International and cross culture negotiation

Module 1 Quiz
1.
Question 1
An international negotiator with a low context culture :

1 point

Insists on addressing counterparts by their titles.

Avoids personal anecdotes, and refrains from questions regarding private and family aspects of
his/her counterpart.

Tries to start the discussion on a first-name basis.

2.
Question 2
Given your knowledge of the typologies of cultures, when meeting for the first time with your
Italian counterparts to discuss the terms of a possible deal, you make a note to pay close
attention to:

1 point

Using your Italian dictionary to greet them in their language.

Leaving aside enough time for greetings and small talk to gather as much information as
possible.

Not let them control the exchange. They talk a lot so you have to structure the discussion.

Let them speak and always make sure to ask complementary questions and then rephrase to
clarify your understanding before moving on.

3.
Question 3
You’ve been designated by your principal to lead the company’s team for next month’s client
meeting in Houston, Texas. The US is a new territory to you, after being posted in Latin America
for 10 years. You expect the discussions to be:

1 point
Easy going, with all cards on the table and a quick look over the details of the new contract. We
are partners, the implementation will go smoothly.

Friendly and direct at first and then a full-blown argument over the financial aspects of the deal.
Ultimately, what’s not written down in the deal does not exist.

Tough. Americans have a reputation for being sharks in business suits. I’d be well-informed to
keep as much information from them and keep an ace or two up my sleeve when time comes to
hash out the distribution of the expected profits.

4.
Question 4
When a negotiator from a ‘high-context’ culture meets his counterpart from a ‘low context’
culture, who is more at risk of being faced with harsh difficulties?

1 point

The negotiator from the low context culture, because his very transparent style of
communication, his expectation of a full exchange of information and his reliance on fact-based
justification will be at odds with his high context culture counterpart.

The negotiator from the high context culture, because he will be forced to reveal more
information than he feels comfortable with, to make written commitments and adopt a quick style
of making deals that are all in conflict with his cultural habits.

Neither of them. indeed, aside from being from cultural backgrounds that are different, both of
them developed professionally in a global company with its own internal culture. They will find
common ground to negotiate this deal without a glitch.

5.
Question 5
Through non verbal expressions, one will express, among other things, an attitude toward his or
her interlocutor.

Among the following propositions, which one is most accurate?

1 point

In African cultures, a younger negotiator will often show respect to someone considered older by
letting him/her speak while avoiding direct and intense eye contact.
In Western cultures, which are mainly low-context, direct eye contact at the beginning of the
meeting is enough. One does not need, afterwards, to insist on locking gazes to appear
respectful.

Looking directly into your counterpart’s face and making physical contact is considered the best
way to appear sincere in the US. It shows you do not hesitate.

6.
Question 6
Time-management, based on the perception of time, is a key element that differs between
cultures and therefore will impact on your cross-cultural negotiations.

What statement best describes what Edward T. Hall calls a ‘monochronic’ culture?

1 point

A culture that sees time in a linear fashion and therefore as a process that has to be sequenced
into separate phases - open and closed - each contributing to an overall task, one after another.

A culture whose participants are only comfortable doing one thing at a time. They have the
hardest time managing two things at once or they take too much time on introductions.

A culture thought of as managing tasks in a very equally divided - one hour one task - split of the
working day.

7.
Question 7
For Hall, how would a negotiator from a ‘polychronic’ culture perceive the negotiation style of
someone from a ‘monochronic’ one?

Which statement best fit your impression?

1 point

“This person is always looking at her watch, she probably likes it very much and wants me to
notice it”.

This person is constantly looking at her watch. I wonder if maybe she needs to leave this meeting
to attend to other more pressing business. I should tell her that I can wait for her, or that we could
reconvene at another time. I too have other projects to take care of.
She keeps looking at her watch, she must be in a rush to finish this deal. Ok, time to hurry up. I
can make things easier for her.

8.
Question 8
On the other side of the table, Ms. B, an American business lawyer, is thinking:

1 point

If I keep staring at my watch there is no way he’s not going to understand that we’re on a tight
time schedule and that we’ve not made any progress since we began these negotiations.

