The negotiation process sometimes becomes an obstacle to the success of negotiations when it is done with people in the international arena with different cultural backgrounds. This is where the impact of culture on negotiation comes into play.
According to the Fars News Agency from Shiraz, negotiation is known as a process through which the two parties to the contract make every effort to reach an agreement on predetermined goals. The negotiation process sometimes becomes an obstacle to the success of negotiations when it is done with people in the international arena with different cultural backgrounds. This is where the impact of culture on negotiation comes into play.
People who work in the international arena always have the opportunity to negotiate with people from different countries, and the cultural differences between them are quite obvious. In the meantime, the negotiator can achieve great results with his skills and abilities in resolving intercultural disputes. Of course, it should be noted that the level of negotiation skills depends on his ability to see issues from the perspective of other people present at the negotiation session and understand their cultural values.
Given the growing trend of business activities in the international arena, active representatives in this field, given the various cultural and national boundaries they face, must fully understand the influential role of culture in negotiation and its effects. Be aware of this.
The need to pay attention to culture in international trade negotiations
An expert in the field of international trade relations told the Science and Technology News Agency: “Negotiation is a global matter and the knowledge of the principles and techniques of negotiation in the international field, despite different cultures, has long been of interest to those interested in this field.” In negotiation, especially in the international arena, culture is an influential factor in the process of combining and organizing negotiating groups. This means that in each country, negotiation has a different meaning that should be defined according to the culture of that country. For example, in European countries, negotiation is defined as a transaction, while in most Asian countries, negotiation is defined as the establishment of a long-term relationship.
Referring to the importance of culture in trade negotiations in the international arena, he said: With the entry into the world of international trade, the importance of knowledge of the principles and techniques of negotiation in trade meetings increases greatly, because at this stage there is no room for error. And any mistake can severely affect business success. This is because international trade has a large share in the growth and development of world trade. Therefore, it is necessary that the person who enters into negotiations with different countries, should be aware of the role of different cultures and research the laws of those countries to understand the limitations and red lines and use them for personal and professional growth. Take advantage of yourself.
Dr. Mohammad Ali Moslehifar added: “Lack of study on cultural differences leads to many misunderstandings in communication and cultural negotiations in international trade, and this leads to loss of customers, potential profit as well as value.” Added as a result. For this reason, the negotiating team should have a thorough study of the other group’s culture and intent before attending international trade negotiations.
He continued: “Negotiators from different countries with different cultures have different approaches to the purpose and intention of participating in the negotiation sessions.” For example, some negotiators enter the negotiation session only to sign a contract. Others prefer a long-term relationship to a contract
The CEO of Safir Mandegar International, stating that different approaches to negotiation have a great impact, also considered the style of negotiator personality, which is formed based on the culture of each country, very effective, which can be directly related to the appearance, dress and words of negotiation. Have to communicate with others.
He also acknowledged his experiences in East and Southeast Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, etc.: Asian negotiators, especially East and Southeast Asia, culturally negotiate as a three-step process. They define. The first step is to be competent. East and Southeast Asian countries are always looking to gather information about their business partner’s reputation.
The international relations activist also stated that these countries will reach the stage of gaining trust after the level of merit of a business partner. At this point, Asian negotiators are looking for information on whether their business partner can trade with them. He added: “The level of respect between business partners is considered as the main criterion in gaining trust.”
He added: “After examining the merit and gaining the trust of the business partner, they reach the stage of establishing effective communication and association, whether the business partner wants a long and effective relationship after negotiating or not.”
The CEO of Safir Mandegar International Communication Company added: Establishing effective communication is also part of the culture of each country. He believes that some cultures enter into negotiations directly and simply, while others do so indirectly and in a complex way, and believe that factors such as length of speech, facial expressions, gestures and mannerisms Body language effect has a great impact on the continuation of the negotiation.
The international relations activist said: “Considering the above issues, we conclude that before entering into a business negotiation in the international arena, it is necessary to study the type of culture and personality style of the opposing group.” Negotiators should be aware that it is not possible to negotiate in a European country with the laws of an Asian country because many cultural situations are different in different countries, and not paying attention to this issue makes negotiation easy. Lose.
He further explained: “Before traveling to other countries, negotiators must obtain information about the moral characteristics, customs and society, business environment of the country in question and never enter the negotiation session empty-handed.”
In the end, Dr. Moslehifar expressed his satisfaction with this interview and the importance that the Science and Technology News Agency in Shiraz has given to the issue of international trade, stating that in addition to the importance of different cultures in the negotiation sessions, Non-verbal cues (body language) play an important role in the success of the negotiation.
