cultural comp

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English: Communication in an international business contextGroup 3

2000 2001

INTERCULTURAL

BUSINESS

NEGOTIATION

Kristof Schotsmans 1st lic TEWFrederik Declercq 3rd year HIR

Stijn Lamey 3rd year HIR


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CONTENTS

Contents p. 2

1. Summary of the workshop on intercultural business negotiation p. 3

2. Goal of the presentation and method of work p. 4

3. Speaker evaluation p. 5

4. Inviting memo p. 6

5. Agenda p. 7

6. Texts p. 8

6.1. What is Culture? Understanding cultural differences p. 8

1. Globalisation p. 8

2. What is Culture? p. 93. Values and national cultures p. 11

4. Remark p. 12

6.2. Cultural dimensions of negotiations p. 131. Introduction p. 13

2. The American culture p. 14

3. The Saudi-Arabian culture p. 164. Conclusion p. 18

6.3. Some examples p. 19

1. The Germans p. 19

2. The English p. 213. Eye behaviour p. 24

4. The French p. 24

7. Handouts p. 27

8. Bibliography p. 42

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1. Summary of the workshop on intercultural

business negotiation

The workshop on intercultural business negotiation is a culture trip, divided in three main

parts, explaining the most important dimensions of intercultural negotiation.

The first part is focusing on the definition of culture, its most popular dimensions and

values and the importance of understanding cultural differences.

During the last decades a huge globalisation has been taken place and in this age ofglobal economy, the ability to respect value diversity is becoming an important key to

succes in managing oprganizaional behavior across cultures. The search is for a new

breed of managers who can cope with this differences, the global manager.

This part of the workshop also put forward that the starting point for successful dealing

with people from different cultures is to first understand your own culture !

The second part deals with the cultural dimensions in business negotiations.

The succesfulness of negotiations depends potentially on twelve variables, that we use as

foci for cross-cultural comparisons. By means of these twelve variables, we made a

comparison between Americans and Saudis.

The American culture tends to encourage individual aspirations and applauds individual

achievements. Thats why negotiators place the emphasis on their individual goals when

negotiating. For Americans time means money, uncertainty has to be avoided and the

way of negotiating is rather informal.

Saudis try to find a fair deal. They accept individual aspirations but within a strong

family-oriented context. Furthermore, their orientation towards time is polychronic,

which means that they take their time

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In the third part of the workshop, a comparison is made between the French, the Brittish

and the German cultural habits and attitudes.

2. Goal of the presentation and method of work

The goal was to take the students on a culture trip. We wanted to create more open

mindedness with the students. The ability to respect differences and value diversity is an

important key to success in managing organisational behaviour across cultures. Some of

our colleagues will certainly be confronted in their future professional career with

different cultures. They will have to negotiate with counterparts of all sorts of cultural

backgrounds. Our workshop was a helping tool in showing them which kind of problems

they might come up against.

In the light of the globalisation process we witness in recent years, we thought that the

subject intercultural business negotiating would be well up-to-date and extremely

fascinating. The United Europe, for example, will constantly be confronted with the

cultural differences of the member states.

The first lesson on culture where we got to know the cases of E.T. Hall was the most

important incentive to do a workshop on cultural differences. Kristof was very attracted

to the subject because of his background knowledge acquainted in the course of

Organisational Behaviour last year and we all found it an interesting subject to read about

and discuss further in our workshop.

We first discussed the subject with Mrs. Baten and started reading the books that were

suggested as reading material: Cultural context in business communication ( Niemeier),The silent language (Hall), Cultural clash: managing in a multicultural world (Seelye),

Understanding cultural differences (Hall) and some cases in the Harvard Review, plus

some other reading material we found in the library of political and sociological sciences.

Especially the book of Niemeier looked very interesting to us. We had several intensive

group discussions before we split up the work in different parts. Each of us was

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responsible for his part of the workshop but we met occasionally to make sure that the

overall work was made consistent.

3. Speaker evaluation

Our shortcomings as speakers were situated in the field of pronunciation and timing. On

the other hand we were quite clear and concise. We were also motivated to give a good

presentation and to lead an interesting workshop. We ran a little short in time, that is why

we had to rush sometimes and it was possibly not always easy to follow. Our lack of

experience with this kind of workshops was the reason we underestimated the time

needed to let the attendants participate.

