Language of Negotiations

In the article “Adam Smith, John Wayne, and the American Negotiation Style,” the author states what he believes to be the fundamental rule of international negotiations: you must understand your own culture to be an effective international negotiator (Compendium 186). Knowledge of culture, style, ideals, and traits is crucial to forming an effective argument and getting positive results out of a negotiation. I come from the United States, where our fast-paced, direct, and individualist tendencies have earned us a reputation as the world’s worst negotiators. American negotiation style is not always acceptable in other parts of the world and we must be aware of our differences and open-minded to other points of view. In this essay, I will discuss the cultural differences between the United States and other countries by examining the meaning and influence of monochromic vs. polychromic cultures, low vs. high context communication, and collectivist vs. individual cultures. MONOCHROMISM VS. POLYCHROMISM
Benjamin Franklin, an American Founding Father, coined the phrase “time is money” in 1748, thereby establishing the concept of monochromism in American culture and negotiations. Citizens of monochromic countries are task and closure-oriented, preferring to complete one task at a time without disruption or distraction (Fell). Those in monochromic cultures believe that time is divided into pieces that can be arranged, scheduled, and measured. The United States hosts one of the world’s fastest paced cultures. From fast food and microwaves to our negotiations, we expect everything to be organized and efficient. This preference likely emerged during the industrial revolution, when factory life was strictly time-controlled and structured and workers’ time was seen as an important resource not to be wasted. In negotiations, though, this need for speed and structure may hurt Americans and citizens of other similar Anglo Saxon countries, as we can