Responses should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions.
Negotiation is understood to be a process of interactions involving two individuals or groups reaching a joint agreement about differing needs or ideas; it can also be seen as a kind of social interaction for reaching an agreement for two or more parties with different objectives or interests that they think are important (Sarkar, 2010). When negotiating in a global situation, there is an art to the process because the variables are more complex due to the differences in cultures, communication styles, politics, beliefs, customs and traditions.
According to Deresky (2014), there are five steps to the cross-cultural negotiation process: (1) preparation, (2) relationship building, (3) exchange of task-related information, (4) persuasion, (5) consessions and agreement. The style of negotiation in terms of communication will depend on what country one is trying to do business with. Some cultures focus on individualism like American, some focus on collectivism like the Chinese. Mexican culture is present time oriented, and Japanese culture is future oriented. Some cultures like to take the negotiation process slow and others like to go fast.
The American processes of business negotiations are somewhat fast when compared to the Chinese or Brazilian process. Chinese wish to have better knowledge of the individuals with whom they are contemplating doing business; so negotiations do not go forward until the Chinese are satisfied that a harmonious working relationship can be established (Zhao, 2000). Brazilians like to get to know their business partners by engaging them in small talk that may last a while that may seem like a waste of time to Americans (Deresky, 2014). However, Brazilians like to know who they are doing business with before they make any commitment to doing business with their company. Brazilian representatives are not the decision makers most of the time, but Americans are given latitude in making many decisions at a lower level. This difference can be frustrating for the American party. Do not appear impatient if you are kept waiting because Brazilians see time as something outside of their control and the demands of relationships take precedence over adhering to a strict schedule (Deresky, 2014).
When conducting business in any culture that is unfamiliar, it is beneficial to a little research before one entered into the negotiation process. It would be far better for one to enter into a negotiation process prepared on how to put forth the best foot forward instead of inadvertently offending a prospective partner right without even knowing it. Be prepared by doing research and exercise patience and one should do well in a cross-cultural negotiation process.
References:
Deresky, H. (2014). International mangement: Manging across borders and cultures (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Sarkar, A. N. (2010). Navigating the Rough Seas of Global Business Negotiation: Reflection on Cross-Cultural Issues and Some Corporate Experiences. International Journal Of Business Insights & Transformation, 3(2), 47-61.
Zhao, J. J. (2000). The Chinese Approach to International Business Negotiation. Journal Of Business Communication, 37(3), 209-237.