Cross-Cultural Issues in Negotiation

Abstract

Over the past three decades we have witnessed a gradual increase in what could be called cross-cultural negotiation. As our clients increasingly acquire resources and services from the global market and sell to other businesses across the world, there is a need for a negotiation model that can bridge those diverse cultures. Everything so far in this book has been as culturally neutral as possible, and our negotiation techniques are applicable across a wide range of locations. We will now deal with some specific considerations that you should build into your planning when negotiating with people from cultures you may not have dealt with before. In doing this, we run the risk of making generalizations and discussing stereotypes that may be unfair and inaccurate. However, be assured that we intend no insult to any culture or tradition whatsoever.