The content of the presentation was very well structured. The presentation was given in

different parts that matched perfectly together. Each part gave added value to the

workshop, which led to a clear and sound end.

The participation of the attendants was fair but not overwhelming. It was a pity that we

could not fully bring our enthusiasm on to the group. The questions asked were answered

as concise and clear as possible. Again, time was an enemy. The participants had to do alot of exercises in a short period of time and sometimes this led to confusion.

The transparents used were very valuable. They made it for the participants an easy job to

follow. The documentation used was clear and applicable to the subject. Maybe there

were a little too many handouts. We had to rush through the solutions of these documents

and the participants were sometimes short in time to fill in all the exercises. Quality is

more important than quantity, of course, but it was however difficult to eliminate one of

the handouts. We even wanted to include more of them. They obviously brought an

added value to the workshop and stimulated the attendants to discuss the subject of

intercultural business negotiation.

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The workshop was well up-to-date and relevant. For students in their last academic year

it provided an introduction to the problems they might face in their future professional

life when going for an international career.

4. INVITING MEMO

Dear students,

We would like to inform you that our Workshop on Intercultural Business

Communication will take place in room AD 91.126 on Thursday, December 14 at 17 h.

During the presentation we will focus on the differences between cultures concerningbusiness negotiations. More particularly, the differences between Americans and Saudis

will be investigated.

Your presence and participation will be greatly appreciated,

Frederik De Clercq, Stijn Lamey, Kristof Schotsmans.

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5. AGENDA

1. Welcoming + explaining the goals of the workshop on intercultural business

negotiations

2. Introduction on culture

3. first interactive moment (global manager + culture)

4. exercise on the dimensions of culture

5. explaining the cultural dimensions of negotiations

6. differences between Americans and Saudis

7. class exercise

8. finishing with some examples

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6. TEXTS

6.1. What is Culture? Understanding Cultural Differences

1. Globalisation

What the twenty-first century will bring, remains to be seen, but the recent past has

certainly been one of massive social and political change. We have witnessed the

reunification of Germany; we continue to watch with concern as some republics of the

former Sovjet Union struggle to deal with freedom, and with one another. We applauded

the advent of nonracial democracy in South Africa. And we all saw how pleasantly

Americans elect their president

Amid at all this, a worldwide force continues to mature.

This is the age of the global economy with its complex networks of competition,

ressource supplies, and product markets that circle the globe. These global realities all

have a potential impact on organizations and careers.

The ability to respect differences and value diversity is an important key to success in

managing organizational behavior across cultures. Todays organizations need workers

and managers with global awareness and cultural sensitivity. It does mean that they know

how to deal with people from other countries and cultures and that they can learn quickly

from organizational practices around the world.

This lecture will help you to understand the important international dimensions of

intercultural negotiating.

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No-one can deny that during the last decades a huge globalization has been taken place.

This globalization has been heightened by the rapid growth of the information technology

and electronic communication. Indeed, the international news brings the entire world into

our homes. At the same time cultural diversity among the populations increase and

todays employers more and more have to deal with a multicultural workforce.

It is clear that companies that wish to compete successfully in world markets need to

recognize this global economy and develop strategic international links.

This recognition is not so easy

Back in the 1970s, when Japans economy boomed, the rest of the world rushed to

understand what made the Japanese so successful. Unfortunately, there was also a

tendency to simplistically copy their methods without sensitivity to the cultural

differences between Japan and the other countries. Its true that many lessons can be

learned from Japanese management, but only with proper research and cultural

awareness. What works well in one culture may not work well in another.

Given this global economy with its competitive challenges and its increasing number of

expatriates, the search is for a new breed of managers, a manager who can cope with this

intercultural differences. We call him the global manager.

2. What is Culture?

A definition of culture about which specialists generally tend to agree is: Culture is the

learned, shared way of doing things in a particular society the ways in which its

members eat, dress, greet and treat one another, teach their children, solve everyday

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problems, and so on. We are not born with a culture; we are born into a society that

teaches us its culture.

Popular dimensions of culture are those aspects that are most apparent to the individual

traveling abroad.

The first one is the language. Language may be the most conspicious aspect of culture

and it is certainly the one the traveler notices first upon arrival in another country.

The vocabulary and structure of a language reflect the history of a society and can also

reveal how members relate to the environment.

