Negotiating with Managers from Britain

Abstract

When we negotiate internationally, many of us use the English language to communicate. However, this is only a very small part of the challenges facing people negotiating with the British, Americans, Australians, and Canadians, to name but a few of the countries where English is the native language. All these countries share a common language, but we would all agree that their citizens have very different mindsets, behaviours, and ways of working. Culture goes a lot further than just adapting to a different language; we need to be able to understand what makes the inhabitants of any country tick. What makes them laugh, what gets them annoyed, and what is their preferred way to negotiate? This chapter addresses all of these aspects and more, with regard to understanding British culture and negotiation behaviour.