International Negotiation Journal
This issue: International Business Negotiation
Guest Editors: Stephen Weiss and Catherine Tinsley
Abstracts, Vol. 4 No. 1, 1999.
Adopting a Dual Lens Approach for Examining the Dilemma of Differences in International Business NegotiationsStephen E. Weiss
School of Business
York University
4700 Keele Street
North York, Ontario
Canada M3J / Catherine Tinsley
School of Business
Georgetown University
Washington, DC 20057 USA
Jenifer J. Curhan
7013 Beechwood Drive
Chevy Chase
MD 20815 USA / Ro Sung Kwak
School of Economics and International Trade
Dongguk University
263 GA Pil-dong Jung-Ku
Seoul, South Korea
International business negotiations are characterized by two levels of differences beyond those found in domestic business negotiations: individual level differences (in negotiator priorities, preferences, perspectives, and scripts) and societal level differences (in national endowments, preferences (tastes), legal, economic and political systems, and government involvement). These differences, which may be viewed by adopting a dual lens approach, include both micro/individual and macro/environment level differences. Moreover, these differences are both beneficial and costly to international negotiations, hence resulting in a dilemma of differences. This article examines both sides of the dilemma and concludes by offering negotiators advice on how to manage the differences inherent to international business exchange.
Success and Failure Factors in Saudi-American Negotiations: American Views
Salem M. Al-Ghamdi
Management and Marketing Department
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
P.O. Box 667
Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia
This article draws on prior research studies and comparable measures to empirically investigate American views on what constitutes critical success and failure factors in negotiating with the Saudis. The findings from this new venue of research indicate that the Americans consider non-personal factors, such as technical expertise and financing terms, as more important than personal factors in successful negotiations with the Saudis. Moreover, among the failure factors studied, none were rated high in importance. Yet, from a Saudi viewpoint, Americans should not necessarily ignore these factors in their negotiations with the Saudis. Personal relationships may be important in generating pre-negotiation contacts, and cultural factors, linked to patience, language, and social customs, may help to prevent breakdowns in the negotiation process. Based on these conclusions, the study provides implications and draws some parallels with previous research on American perceptions.
A Comparison of American and Russian Patterns of Behavior in Buyer-Seller Negotiations Using Observational Measures
Christina Roemer
School of Business
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA / Paula Garb
Global Peace and Conflict Studies
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697 USA
Joyce Neu
The Carter Center
Emory University
Atlanta, GA 30322 USA / John L. Graham
Graduate School of Management
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697 USA
The study compares American and Russian patterns of conversational behaviors in the context of a simulated buyer-seller negotiation involving 60 American and 52 Russian businesspeople participating in intracultural, face-to-face bargaining sessions. Each session was tape-recorded, and the tapes were subsequently transcribed, translated, and coded for 20 content analysis categories. The behaviors of the Russians differed in some respects from the Americans, but overall we discovered surprising similarity in the patterns of bargaining behaviors. However, most importantly, the effects of those behaviors on negotiation outcomes (i.e., profits and satisfaction) were found to vary substantially across cultures.
Communicative Conflict in Intercultural Negotiations: The Case of American and Japanese Business Negotiations
Rajesh Kumar
The Aarhus School of Business
Fuglesangs Alle 4
DK-8210 Aarhus V, Denmark
This article explores the origins and implications of differences in communicative goals in an intercultural negotiation setting. The basic thesis is that while American and Japanese business people may be united in their ultimate goal of arriving at an agreement, the processes by which they do so are different, and this difference makes it hard to conclude an agreement. Differences in the process of negotiation are reflected in the differences in communication goals that are pursued by both parties. This article attempts to analyze the implications of these differences in the crucial first interactions that take place between American and Japanese business people. A social cognitive model is developed to explore the dynamics of cross-cultural negotiations.
Chinese Thought, Game Theory, and Strategic International Negotiations
Karen Jehn & Keith Weigelt
Management Department, The Wharton School
University of Pennsylvania
2000 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall, Philadelphia
PA 19104-6370 USA
In this article, the insights of Chinese philosophy and economic game theory are examined with a focus on international negotiations. While Chinese philosophy texts have existed for over 2,000 years, game theory is a more recent tool of strategic analysis. We illustrate four strategic negotiation principles based on these two theories with stylized examples specifically designed to help negotiators involved in international contexts.
Examining International Business Negotiations and Directions for the Future
Catherine H. Tinsley
School of Business, Georgetown University
Washington DC 20057 USA / Stephen E. Weiss
School of Business, York University
4700 Keele Street
North York, Ontario
Canada M3J