My oh my, 4pm already and we’re still talking about item #1 on the agenda. He keeps coming
back with the same argument over and over and prevents this deal from moving forward.
Incredible!

This deal is going nowhere. I might as well kick back and relax. I will deal with my boss when I
get back to the office. Let’s enjoy this moment.

9.
Question 9
Communication takes place through the mobilization of various means and capacities. Direct
communication is often thought of as the use of language to express one’s thoughts. However,
also very important for conveying meaning is the understanding of non-verbal cues.

Among the following propositions, which one best describes non-verbal means of
communicating?

1 point

Glances, looks, hand gestures, nodding of the head, tongue clicking, facial expressions and
more.

Any word that is made up.

Songs, poetry, artistic expression.

Quiz 2nd
1.
Question 1
While in the air, you look back on some of the previous experiences you’ve had conducting
negotiations in different cultural contexts. Trial-and-error has always been a way to progress, but
one has to try to not repeat the same ones. Which “experience” would you be best advised not to
repeat?

1 point

A few years ago, while attempting to create a good atmosphere before a hard negotiation, you
made a specific effort to appear sincere and direct. You stared deeply into your counterpart’s
eyes and… it lasted a little bit too long and created unease.

A while back, you were a junior associate at the time, your supervisor took you on a mission to
South Africa to meet with a local partner firm. After work, to appear culturally sensitive you wore
your best wax shirt, bought last summer in Senegal. This business dinner left you feeling very
uncomfortable.

Just last month - the learning never stops - you remember a boardroom meeting in your new
offices in Shanghai. During the introduction to new board members, you caught yourself writing a
quick note on a piece of paper in your coat pocket… only to realize that it was your new
principal’s business card.

2.
Question 2
It is more crucial to develop a cultural adaptation strategy when you are…

1 point

… given a very strict mandate, negotiating at home, within a multilateral context.

… negotiating a bilateral agreement in your counterpart’s setting when you know your level of
interdependency is rather strong.

… negotiating with Rome, in Rome the implementation of a project involving the members of the
F.A.O.

3.
Question 3
Interpersonal factors play a key role in assessing your need for implementing a cultural
adaptation strategy. It is especially the case if…

1 point
You have little knowledge of your counterpart’s cultural traits, you’re very new to the world of
negotiation and feel uneasy regarding your new abilities. On top of that, you have never met the
person who will negotiate for your company’s counterpart.

You’ve known Mr Chu for more than 10 years. He’s been a frequent counterpart in the
negotiation you’ve been leading in China since you started with this global company. He was
even a frequent guest at your house when you lived in the same city.

You’re starting with this new international investment firm. You’ve known Mrs McDowell since
business school. A few years ago, you were sitting across from each other but the deal went sour
and you never could get yourself to trust her as a negotiator. You’re supposed to meet in a few
days and it’s not a pleasant thing to think about.

4.
Question 4
Knowing what path to follow is always tricky and depends much on your own capacity to assess
your level of comfort as a cross-cultural negotiator. For instance, in which of the following three
cases do you consider the approach adopted to be coherent with the details of the situations:

1 point

You are a recent French hire in a top American company. You’ve been put in charge of leading
the negotiations with the French government for a major investment. To show your employer
your capacity to adapt, you plan on negotiating in the style most usual to your american
employer.

You’ve lived in Japan for the best part of three years now and have become quite agile in your
new surroundings. You can even order food in the language of Haruki Murakami. You’ve been
asked to provide advice to the negotiating team of your parent company based in Dusseldorf.
You recommend they let you be the go-between during the talks.

You have been scheduled to head your compagny’s delegation to negotiate a major expansion
contract in Sao Paulo next month. While researching the other team’s profile, you recognize their
main negotiator as someone you’ve made successful deals with many times over. You get in
touch with her and suggest that negotiations proceed according to mutually agreed terms as you
go along.

5.
Question 5
‘An adaptation strategy is only to be designed and implemented when one wants to please one’s
counterpart’. How do you react to this statement?

