Negotiation across Cultures Flashcards
What is culture?
Herriot stated:
Culture can be described as ‘‘what remains when one has forgotten everything’’.
It encompasses shared beliefs, values, norms, practices and traditions of a society.
Culture is not solely attributed to individuals, but is a quality of society as a whole
3 main aspects define culture
- a quality of society
- Acquired and changing
- unique complex of attributes
A quality of society
Culture is not limited to individuals but encompasses the collective values and
behaviors of a particular society.
Acquired and changing (culture)
Culture is aquired and transmitted through acculturation or socillization.
It evolves and adapts over time, reflecting the influences of various factors, such as globalization and intercultural interactions.
Unique complex of attributes (culture)
each culture is an unique combination of material, intellectual, and organizational aspects. It encompasses various dimensions of social life, including art, language, religion, customs, and social structure.
Defining culture
culture is the sum of beliefs, opinions and activities.
distinguishing groups of human beings from other groups of human beings, and which are learned from childhood through a system of…
Rewards, Appraisals, Rejections, Punishment, … by the group
(Social learning theory)
Cultural orientation
basic cultural orientation:
* beliefs → assumptions about the world and how it works
- values → assumptions about right and wrong
- Behaviour → Human action
- norms→ Expected or typical behavior
Recognizing cultural differences
- obvious differences
- less obvious differences
obvious cultural differences
age
language
gender
family status
educational background
less obvious differences
social values
roles and status
decision making customs
concepts of time
body language
Culture impacts many aspects of negotiation
Actors: emotionalism, personal style, risk taking
Structure: power distribution, hierarchies, leadership
Relationships: communication, trust
Strategy: hard bargaining versus problem-solving
Process: rules, time, transparency, disclosure
Outcome; vague versus specific, agreement versus relationship
Interpretation: win-win, versus lose-lose
High context cultures
(such as collectivist societies)
* meaning of message is dependent on context in which it is given.
* vagueness instead direct communication
* information outside of spoken words
* nonverbal cues, like facial expressions + body langue, play big role.
In high context cultures, it is essential to maintain a good image and save face in front of others. Face-to-face conversations are characterized by expressions of courtesy and respect.
* time is seen as more flexible
Low context cultures
(individual societis)
* information is fully contained in direct communication
* more direct +explicit in language
* individual freedom is often prioritized over group harmony
* relationships are not necessary put ahead of the goal.
* time is considered valuable
Prenegotiation (high/low context)
High context
building relationship with other side
Low context
focus is on issue
Beginnings (high/low context)
High context
face saving
minimizing uncertainties
parties take turns in presenting concerns and reciprocating initiatives in kind Deductive mode of reaching an agreement
General principles –> to principles at hand
Low context:
opening statements tend to be risky, and aim at revealing interests
Inductive mode of reaching agreemetn
facts > crafting conclustion to fit those
Middle phase (high/low context(
high context:
Bargaining not always approriate
time is not seen as constraint
Low context:
bargaining is the key
time is of essence
urgency to reach an agreement
End phase (high/low context)
High context:
Face saving is essential
deals need to be presented in a way to not damage reputation
Low context:
agreement is the key, face saving is not primary important
Hofstede 4 basic dimension of culture used to classify behaviour of negotiator
- Power distance index (PDI)
- Individualsm versus collectivism (IDV)
- Uncertainty avoidance (UAI)
- Masculinity versus feminity (MAS)
Power distance index
Reflects the degree to which the culture accepts the unequal distribution of power.
Reflects the degree to which thedecisions of power holders should be challenged or accepted.
existence + relevance of hierarchies.
Individualsm versus collectivism
describes the degree to which a culture relies on the self or the group.
Individualistic cultures focus on themselves first.
Collectivist cultures focus on the group. loyalty is important.
Uncertainty avoidance
Describes the extend to which culture feels threatened by ambigous and uncertain situations and tries to avoid them by establishing more strcture.
Cultures with low UAI score= tend to have a high tolerance for uncertainty + for people considered socially deviant
Cultures with high UAI score prefer to avoid uncertainty + try to ensure security through extensive sets of rules + regulations
Masculinity versus feminity
indicates the degree to which a culture values achievement, assertiveness, and manliness;
or nurtance and soical suppors.
Culture with high MAS score believe in achievement and ambition.
judge people on basis of performance, and material goods acquired.
Cultures with low MAS score believe in less external achievements, and shows of manliness.
They prefer equality between sexes, and less prescriptive role behaviours associated with each gender
Two additonal dimension
Long-term versus short-term orientation (LTO)
indulgence versus restraint (IND)
Large power distance
key negotiations have to be concluded by top authority
(centralized control & centralized decision-making)
Collectivism Effects on Negotiation Behavior
Need stable relationship to develop familiarity between negotiators.
Sudden replacement of negotiator, experienced as disturbance of relationship
Mediator- intermediaries important (formal harmony does not permit overt conflict)
Masculinity effects on negotiation behaviour
conflicts more often resolved through fighting than compromising.
Distributive bargaining more dominant than integrative bargaining.
Unncertainty avoidance Effects on Negotiation Behavior
Distrust opponents who show unfamiliar behavior
preference for nicely structure ritualistic procedures
Negotiation is culturally neutral (Zartman)
Negotiation is a universal process.. Cultural differences are simply differences in style + language (Zartman)
Universal underlying process
Positioning and concessions
Maximizing gains/ minimizing losses
Negotiation professionals belong to a common Cosmopolitan culture
Educated at Western universities
Trained as Ambassadors/ Foreign Service
International experiences + Common languages
Key points culture
- culture matters
- risk of stereotyping/ essentializing
- context matters (power, status etc.)
