She seems to have run into the second issue: Using time efficiently in the course of negotiations is generally valued in the United States, but in India, there is often a greater focus on building relationships early in the process. In this cross cultural conflict negotiation example, we see that the negotiator has learned after the fact that her Indian counterpart would have appreciated a slower pace with more opportunities for relationship building. The more you know about the client, the better off you will do in any negotiation. Before partaking in any negotiation, you should take the time to study the context and the person on the other side of the bargaining table, including the various cultures to which he belongs-whether the culture of France, the culture of engineering, or his particular company’s corporate culture. Just as important, not only do countries have unique cultures, but teams and organizations do, too. This means not only researching the customs and behaviors of different cultures but also by understanding why people follow these customs and exhibit these behaviors in the first place. To overcome this tendency, it is important to learn as much as you can about the other party’s culture. It’s not just about being aware of their culture, but also how yours might be viewed.Ī second common reason for cross-cultural misunderstandings is that we tend to interpret others’ behaviors, values, and beliefs through the lens of our own culture. In addition, awareness of your own cultural prototypes can help you anticipate how your counterpart might interpret your bargaining behavior. But if it turns out that a negotiator is especially quiet, you might better understand her behavior and change your negotiating approach in light of the prototype. Thus, it would be a mistake to expect a Japanese negotiator you have never met to be reserved. That said, there is still a great deal of variability within each culture-meaning that some Brazilians speak less than some Japanese do. There is a big difference between stereotypes and prototypes.įor example, it is commonly understood that Japanese negotiators tend to have more silent periods during their talks than, say, Brazilians. Instead of relying on stereotypes, you should try to focus on prototypes-cultural averages on dimensions of behavior or values. You should never assume cultural stereotypes going into a negotiation. Stereotypes are often pejorative (for example Italians always run late), and they can lead to distorted expectations about your counterpart’s behavior as well as potentially costly misinterpretations. First, it’s fairly common when confronting cultural differences, for people to rely on stereotypes.
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In our FREE special report from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School - The New Conflict Management: Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies to Avoid Litigation – renowned negotiation experts uncover unconventional approaches to conflict management that can turn adversaries into partners.Ĭultural conflict in negotiations tends to occur for two main reasons.
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Let’s talk about the main causes of cross cultural negotiation failure.Ĭlaim your FREE copy: The New Conflict Management Misunderstandings can lead to a lower likelihood of exploring and discovering integrative, or value-creating, solutions. As a result, when negotiating across cultures, we bring different perspectives to the bargaining table, which in turn may result in potential misunderstandings. The reason is primarily that cultures are characterized by different behaviors, communication styles, and norms.
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Research shows that dealmaking across cultures tends to lead to worse outcomes as compared with negotiations conducted within the same culture. In this useful cross cultural conflict negotiation example, we explore what this negotiator could have done differently to improve her negotiation skills.
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Their cultures have different views on how to conduct negotiations, and in this case, the barrier prevented a successful outcome. The business negotiator thought she was being efficient with their time. After losing an important deal in India, a business negotiator learned that her counterpart felt as if she had been rushing through the talks.