Negotiation

The art of international negotiation has many factors associated with it in order to be successful. On the cultural aspect the most important is a level of understanding about how business has traditionally been concluded in the country. For example, the Western approach when there is a disagreement is to seek redress in the courts. To many cultures, particularly in Asia, such a course is insulting and foreign. A disagreement should be discussed between parties to achieve a course of action that satisfies both parties. Furthermore, on a practical note, to seek redress in the local courts is often a very expensive, time consuming and futile exercise.

One very common area where many disagreements or misunderstandings arise in the first place is in the meaning of "Yes" given in negotiations. To a westerner, a direct question answered by "Yes" is agreement to the question. Not so in many cultures. You asked, " Will delivery be on time?" Answer "Yes". You subsequently find delivery is not on time. Understandably you are angry, but your foreign partner is does not understand why you are angry. He is however concerned that you are upset. You get angrier. What's happening? Well it all happened in the negotiations. Your foreign business partner answers "Yes" to your question. However, this simply meant he was listening to you; not an affirmation to your answer! Alternatively, he may have said "Yes" as the right answer "No" would have upset you. He "lied" because in his culture not revealing the truthful situation was the least "upsetting to you" in comparison to revealing the true situation. So in his culture, he was being the best host he could be to you