NCJ Number
174374
Journal
Negotiation Journal Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: July 1998 Pages: 221-240
Date Published
1998
Length
20 pages
Annotation
A survey of 310 persons of different nationalities and occupations asked respondents to rate their negotiating styles with respect to 10 factors involved in the negotiation process.
Abstract
These factors included a preference for a written contract in contrast to relationship-building as a negotiating goal; an integrative (win-win) as opposed to a distributive (win-lose) bargaining approach; and high rather than low tolerance for risk- taking. In reporting on the response of persons from 12 countries and eight different occupations, the study found that in many instances persons from the same cultures and occupations tended to respond to these negotiating elements similarly. Survey responses were also examined with respect to the respondents' gender. The study appears to support the proposition that culture, occupational background, and gender can influence negotiating style. A knowledge of cultural differences may help negotiators to better understand and interpret their counterpart's negotiating behavior and to find ways to bridge gaps created by cultural differences. Equally important, the survey suggests that professional and occupational culture may be as important as national culture in shaping a person's negotiating style and attitudes toward the negotiation process. If true, this finding has at least two implications. First, both scholars and practitioners must take into account professional culture as well as national culture in their studies and analysis of the impact of culture on negotiating behavior. Second, when faced with a cultural difference at the negotiating table, negotiators from different cultures but similar occupational or professional background might rely on the elements of their professional culture to bridge the cultural gap between them. 17 tables, appended survey instrument, and 21 references