We make difference between low-context cultures and high-context cultures. Members of

low-context cultures are quite explicit in using the spoken and written word. The message

is largely conveyed by the words someone uses. Members of high-context cultures by

contrast, use words to convey only a part of the message.The rest must be inferred from

the social context, one that includes body language, and relationships. All of those

contextual factors add meaning to a written or spoken message.

The second dimension is time orientation. We speak of polychronic and monochronic

cultures.

In polychronic cultures people hold a traditional view of time that may be described as a

circle. This suggests repetition in the sense that time goes around and around and that one

will have another chance to pass the same way again. If an opportunity is lost today no

problem; it may return again tomorrow. Polychronic cultures tend to emphasize the

present and members tend to do more than one thing at a time.

Members of monochronic cultures view time more as a straight line. The past is gone, the

present is here briefly, and the future is almost upon us. In monochronic cultures time is

measured precisely. People also talk about saving and wasting time and planning is a way

of managing the future.

The third dimension is use of space.

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Personal space is the bubble that surrounds us, and its preferred size tends to vary from

one culture to another. In some cultures, often polychronic ones, space is organized in

such a way that many activities can be carried out simultaneously

A last dimension is religion. Its influence often appears in the form of personal rituals,

holy days and allowable foods and beverages. Codes of ethics and moral behavior

typically have roots in religious beliefs, and the influence of religion on economic matters

can also be significant.

3. Values and national cultures

Cultures vary in their underlying patterns of predominant values and attitudes. The way

people view such matters as achievement, wealth, risk and change, may influence how

they approach work and their relationships with other people and organizations.

Geert Hofstede developed an intersting framework that offers an approach for

understanding these value differences across national cultures. In this approach he came

to 5 relevant dimensions of national culture.

1) Power distance: the willingness of a culture to accept status and power differences

among its members. It reflects the degree to which people are likely to respect

hierarchy and rank in organisations.

2) Uncertainty avoidance: reflects the degree to which people are likely to prefer

structured or unstructured organizational situations, and to accept riskier courses of

action.

3) Individualism collectivism: the degree to which people are likely to prefer working

as individuals or working together in groups, and the degree to which decisions will

be evaluated on individual or group terms.

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4) Masculinity femininity: the degree to which orgainzations emphasize competitive

and achievement-oriented behavior or display more sensitivity and concerns for

relationships.

5) Long-term-short-term orientation: the degree to which people and organizations adopt

long-term or short-term performance horizons.

When using Hofstedes framework, it is important to remember that these dimensions are

interrelated and not independent. For example, high-power distance and collectivism are

often found together, as are low-power distance and individualism.

4. Remark

The starting point for successful dealing with people from different cultures is to first

understand your own culture. We may be unaware of our own culture until we come into

contact with a very different one.

Two problems arise frequently in cross-cultural settings. One is the danger of

parochialism assuming that the ways of your culture are the only ways of doing things.

The other is the danger of ethnocentrism assuming that the ways of your culture are

superior to all others.

It is parochial for a traveling American businesswoman to expect that all of her local

business contacts will speak English. It is ethnocentric for her to think that a person who

eats with a spoon rather than a knife and fork lacks proper table manners.

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6.2 Cultural Dimensions of Negotiations

1. Introduction

International negotiations tend to be markes by numerous hurdles. Many of these hurdles

more than most people realize arise from fundamental cultural differences. Culture

influences the very core of an individuals actions toward others and his expectations

concerning their actions toward him.

The succesfulness of negotiations depends potentially on many variables. We will

propose twelve variables of negotiation as foci for cross-cultural comparisons. Two very

different cultures wil be analysed by means of these twelve variables, the Americans and

the Saudis. We will first give the variables and then discuss their appearance in the two

countries.

1. Basic concept of the negotiating process

2. Most significant type of issue

3. Selection of negotiators

4. Individuals aspirations

5. Decision-making in groups

6. Orientation toward time

7. Risk-taking propensity

8. Bases of trust

9. Concern with protocol

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10. Communication complexity

11. Nature of persuasion

12. Form of agreement

2. The American Culture

We will start with the discussion of the above mentioned variables for the American

culture. The basic concept of the negotiating process is competition. Negotiating is a

competitive process in the form of offers and counter-offers. One partys gains will be the

others losses. This is known as distributive bargaining.

The most significant type of issue when negotiating is getting the job done. The

Americans are primarily concerned in the results they achieve. These are called the

substantive types of issues.

The negotiators are selected on the basis of their abilities and knowledge. As a close

second Americans also consider the negotiating experience of the selected people to be a

very important factor.

