CROSS-CULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS

Cross-Cultural Negotiations

Cross-Cultural Negotiations

Introduction

Certainly, cultural differences are always present, but these differences can be overcome by accepting that the process is universal. The purpose of this paper is to study, within case analyses framework, whether cultural influence can be detected in cross-cultural negotiations. This paper will also attempt to establish the significance and effect of culture on negotiations and aim to define culture and the important role it plays during the process of negotiation.

Definition of Terms

The influence of culture on negotiations has been studied in various settings including case analysis and furthermore, in disentangling the key elements of culture - values, beliefs, perceptions, and outlooks - one can understand how these cultural elements clearly translate into basic orientations to the negotiation process (?dler, 2004). Negotiators from other cultures may think differently due to their values, beliefs, and assumptions.

Culture and Negotiations

The relationship between culture and negotiation styles has been the topic of much investigation and research in recent times. However, the term "culture" is understood differently by different groups of people. These different notions of culture yield different understandings of the culture-negotiation link. With a growing awareness of the forces of globalization dominant in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, delving into the multiple interfaces between culture and conflict to arrive at a more systematic understanding of intercultural negotiation practices becomes a fruitful effort. In the words of Rubin and Faure, "… this addresses the way conflict over (resources)- and the way such conflict is settled or resolved- is affected by the dimension of culture. (p56)"

The central question now to be addressed is whether culture is more or less important in determining or influencing the outcomes of negotiation processes than other factors. In other words, given an increasingly interdependent world, is culture a barrier or a bridge in bringing disparate or divided peoples together? Does increasing interdependence foster greater conflict, or does this interdependence work to break down cultural differences in a way that is conducive to peaceful coe?istence? Considering the impact of these trends on the negotiation process, "it goes without saying that culture often does have an impact on negotiation, but so do countless other variables and considerations. The question, then, is more on what the distinctive effect of culture may be, both in creating une?pected opportunities for dispute settlement and in imposing obstacles to agreement" (Faure and Rubin, 2003).

Understanding and knowing that culture-negotiation link has four distinct approaches to determine the impact of culture on negotiation is the logical step to take ne?t.

Theory

The first approach views culture as learned behavior. It focuses on actions, without giving much attention to the reasons behind those actions. Researchers following this approach observe that certain types of behavior are common to certain cultures, and attempt to catalog those behaviors. Some of the earliest investigations into cultural differences take this form. The approach tends to yield cross-cultural negotiation etiquette guides, or how-to manuals. Such general yet definite advice is often helpful to practitioners. However, it is interesting to note that this approach has ...