MIT Sloan Management Review

Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations, International Business

 

Negotiating with “Romans” — Part 1

By Stephen E. Weiss

January 15, 1994

IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY, MANAGERS CONSTANTLY NEGOTIATE WITH PEOPLE FROM OTHER CULTURES, WHETHER THE ISSUE IS COORDINATING OPERATIONS WITHIN A multinational firm, arranging a joint venture, or convincing a foreign government to approve construction of a plant. Yet managers have had to rely on simplistic formulas — following lists of “dos and don’ts” — or very demanding ones — “doing as the Romans do” — to deal with the cultural aspects of these negotiations. Actually, a number of strategies are available. The author presents these strategies in a framework based on the parties’ level of familiarity with each other’s cultures and the extent to which they can explicitly coordinate their strategies. These factors determine the subset of strategies that are realistically feasible for an individual manager. Part 2 of this article, which will describe a methodology for choosing among these strategies, will appear in the Spring 1994 issue.

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“Smith,” an American, arrived at the French attorney’s Paris office for their first meeting. Their phone conversations had been in French, and Smith, whose experience with the language included ten years of education in the United States, a year of residence in France with a French family, and annual trips to Paris for the previous seven years, expected to use French at this meeting. “Dupont,” the Frenchman, introduced himself in French. His demeanor was poised and dignified; his language, deliberate and precise. Smith followed Dupont’s lead, and they went on to talk about a mutual acquaintance. After ten minutes, Dupont shifted the topic by inquiring about Smith’s previous work in international negotiations. One of Dupont’s words —“opérations” — surprised Smith, and he hesitated to respond. In a split second, Dupont, in fluent English, asked: “Would you like to speak in English?”1

Smith used the approach to cross-cultural interaction most widely advocated in the West, with a history dating back to St. Augustine: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” It had seemed to be a reasonable way to convey cooperativeness, sensitivity to French culture, and respect for Dupont as an individual. But Smith overlooked important considerations, as have many other people who continue to recommend or follow this approach.2

The need for guidance for cross-cultural negotiators is clear. Every... To read the complete article, login or sign-up using the form below.

 
 

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