The American culture tends to encourage individual asparitions and applaud individual

achievements. Thats why negotiators place the emphasis on their individual goals and

needs for recognition when negotiating. Americans emerge as relatively individualistic

people in business.

If we look at the system for reaching decisions within the negotiating teams, we can see

that Americans prefer majority voting and authoritive decisions.

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For Americans time means money. Their orientation toward time is known as

monochronic or compartmentalized. This means they expect punctuality in keeping

appointments, specific appointments will surely be set in advance and urgence is imputed

in keeping deadlines.

Avoidance of uncertainty is a primary cultural variable, although some cultures are more

reluctant to risk-taking then others. The Americans have a higher than average risk-taking

propensity, this can be seen in their openness to novel approaches to outstanding issues

and their willigness to go beyond superiors directives.

Trust is based primarily on past experience with the counterparty. Where past experience

is absent, like when we negotiate with a new customer for our highly specialised goods,

trust will be based on legal enforcement.

Americans are considered to be rather informal when negotiating. Their concern with

protocol like dress codes, extent of use of titles or seating arrangements is no important

element of the negotiating process.

Americans also have a low communication complexity. Complexity refers to the degree

of reliance on nonverbal cues to convey and to interpret intentions and information in

dialogue. These cues include distance, gestures, silence, etc.

In the United Sates, rational presentation with detailed information is generally

considered desirable and effective for persuasion of the counterparty.

Lastly we consider the form of agreement reached. Whe can distinguish two types. On

the one hand we have explicit forms, these are detailed, written contract that cover most

contingencies and bind parties legally. On the other hand implicit forms consist of broad,

general principles often agreed to orally, their implementation tends to be negotiated ad

hoc. Americans commonly favor and expect written, legally binding contracts as form of

agreement.

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3. The Saudi-Arabian Culture

The basic concept of the negotiating process is joint problem-solving mixed with

distributive bargaining. The Saudis are very sensitive to criticism, open confrontation and

directness and tend to respond to it by nondirective discussion and avoidance. This is a

wide-ranging discussion in which changes in attitudes and goals take place subtly and

without verbal announcements. The negotiating process will also be a collaboration

between the participants.

In general, the Saudis most significant type of concern is to find a fair deal. They also

take a personal rather than a task orientation and regard socializing a very important

aspect before discussion.

Saudi negotiators tend to be males, selected on the basis of status and loyalty. Family and

personal ties will be very important in the selection of negotiators.

Furthermore the Saudi culture accepts in a certain proportion individual aspirations

within a strong family-oriented context. The own aspirations always have to be in

compliance with those of the family. The attitude towards authority and acceptance of

externally imposed discipline has always been balanced by a sense of equality that allows

individuals to assert their own interests. Besides the Koran also advises loyalty to

oneself : If one is true to oneself, one will be true to others .

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Decision-making is highly centralised and is not based on consensus but on authority.

Sometimes subordinates are consulted informally.

The Saudi orientation toward time is called polychronic. Tomorrow is a common

attitude and scheduling and keeping appointments are matters of low priority. Typical is

the fact that they take time during the day for prayers.

Saudis have a low risk-taking propensity. They are obliged to avoid risk because Islamic

law proscribes insurance, but accept some uncertainty in the form of fatalism. Here again

the Koran plays its role : If it is Gods will that something happens, it will happen and

it is your destiny to recover from it .

Trust is an extremely important factor and is based on personal friendship, Saudis have

confidence in individuals rather than organisations. So it is important to develop a bond

with Saudi negotiators in order to slowly gain their trust

Saudis are surely concerned with protocol, they consider it as extremely important, their

interaction process will be very formal.

Saudis and all Arab cultures are known for their high communication complexity. The

degree of reliance on nonverbal cues to convey and to interpret intentions and

information is enormous.

The bases of persuasion when negotiating with Saudis seems to be a mix of emotion,

intuition, experience en ideology (the Koran).

We conclude by mentioning that the Saudis prefer to make their agreements orally. They

are bound by their words. We have already seen that these forms of agreement are

known as implicit forms.

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4. Conclusion

For a long time we have simply assumed When in Rome, do as the Romans do . On the

other hand it is true that a cross-cultural situation presents a unique opportunity for the

negotiators to create a very special interaction. This point of view also has some

attractive features.

