International Negotiations
Andrea von Wunster
Fordham University
Dean Einersen
5/10/11
ESSAY # 1
As a manager, one must consider the cultural component of each negotiation process. Negotiations that take place internationally incur an even more dramatic set of cultural factors that contribute toward each party’s perception of the negotiation. “International business deals not only cross borders, but they also cross cultures. Culture profoundly influences how people think, communicate, and behave. It also affects the kinds of transactions they make and the way they negotiate them.” Managers must also develop an understanding of how people from different cultures negotiate so that each person involved in discussions perceives issues in the way they were intended. People who are negotiating should also seek to understand the culture of the parties involved in negotiations so that they can build trust through cultural sensitivities.
Many basic differences exist between local negotiations and negotiations with an international component. The most significant of these is the cultural differences between countries. For example, if negotiations take place between two U.S. citizens, one could assume that when one person is nodding his head, he is simply acknowledging that he hears the person and understands what they are saying. By contrast, when an American enters into negotiations with a Japanese business, a head nod is interpreted as a sign of agreement to those terms. In the same way, when a businessperson engages in negotiations with a person from the Middle East, bribery may be the cultural norm. In these situations, negotiators must make an ethical decision understanding that they likely will not earn a contract without engaging in this behavior.
If you were a manager, how would a negotiation that has an international component affect your negotiation perspective. As a manager, one must recognize the importance of researching the culture with which negotiations will take place.
Fordham University
Dean Einersen
5/10/11
ESSAY # 1
As a manager, one must consider the cultural component of each negotiation process. Negotiations that take place internationally incur an even more dramatic set of cultural factors that contribute toward each party’s perception of the negotiation. “International business deals not only cross borders, but they also cross cultures. Culture profoundly influences how people think, communicate, and behave. It also affects the kinds of transactions they make and the way they negotiate them.” Managers must also develop an understanding of how people from different cultures negotiate so that each person involved in discussions perceives issues in the way they were intended. People who are negotiating should also seek to understand the culture of the parties involved in negotiations so that they can build trust through cultural sensitivities.
Many basic differences exist between local negotiations and negotiations with an international component. The most significant of these is the cultural differences between countries. For example, if negotiations take place between two U.S. citizens, one could assume that when one person is nodding his head, he is simply acknowledging that he hears the person and understands what they are saying. By contrast, when an American enters into negotiations with a Japanese business, a head nod is interpreted as a sign of agreement to those terms. In the same way, when a businessperson engages in negotiations with a person from the Middle East, bribery may be the cultural norm. In these situations, negotiators must make an ethical decision understanding that they likely will not earn a contract without engaging in this behavior.
If you were a manager, how would a negotiation that has an international component affect your negotiation perspective. As a manager, one must recognize the importance of researching the culture with which negotiations will take place.