Introduction
When multiple parties come together in the pursuit of some common goal, conflicts are bound to arise. These conflicts hamper the efforts of the parties to attain their goal (Shachar, 2011). To ensure that progress towards the goal is not hindered, it is important to employ negotiation in resolving any conflicts that arise. Different negotiation styles have been developed to allow individuals to resolve conflicts and to secure consensus. Most of these styles account for the impacts that cultural backgrounds play in defining the attitude and conduct of those involved in a negotiation. It is important to ensure that the negotiation style that is adopted attends to the cultural needs and sensitivities of all concerned stakeholders (Shachar, 2011). Negotiation and communication in different cultures is the focus of this essay. The essay identifies the differences in the negotiation styles adopted by those in the Far-East and those in the West. A discussion on the practical lessons learned regarding the how a negotiation session with Far-Easterners would develop is also provided.
Far-Eastern vs. Western negotiation styles
When negotiating, it is advised that individuals should be mindful of the cultures of other parties (Onaitis, 1999). This allows for effective and fruitful negotiations to be carried out. It also has to be remembered that different people employ different negotiation styles which are influenced heavily by their cultures. For instance, there are people who give greater focus to facts and there are others who adopt an expressive negotiation style. Lee Pickle and Dinh Thi Thanh Van conducted a study to determine the differences that exist in the negotiation styles of Americans and Vietnamese customers. In the discussion below, these differences are explored and taken to be representations of the negotiation styles of the Western and the Far-Eastern worlds.
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In their examination of the cultural styles adopted by the Vietnamese and the American customers, Pickle and Van noted differences in the goals pursued by the two customer groups. On one hand, the Vietnamese customers place greater focus on relationships (Pickle & Van, 2009). Their culture drives them to pursue long-lasting and meaningful relationships with the parties that they negotiate with. The Vietnamese customers can be taken to reflect the negotiation style of the entire Far-East. On the other hand, American customers value results. All their negotiation styles are aimed at obtaining certain results (Pickle & Van, 2009). For instance, the American customer may invest all their effort to negotiate for good prices or quality. Parallels can be drawn between the American customer and the Western world.
The second difference that Pickle and Van observed between the American and the Vietnamese customers lies in the preferences and the perceptions of the two groups regarding the outcomes of negotiations. The Vietnamese customer believes that in all negotiations, there must be a winner and a loser (Pickle & Van, 2009). This customer understands that it is impossible to satisfy the needs and wishes of all parties in a negotiation. It would therefore be expected that a Far-East negotiator would pursue a deal that allows them to emerge as the winner. The Far-East negotiator stands in sharp contrast to the negotiator from the Western world. The Western negotiator enters a negotiation with the mindset that it is possible to secure an agreement that delivers benefits for all involved parties (Pickle & Van, 2009). This negotiator is convinced that win-win solutions can be obtained through extensive negotiations. Western negotiators must understand the leanings of their counterparts from the Far-East if they hope to secure an agreement. They need to convince the Far-Eastern that it is indeed possible to strike a mutually-satisfying and beneficial agreement.
While the negotiation styles employed by the Western and the Far-Eastern negotiators are different, Pickle and Van observed some similarities in the attitudes and perceptions of these negotiators. They noted that both the Vietnamese and the Far-Eastern negotiator keep an open mind (Pickle & Van, 2009). The Vietnamese negotiator is open to using a negotiation style that is different from their own. The American customer avoids any bias and maintains an open mind as regards the outcomes of negotiation. While they strive to obtain a favorable agreement, they are also open to striking an agreement that presents gains for all parties. This similarity can be exploited by a Westerner who is negotiating with people from the Far-East. The Western negotiator must align their own objectives to the goals pursued by the counterparts from the Far-East.
Lessons learned
This module has provided many insights that would prove useful in a possible negotiation with a negotiator from the Far-East. The first lesson regards the need to respect the cultures of others. It has been mentioned above that culture determines how negotiations develop and the goals pursued by those involved in a negotiation. While negotiating with those from the Far-East, it would be wise to respect their culture. For instance, as mentioned above, those from this region value relationships. Therefore, as one negotiates with those from the Far-East, they must genuinely desire to develop friendships that go beyond the negotiation.
The other lesson that this module has provided concerns the role that values play in negotiations. Since values are part of culture, they influence how parties approach negotiations. The American negotiator upholds such values as objectivity and fairness (Pickle & Van, 2009). These values would prove useful in gaining the trust of the Far-East negotiator. By remaining objective and just, it is possible to convince the other party to keep an open mind and pursue the negotiation with genuineness and enthusiasm. It is much easier to achieve consensus when all parties share the same values. These values guide the actions of the parties to ensure that an agreement that is mutually satisfying is secured.
Apart from the important roles that culture and values play, the other lesson that this module has provided concerns the need to consider gender differences in negotiations. According to Pickle and Van, the Vietnamese negotiator prefers to negotiate with women as they find such negotiations to be more comfortable (Pickle & Van, 2009). It is important to keep this in mind when negotiating with those from the Far East. One should strive to provide a comfortable environment to assure the negotiators from the Far-East that the negotiation aims to deliver gains for everyone involved.
In an earlier discussion, a mention was made of the fact that conflicts arise in negotiations. These conflicts may hamper the efforts by parties to arrive at consensus. The need to resolve conflicts before they pose a threat to negotiations is the other lesson gained from this module. Given that those from the West and the negotiators from the Far-East come from different cultural backgrounds, it can be expected that differences and conflicts will be witnessed. These conflicts concern such issues as differences in the negotiation styles and the values upheld by the two parties. It is important to keep an eye out for these conflicts to ensure that they are addressed as soon as they arise. By doing this, it will be possible to ensure that the negotiation stays on track and that both parties remain committed to the common objectives.
In their exploration of the negotiation style employed by the Vietnamese customers, Pickle and Van observed that the Vietnamese customer only negotiates when they receive guarantees that their chances of winning are high (Pickle & Van, 2009). This means that this customer is likely to walk away from negotiations that do not hold much promise. When negotiating with an individual from the Far-East, one would do well to offer concessions and make promises. This will provide the Far-East negotiator with the sense that the negotiation holds some benefit for them. It will become easier to ensure that the Far-East negotiator stays at the negotiation table.
In conclusion, negotiation is a rather complex process. There are different and numerous emotions, styles, preferences and objectives that are at play. As one negotiates, they should ensure that they recognize the cultural differences and exhaust all resources to ensure that all parties feel comfortable. A negotiator from the West who wishes to secure an agreement with others from the Far-East needs to consider the cultural differences. They need to understand that the Far-East negotiator seeks to build relationships and emerge as the winner. This understanding will facilitate the negotiation process.
References
Onaitis, S. (1993). Chapter 2. Various Negotiating Styles. In Negotiate Like the Big Guys: How Small and Mid-Sized Companies Can Balance the Power in Dealing with Corporate Giants. Aberdeen: Silver Lake Publishing.
Pickle, L., & Van, D. T. T. (2009). A Comparative Study of Vietnamese and American Customers’ Behavior in Negotiation Style and Implications for Global Pricing Strategy. Asia Pacific Journal of Finance and Banking Research, 3 (3), 53-65.
Shachar, M. (2011). Conflict Resolution Management (CRM).