Regardless of the position you choose as negotiator, some knowledge of a counterparts

cultural background should prove beneficial.

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6.3. Some examples

1. THE GERMANS

Germans and intrusion

In order to understand German definitions of what constitutes an intrusion it is necessary

to refer back to two American patterns that are taken for granted and which Americans

therefore tend to treat as universal. First, in the United States there is a commonly

accepted, invisible boundary around any two or three people in conversation which

separates them from others. Distance alone serves to isolate any such group and to endow

it with a protective wall of privacy. Normally, voices are kept low to avoid intruding on

others and if voices are heard, people will act as though they had not heard. In this way,

privacy is granted whether it is actually present or not.

The second pattern is somewhat subtler and has to do with the exact point at which a

person is experienced as actually having crossed a boundary and entered a room. Talking

through a screen door while standing outside a house is not considered by most

Americans as being inside the house or room in any sense of the word. If one is standing

on the threshold holding the door open and talking to someone inside, it is still defined

informally and experienced as being outside. If one is in an office building and just

"pokes his head in the door" of an office he is still outside the office. Just holding on to

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the doorjamb when one's body is inside the room still means a person has one foot "on

base" as it were so that he is not quite inside the other fellow's territory.

None of these American spatial definitions is valid in northern Germany. In every

instance where the American would consider himself outside he has already entered the

German's territory and by definition would become involved with him.

For the German, there is no such thing as being inside the room without being inside the

zone of intrusion, particularly if one looks at the other party, no matter how far away.

This may explain the informal custom behind the German laws against photographing

strangers in public without their permission.

The "private Sphere"

Germans sense their own space as an extension of the ego. One sees a clue to this feeling

in the term "Lebensraum", which is impossible to translate because it summarises so

much. The American view that space should be shared is particularly troublesome to the

German. Public and private buildings in Germany often have double doors for

soundproofing, as do many hotel rooms. In addition, Germans take the door very

seriously. Those Germans who come to America feel that our doors are flimsy and light.

The meanings of the open door and the closed door are quite different in the two

countries. In offices, Americans keep doors open. Germans keep doors closed. In

Germany, the closed door does not mean that the man behind it wants to be alone or

undisturbed, or that he is doing something he does not want someone else to see. It's

simply that Germans think that open doors are sloppy and disorderly. To close the door

preserves the integrity of the room and provides a protective boundary between people.

Otherwise, they get too involved with each other.

Order in Space

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The orderliness and hierarchical quality of German culture are communicated in their

handling of space. Germans want to know where they stand and object strenuously to

people crashing queues or people who "get out of line" or who do not obey signs such as

"Keep out" and "Authorised personnel only". Some of the German attitudes toward

Americans are traceable to our informal attitudes toward boundaries and to authority in

general.

2. THE ENGLISH

One of the basic reasons for the wide disparity between the English and the middle-class

Americans is that in the United States they use space as a way of classifying people and

activities, whereas in England it is the social system that determines who you are. In the

United States, your address is an important cue status (this applies not only to one's home

but to the business address as well). The Joneses from Brooklyn and Miami are not as

"in" as the Joneses from Newport and Palm Beach. Greenwich and Cape Cod are worlds

apart from Newark and Miami. Businesses located on Madison and Park avenues have

more tone than those on Seventh and Eighth avenues. A corner office is more prestigious

than one next to the elevator or at the end of al long hall. The Englishman, however, is

born and brought up in a social system. He is still Lord, no matter where you find him,

even if it is behind the counter in a fishmonger's stall. In addition to class distinctions,

there are differences between the English and the Americans in how space is allocated.

The middle-class American growing up in the United States feels he has a right to have

his own room, or at least part of a room. Americans, when asked to draw an ideal room or

office, invariably drew it for themselves and no one else. When asked to draw their

present room or office, they drew only their own part of a shared room and then drew a

line down the middle. Both male and female subjects identified the kitchen and the

master bedroom as belonging to the mother or wife, whereas father's territory was a study

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or a den, if one was available; otherwise, it was "the shop", "the basement", or sometimes

only a workbench or the garage. American women who want to be alone can go to the

bedroom and close the door. The closed door is the sign meaning "Do not disturb" or "I'm

angry". An American is available if his door is open at home or at his office. He is

expected not to shut himself off but to maintain himself in a state of constant readiness to

answer the demands of others. Closed doors are for conferences, private conversations,

and business, work that requires concentration, study, resting, sleeping, dressing, and sex.

