Negotiating Traps
a) In some countries (especially in Asia) the consensus should be discussed among the members of other sides’ negotiating team (Sebenius, 2009, p.6). Often, it is a two-step procedure: first agreement inside the enterprise and then agreed with the relevant government entities. If a North American negotiator does not understand this procedure, he may start acting upon agreement before the final agreement has been made.
b) There are two types of cultures: monochromic and polychromic (Udobong, 2005, p.13). Monochromic cultures value time very much: they require strict schedules and exceptional punctuality. Polychromic cultures consider time as a flexible resource. If a negotiator from monochromic culture rushes negotiations, a negotiator from a polychromic culture considers he has something to hide and his intentions are not clear. For polychromic cultures, it is not acceptable to finish negotiating one thing at a time. Thus, North Americans need to be careful and not rush the negotiators from the other cultures.
c) Sometimes it is impossible for an interpreter to translate the direct meaning of what has been said (Allwood, 1985). For example, in Tiv ( the language of Nigeria) there are only three words to describe color – dark, red and light (Allwood, 1985). Therefore, an interpreter needs somehow to adopt the meaning of words such as “turquoise” or “ultramarine” in order to make correct translation. However, even the most precise interpretation will not demonstrate all the aspects of specific words if there is no such word in another language. Also, the direct translation is problematic when imaginary speech is used, because different cultures use different idioms, standardized phrases, and metaphors. Therefore, sometimes misconceptions in interpretation are possible and negotiators should be aware of them.
d) Similarly to the situation with translations, idioms, standardized phrases, and metaphors can be not understandable for a foreigner even if he understands their literal meaning. Even if a foreigner speaks English fluently it does not guarantee, s/he will know all the possible idioms. Thus, a North-American negotiator should try to adapt his speech to foreigners in order to be understood correctly.
e) Some societies are more hierarchical than others. Hierarchical societies have higher power distance (Udobong, 2005, p.13). There influence is determined by ones’ position in the society. For example, in such societies CEO (Chief Executive Officer) expects to negotiate only with another CEO, not a person of a lower rank. If a party from another culture sends a lower ranked officer to negotiate with him, it will be offensive to him. Therefore, hierarchical issues should be considered in order to avoid misunderstandings.
References
Allwood, J. (1985) . Intercultural Communication.
