The paper focuses on the role of culture in negotiations across cultures in business. Starting point of the paper will be the theoretical analysis of the selected cultures of Portugal and Iceland with the help of relevant theories/approaches regarding culture’s impact on negotiations. The impact of culture on negotiations in business will then be analyzed in a practical part with the help of a specific critical incident with focus on the Portuguese and Icelandic culture.
The paper focuses on selected cultural aspects. The focus was chosen on aspects that show the most interesting differences between the cultures of Iceland and Portugal and that are most interesting for the critical incident. The paper focuses on communication aspects, that are important during negotiations, as well as the monochronic and polychronic time orientation and Gestelands’ pattern of relationship-focus and deal-focus.
Cross-cultural negotiations are getting more and more important in the business context. Doing business abroad, using sources and hiring workforce from other cultures make cross-cultural negotiations between professionals necessary, especially in times of globalization. In international business, great benefits can be gained from cross-cultural negotiations, nevertheless negotiations across cultures are more complex than negotiations between persons from the same country or culture. Negotiations between people from different cultures add an entire dimension to any negotiation introducing inter alia language barriers, differences in body language and alternative ways of expressing pleasure or displeasure with the elements of the deal that is negotiated.
A professional negotiator has to understand the cultures of the participants, as well as culturally specific aspects. People that are involved in international negotiations have to acquire a skill set that is useful in the prevention of undesired perceptions and that promotes successful negotiation outcomes. According to the authors Shi and Wright the business executive’s work has an increasingly international orientation and international business negotiation becomes an important competency in a global business environment.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 INTRODUCTION
- 2 COMPARISON ICELAND AND PORTUGAL
- 3 ANALYSIS OF ICELAND AND PORTUGAL
- 3.1 Time Orientation: Monochronic vs. Polychronic
- 3.2 Communication during negotiations: Hall's framework of High-context and low-context communication
- 3.3 Gesteland's' Patterns of Cross-Cultural Business Behavior: Deal-focus vs. Relationship-focus
- 4 PRACTICAL APPROACH - CULTURES IN NEGOTIATIONS
- 4.1 Critical Incident: "Portuguese-Icelandic Business opportunities"
- 4.2 Reflection of the critical incident
- 4.3 Recommendations for the next meeting
- 5 RECOMMENDED READING
- 6 LIST OF REFERENCES
- 7 ANNEXURE: CRITICAL INCIDENT –,,PORTUGUESE-ICELANDIC BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES”
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper aims to analyze the role of culture in cross-cultural business negotiations, specifically focusing on the differences between Icelandic and Portuguese business cultures. It utilizes established theoretical frameworks to understand these cultural differences and then applies these frameworks to a real-world critical incident involving a business interaction between representatives from both countries. The paper seeks to highlight the importance of cultural awareness in achieving successful negotiation outcomes.
- The impact of cultural differences on business negotiations.
- Analysis of Icelandic and Portuguese cultures using relevant theoretical models.
- Application of cultural frameworks to a practical business negotiation scenario.
- Identification of key cultural factors influencing negotiation success.
- Recommendations for improving cross-cultural negotiation strategies.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1 Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the growing importance of cross-cultural negotiations in the global business environment. It highlights the complexities introduced by cultural differences, such as language barriers and varying communication styles, emphasizing the need for skilled negotiators to understand and navigate these nuances for successful outcomes. The chapter sets the stage for the subsequent analysis of Icelandic and Portuguese cultures and their impact on business negotiations, focusing on specific aspects like communication styles, time orientation, and deal versus relationship-focused approaches.
2 Comparison Iceland and Portugal: [This section would contain a summary of a comparison chapter, detailing the key cultural differences between Iceland and Portugal relevant to business negotiations. Since the provided text lacks this chapter's content, a summary cannot be provided.]
3 Analysis of Iceland and Portugal: This chapter delves into a detailed analysis of Icelandic and Portuguese cultures, utilizing established theoretical models to illuminate key differences relevant to business negotiations. The sub-chapters explore time orientation (Monochronic vs. Polychronic), communication styles (Hall's high and low-context framework), and negotiation approaches (Gesteland's deal-focus vs. relationship-focus). The analysis provides a nuanced understanding of how these cultural dimensions affect communication, expectations, and negotiation strategies in business interactions between these two countries.
4 Practical Approach - Cultures in Negotiations: This chapter presents a critical incident—a real-world business encounter between Icelandic and Portuguese representatives—to illustrate the practical application of the cultural frameworks discussed previously. The analysis of this critical incident demonstrates how cultural differences manifested in the negotiation process, highlighting the challenges and opportunities arising from intercultural communication. The chapter also provides recommendations for future interactions, informed by the insights gained from the incident analysis.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Cross-cultural negotiations, international business, Icelandic culture, Portuguese culture, communication styles, time orientation, deal-focus, relationship-focus, high-context communication, low-context communication, cultural awareness, negotiation strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview of Cross-Cultural Business Negotiations Between Iceland and Portugal
What is the overall topic of this document?
This document is a comprehensive preview of a term paper analyzing the role of culture in cross-cultural business negotiations, specifically focusing on the differences between Icelandic and Portuguese business cultures. It uses theoretical frameworks to understand these cultural differences and applies them to a real-world business interaction between representatives from both countries.
What are the main objectives of the term paper?
The paper aims to analyze the impact of cultural differences on business negotiations, analyze Icelandic and Portuguese cultures using relevant models, apply these frameworks to a practical scenario, identify key cultural factors influencing negotiation success, and provide recommendations for improving cross-cultural negotiation strategies.
What theoretical frameworks are used in the analysis?
The analysis utilizes established theoretical frameworks such as Hall's high-context and low-context communication framework and Gesteland's deal-focus versus relationship-focus model to understand cultural differences in communication styles and negotiation approaches.
What specific cultural aspects are compared and contrasted?
The paper compares and contrasts Icelandic and Portuguese cultures regarding their time orientation (monochronic vs. polychronic), communication styles (high-context vs. low-context), and negotiation approaches (deal-focus vs. relationship-focus).
What is the role of the "critical incident" in the analysis?
A real-world critical incident, a business interaction between Icelandic and Portuguese representatives, is used to illustrate the practical application of the theoretical frameworks. Analyzing this incident demonstrates how cultural differences affect the negotiation process and informs recommendations for future interactions.
What are the key takeaways or recommendations for successful cross-cultural negotiations?
The paper aims to highlight the importance of cultural awareness in achieving successful negotiation outcomes. Recommendations for improving cross-cultural negotiation strategies are derived from the analysis of the critical incident and the application of theoretical frameworks.
What is included in the Table of Contents?
The table of contents includes an introduction, a comparison of Icelandic and Portuguese cultures, a detailed analysis of these cultures using specific theoretical frameworks, a practical approach section focusing on a critical incident, recommended reading, a list of references, and an annexure detailing the critical incident.
What are the key chapters and their summaries?
The key chapters include an introduction setting the stage for the analysis; a comparison chapter (content not provided in the preview); an analysis chapter applying theoretical frameworks to Icelandic and Portuguese cultures; and a practical approach chapter analyzing a critical incident and providing recommendations. Summaries of the introduction and analysis chapters are included in the preview.
What are the keywords associated with this document?
Keywords include cross-cultural negotiations, international business, Icelandic culture, Portuguese culture, communication styles, time orientation, deal-focus, relationship-focus, high-context communication, low-context communication, cultural awareness, and negotiation strategies.
- Quote paper
- Julian Rudolf (Author), 2019, Culture in Negotiations across Cultures in Business. An Encounter and Business Negotiations between Iceland and Portugal, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/947584