The middle- and upper class Englishman, on the other hand, is brought up in a nursery

shared with brothers and sisters. The oldest occupies a room by himself, which he vacates

when he leaves for boarding school, possible even at the age of nine or ten. The

difference between a room of one's own and early conditioning to shared space, while

seeming inconsequential, has an important effect on the Englishman's attitude toward his

own space. He may never have a permanent "room of his own" and seldom expects one

or feels he is entitled to one. Americans working in England may become annoyed if they

are not provided with what they consider appropriate enclosed workspace. In regard to

the need for walls as a screen for the ego, this places the Americans somewhere between

the Germans and the English.

Using the Telephone

English internalised privacy mechanisms and the American privacy screen result in very

different customs regarding the telephone. There is no wall or door against the telephone.

Since it is impossible to tell from the ring who is on the other end of the line, or how

urgent his business is, people feel compelled to answer the phone. As you would

anticipate, the English when they feel the need to be with their thoughts treat the phone as

an intrusion by someone who does not know better. Since it is impossible to tell how

preoccupied the other party will be they hesitate to use the phone; instead, they write

notes. To phone is to be "pushy" and rude. A letter or telegram may be slower, but it is

much less disrupting. Phones are for actual business and emergencies.

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Whose room is the bedroom?

In upper middle-class English homes, it is the man, not the woman, who has the privacy

of the bedroom, presumably as protection from children who haven't yet internalised the

English patterns of privacy. The man, not the woman, has a dressing room; the man also

has a study, which affords privacy. The Englishman is fastidious about his clothes and

expects to spend a great deal of time and attention in their purchase. In contrast, English

women approach the buying of clothes in a manner reminding of the American male.

Talking loud and soft.

Proper spacing between people is maintained in many ways. Loudness of the voice is one

of the mechanisms, which also varies from culture to culture. In England and in Europe

generally, Americans are continually accused of loud talking, which is a function of two

forms of vocal control: loudness and modulation for direction. Americans increase the

volume as a function of distance, using several levels (whisper, normal voice, loud shout,

etc.). In many situations, the more gregarious Americans do not care if they can be

overheard. In fact, it is part of their openness showing that they have nothing to hide. The

English do care, for to get along without private offices and not intrude they have

developed skills in beaming the voice toward the person they are talking to, carefully

adjusting it so that it just barely overrides the background noise and distance. For English

to be overheard is to intrude on others, a failure in manners and a sign of socially inferior

behaviour. However, because of the way they modulate their voices the English in an

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American setting may sound and look conspiratorial to Americans, which can result in

their being branded as troublemakers.

3. EYE BEHAVIOUR

A study of eye behaviour reveals some interesting contrasts between the two cultures.

Englishmen in America have trouble not only when they want to interact. The neverknow for sure whether an American is listening. Americans, on the other hand, are

equally unsure as to whether the English have understood them. Many of these

ambiguities in communication center on differences in this use of the eyes. The

Englishman is taught to pay strict attention, to listen carefully, which he must do if he is

polite and there are not protective walls to screen out sound. He does not bob his head or

grunt to let you know he understands. He blinks his eyes to let you know that he has

heard you. Americans, on the other hand, are taught not to stare. They look the other

person straight in the eye without wavering only when they want to be particularly certain

that they are getting through to him.

The gaze of the American directed toward his conversational partner often wanders from

one eye to the other and even leaves the face for long periods. Proper English listening

behaviour includes immobilisation of the eyes at social distance, so that whichever eye

one looks at gives the appearance of looking straight at you.

4. THE FRENCH

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The French who live south and east of Paris belong generally to that complex of cultures

which border the Mediterranean. Members of this group pack together more closely than

do northern Europeans, English, and Americans. Mediterranean use of space can be seen

in the crowded trains, buses, automobiles, sidewalk cafs, and in the homes of the people.

The exceptions are, of course, in the chteaus and the villas of the rich. Crowded living

normally means high sensory involvement. Evidence of French emphasis on the senses

appears not only in the way the French eat, entertain, talk, write, crowd together in cafs,

but can even be seen in the way they make their maps.

These maps are extraordinarily well thought out and so designed that the traveller can

find the most detailed information. One can tell from using these maps that the French

employ all their senses. These maps make it possible for you to get around and they also

tell you where you can enjoy a view; where you will find picturesque drives, and, in some

instances, places to rest, refresh yourself, take a walk, and even eat a pleasant meal. They

inform the traveller which senses he can expect to use and at what points in his journey.

