences.

3. Features Of Cross Culture Negotiation:
cross-cultural communication will be outlined and
demonstrated by examples of ideas, attitudes, and
behaviors involving four variables:
•Time and Space
•Fate and Personal Responsibility
•Face and Face-Saving
•Nonverbal Communication
Time and Space
Time is one of the most central differences that
separate cultures and cultural ways of doing things.
In the West, time tends to be seen as quantitative,
measured in units that reflect the march of
progress. It is logical, sequential, and present-

4. Fate and Personal Responsibility
Another important variable affecting communication
across cultures is fate and personal responsibility.
This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves
the masters of our lives, versus the degree to which
we see ourselves as subject to things outside our
control.
Face and Face-Saving
Another important cultural variable relates to face &
face saving. Face is important across cultures, yet
the dynamics of face and face-saving play out
differently.

5. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is hugely important in any
interaction with others; its importance is multiplied across
cultures. People use different systems of understanding
gestures, posture, silence, special relations, emotional
expression, touch, physical appearance, and other
nonverbal cues. Cultures also attribute different degrees of
importance to verbal and nonverbal behavior.

6. Cultural Effects on Negotiating Style
NEGOTIATION FACTORS CULTURAL RESPONSES
Goal Contract or Relationship
Attitudes Win/Lose or Win/Win
Personal Styles Informal or Formal
Communications Direct or Indirect
Time Sensitivity High or Low
Emotionalism High or Low
Agreement Form Specific or General
AgreementBuilding Bottom Up or Top Down
Team Organization One Leader or Consensus
Risk-taking High or Low

8. Implementation of Cross Culture Negotiation
•Understand expectations
•Establish common ground and choose your style
•Manage the Negotiation

9. Dealing with Cultural Barriers in Business
Negotiations
1. Research the other party’s culture.
Standard negotiation texts advise us to
research the culture of our host or
counterpart, including becoming aware of the
culture’s customs, rituals, taboos, and so on.
Do business negotiators greet one another
with a handshake, a hug, or a bow? Such
guidelines can help you avoid making
potentially embarrassing or offensive faux pas
and reduce cultural barriers, and they may also
improve the efficiency of your business
negotiations.

10. 2. Consider the individual.
many forces other than culture influence our
negotiating behavior, including personality, training,
and experience. Focus on getting to know the other
party as a unique individual, and put your cultural
knowledge off to the side.
3. Build bridges across cultures.
Rather than focusing on overcoming intercultural
barriers,bridge-building might mean pointing out
cultural similarities, such as a shared ancestry or
familiar customs.