NCJ Number
99630
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper describes a proven method for teaching negotiation to MBA graduate students, along with a pilot research project for assessing differences and problems in crosscultural negotiations.
Abstract
This teaching approach focuses on certain skills, including the ability to prepare a flexible scenario, management of the internal communications and assumptions within a team, body language, understanding the use of emotions in negotiations, and agreement composition. To answer the need for controlled research on crosscultural negotiation, a pilot project designed for the Foreign Service Institute is underway that has teams of four nationals from other countries negotiate with trained MBA graduate students and with American businessmen. Pilot project goals include identifying main elements in the negotiation process and learning how common decisions are reached by people of different nations. The NASA case, written by Thomas R. Colosi, is used as the negotiation exercise because it has no political overtones. Each negotiation identifies more than 50 variables which are analyzed and charted by computer. Teams are also vidoetaped. While the study has just begun, one preliminary finding is that various disciplines deal with the problems of negotiation using unique nomenclature and processes which may be alien to some Americans. In several negotiations, the nationals discussed among themselves the importance of two pistols to the American team, believing Americans are highly motivated by armaments. Some national teams behaved pleasantly with each other, but were hostile toward the American teams. American team members usually addressed their remarks to the foreign national most adept in English and made little effort to recognize the need for understanding among all the foreign team members.