Home and family

One possible reason why the French love the outdoors is the rather crowded conditions

under which many of them live. The French entertain at restaurants and cafs. The home

is for the family and the outdoors for recreation and socialising. French homes are often

quite crowded. The working class and the petite bourgeoisie are particularly crowded,

which means that the French are sensually much involved with each other. The layout of

their offices, homes, towns, cities, and countryside is such as to keep them involved.

French use of open spaces.

Because total space needs must be maintained in balance, the urban French have learned

to make the most of the parks and outdoors. To them, the city is something from which to

derive satisfaction and so are the people in it. Reasonably clean air, sidewalks up to

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seventy feet wide, automobiles that will not dwarf humans as they pass on the boulevards

make it possible to have outdoor cafs and open areas where people congregate and enjoy

each other. Since the French savor and participate in the city itself, its varied sights,

sounds and smells; its wide sidewalks and avenues and parks, the need for insulating

space in the automobile may be somewhat less than it is in the United States where

humans are dwarfed by skyscrapers and the products of Detroit, visually assaulted by

filth and rubbish, and poisoned by smog and carbon dioxide.

The star and the grid.

There are two major European systems for patterning space. The French system , the star

system, connects all pints and functions. In the French subway system, different lines

repeatedly come together at places of interest like the Place de la Concorde, the Opra

and the Madeleine. The grid system separates activities by stringing them out. Both

systems have advantages, but a person familiar with one has difficulty using the other.

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7. HANDOUTS

HANDOUT : WHAT IS CULTURE ?Culture is the learned, shared way of doing things in a particular society the ways inwhich its members eat, dress, greet and treat one another, teach their children, solve

everyday problems, and so on. We are not born with a culture; we are born into a society

that teaches us its culture.

1. Popular dimensions of culture

LANGUAGE : Language may be the most conspicious aspect of culture and it iscertainly the one the traveler notices first upon arrival in another country.

The vocabulary and structure of a language reflect the history of a society and can also

reveal how members relate to the environment.

We make difference between low-context cultures and high-context cultures. Members oflow-context cultures are quite explicit in using the spoken and written word. The message

is largely conveyed by the words someone uses. Members of high-context cultures by

contrast, use words to convey only a part of the message.The rest must be inferred fromthe social context, one that includes body language, and relationships. All of those

contextual factors add meaning to a written or spoken message.

TIME ORIENTATION : We speak of polychronic and monochronic cultures.In polychronic cultures people hold a traditional view of time that may be described as acircle. This suggests repetition in the sense that time goes around and around and that one

will have another chance to pass the same way again. If an opportunity is lost today no

problem; it may return again tomorrow. Polychronic cultures tend to emphasize the

present and members tend to do more than one thing at a time.

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Members of monochronic cultures view time more as a straight line. The past is gone, the

present is here briefly, and the future is almost upon us. In monochronic cultures time is

measured precisely. People also talk about saving and wasting time and planning is a wayof managing the future.

USE OF SPACE : Personal space is the bubble that surrounds us, and its preferredsize tends to vary from one culture to another. In some cultures, often polychronic ones,

space is organized in such a way that many activities can be carried out simultaneously

RELIGION : Its influence often appears in the form of personal rituals, holy days andallowable foods and beverages. Codes of ethics and moral behavior typically have roots

in religious beliefs, and the influence of religion on economic matters can also be

significant.

2. Values and national cultures

Geert Hofstede, developed an intersting framework that offers an approach for

understanding these value differences across national cultures. In this approach he came

to 5 relevant dimensions of national culture.

6) POWER DISTANCE : the willingness of a culture to accept status and powerdifferences among its members. It reflects the degree to which people are likely torespect hierarchy and rank in organisations.

7) UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE : reflects the degree to which people are likelyto prefer structured or unstructured organizational situations, and to accept riskier

courses of action.

8) INDIVIDUALISM-COLLECTIVISM : the degree to which people are likelyto prefer working as individuals or working together in groups, and the degree to

which decisions will be evaluated on individual or group terms.

9) MASCULINITY-FEMININITY : the degree to which orgainzations emphasize

competitive and achievement-oriented behavior or display more sensitivity andconcerns for relationships.

