DEALING WITH CULTURE CLASHES

Abstract

Abstract: This article describes cultural clashes and how to resolve this problem
in the society. As all know cultural conflicts in negotiations tends to occur for two main
reasons. First, it’s fairly common when confronting cultural differences, for people to
rely on stereotypes. Stereotypes are often pejorative (for example Italians always run
late), and they can lead to distorted expectations about your counterpart’s behavior as
well as potentially costly misinterpretations. You should never assume cultural
stereotypes going into a negotiation. Instead of relying on stereotypes, you should try
to focus on prototypes—cultural averages on dimensions of behavior or values. There
is a big difference between stereotypes and prototypes. For example, it is commonly
understood that Japanese negotiators tend to have more silent periods during their talks
than, say, Brazilians. That said, there is still a great deal of variability within each
culture—meaning that some Brazilians speak less than some Japanese do. Thus, it
would be a mistake to expect a Japanese negotiator you have never met to be reserved.
But if it turns out that a negotiator is especially quiet, you might better understand her
behavior and change your negotiating approach in light of the prototype. In addition,
awareness of your own cultural prototypes can help you anticipate how your
counterpart might interpret your bargaining behavior. It’s not just about being aware
of their culture, but also how yours might be viewed.