5) LONG-TERM-SHORT-TERM ORIENTATION: the degree to which people andorganizations adopt long-term or short-term performance horizons

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Handout: Twelve Variables

GENERAL MODEL

1. Basic Concept of the Negotiation Process

How does the negotiation process take place ?

- distributive bargaining

- joint problem-solving

- debate

- contingency bargaining

- nondirective discussion

2. Most Significant Type of Issue (=concerns)

Primary concerns of the negotiators :

- substantive

- relationship-based

- procedural

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- personal-internal

ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL

3. Selection of Negotiators

On what ground are the negotiators selected ?

4. Individuals Aspirations

The emphasis negotiators place on their individual goals and needs for

recognition.

5. Decision-Making in Groups

Refers to the system by which negotiators reach decisions within their

teams.

INTERACTION: dispositions (=strategies)

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6. Orientation toward Time

Is there time pressure or not?

7. Risk-Taking Propensity

To what extent are the negotiators prepared to take risks ?

8. Bases of Trust

Concern about trustworthiness pervades negotations.

On what do negotiators base their trust ?

INTERACTION : process

9. Concern with Protocol

For example : dress code, extent of use of titles, seating arrangements

Are negotiators concerned with protocol ?

10. Communication Complexity

Complexity refers to the degree of reliance on nonverbal signals.

They are especially valuable when a counterparts verbal expressions

appear irrelevant, ambiguous or vague.

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11. Nature of Persuasion

Involves attempts to influence the other party

Verbal attempts may vary markedly in style.

For example : intuition, emotion, experience

OUTCOME

12. Form of Agreement

The desired form of a negotiated agreement

Example 1 : the Americans

GENERAL MODEL


Competitive process : offers and counter-offers

One partys gains are the others losses

= distributive bargaining


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Getting the job done

getting results

= substantive types of issue


3. Selecton of Negotiators

Ability criterion most important (knowledge)

Negotiating experience a close second


Encourage individual aspirations

Applaud individual achievements

Americans

individual--------|---------------------------------------------- community

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Majority voting and authoritative decisions

Americans

authoritative--------|------------------------------------------- consensual



Time is money

Punctuality expected and observed in keeping appointments

Urgency imputed in keeping deadlines

Americans

monochronic----|------------------------------------------------polychronic

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Take more risk than others :

- openness to novel approaches to outstanding issues

- willingness to go beyond superiors directives

Americans

high--------|------------------------------------------------------- low

8. Bases of Trust

Past experience

If absent, legal enforcement


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Americans are considered informal

Americans

informal-----------|----------------------------------------------- formal


Low complexity

Americans

low------------|--------------------------------------------------- high


Rational presentation

Detailed information

OUTCOME

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Written, legaly binding contracts

Americans

contractual----------|-----------------------------------------implicit

Example 2: the Saudis

GENERAL MODEL


Joint problem-solving mixed with distributive bargaining

Nondirective discussion, avoidant

Collaborative


They seek a fair deal

Personal rather than task orientationRelationship-based issues


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3. Selecton of Negotiators

Saudi negotiators tend to be males

Selected on the basis of status (family and personal ties) and loyalty


Accept and pursue individual aspirations

Within a strong family-oriented context

Saudis

individual---------------------|--------------------------------- community


Decision-making is highly centralised

Subordinates are consulted informally

Saudis

authoritative--|------------------------------------------------- consensual

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Tomorrow is a common attitude

Scheduling and keeping appointments are matters of low priority

Take time during the day for prayers

Saudis

monochronic-------------------------------------|---------------polychronic


Avoid risk (insurance is proscribed by Islamic law)

Accept some uncertainty (fatalism)

Saudis

high-----------------------------------------------|-------------------- low

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8. Bases of Trust

Extremely important factor

Personal friendship

Confidence in individuals rather than organisations



Consider protocol extremely important

Saudis

informal------------------------------------------------------|----- formal


High complexity

Saudis

low------------------------------------------------------|--------- high

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Emotional

Intuitive

Experiental

Ideological (Koran)

OUTCOME


Bound by their words

Saudis

contractual-----------------------------------------------|------implicit

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9. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Understanding Cultural Differences, E.T.Hall, 1990

Cultural context in Business Communication, Niemeier

(Chapter: Negotiating with foreign business persons (an introduction for Americans

with propositions on six cultures), Stephen E. Weiss with William Stripp)

The silent language, E.T.Hall

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cultural comp

Documents