1 point

It is a negotiation where something has to be gained. No trick is off limit: if it makes them a little
less at ease, then so be it, we’ll proceed as usual and they will have to adapt.

We’ve known this country’s negotiating style for a very long time. They keep the same tactics
and have the same interests. No need for reassessment. But I wonder about this new
administration though…

A cultural adaptation strategy implies first and foremost maintaining critical thinking on the issues
at stake and paying attention to the relationship you want with your counterpart. It is always
important to be careful and adaptive.

6.
Question 6
Preparing yourself for cross-cultural negotiations involves taking into account many steps and
avoiding many traps. For the latter, being as clear a picture as can be about the decision-making
process is an important asset.

Based on your understanding of cultural profiling, in which of the following countries are you most
likely to be facing a negotiator who will not be the actual final decision-maker:

1 point

Belgium, France and Germany: in Europe, negotiators are always the final bosses or know how
to impose their views on their principals.

China, Singapore and Korea: mainly collectivistic, these countries are very much driven by
’supreme leaders’ who remains silent or absent during talks.

Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan compose an ensemble of countries where a decision is made face to
face by the person in charge of implementation.

7.
Question 7
In consensus-oriented cultures, negotiators will behave in which of the following ways:

1 point
They will deploy considerable effort to avoid entering into a conflict with their counterparts and
use every possible gesture to reach a consensus. This is a flaw to be exploited.

They will look to create an internal consensus on which to base a final decision. It requires the
lead negotiator to look for a lot of information to get his team agreed on a position. The process
is long but the decision is sound and there is a low risk of internal defection.

They will consult extensively, ask a lot of questions of you and their own team, painstakingly
giving the appearance of moving forward. But in the end, the decision is taken by the lead
negotiator despite any internal disagreement. Leadership is leadership.

8.
Question 8
In a third type of cultural setting, one finds agents who are characterized by a specific
relationship of ‘representation’ to their principals. Which proposition best suits this idea:

1 point

Bottom-up: the negotiator is in charge of managing the deal. He knows more about the case than
anyone else in the company. He is charged with finding the best deal possible. Management will
have to be convinced.

Horizontal deal-making: in this setting, the lead negotiator and his principal share the
responsibility of the deal. They work together: the agent negotiates, the principal sells the deal to
the management.

Delegated decision-making: the agent is actually a representative of the principal and has the
formal authorization to speak on the group’s behalf. The agent (who has some leeway) and the
principal are in constant communication throughout the negotiation.

9.
Question 9
When negotiating internationally, a negotiator should identify and take into account specificities
regarding the international framework of a negotiation, notably:

1 point

Behaviours at the negotiation table

Personality

Assumptions

Quiz 3rd
1.
Question 1
Within European institutions, negotiations are constant. No decision can be the result of
unilateral decisions, while consensus and procedural fairness are the norms. When negotiating
with EU officials, what can you least expect?

1 point

Treachery, dishonesty and below-the-table tactics

Intractable decision-making processes

Bribery and corruption

2.
Question 2
The European Union is, as we write, 28 member strong, representing an internal market of more
than 400 million customers. To apply the decisions reached by the European Parliament and the
Council of Ministers, the European Commission is a 30,000 person corps (smaller than the US
bureaucracy in Washington, in comparison). How would you best describe the negotiation style
of these civil servants?

1 point

Consensus-driven

Cooperative usually

Are you sure you’ve paid attention to the previous chapters and lectures in this MOOC? Check
your assumptions and prejudice and pay close attention to the person you negotiate with ; her
background, her and her unit’s interests in the subject, the political salience of the issue for the
member-states...
3.
Question 3
Above all, Chinese negotiators present a trait of character that can be destabilizing for their
European counterparts. It is:

1 point

Its high context culture which implies that communication is indirect, replies are often
understatements, with avoidance of open expressions of agreement and disagreement.

The importance of gift-giving and entertainment as crucial aspects of the deal-making culture. Be
ready to show your appreciation through pricy gifts and your commitment to making a deal
through readiness to negotiate after 8pm.

The reliance on non-committal tactics that add a layer of uncertainty when European negotiators
attempt to report to their principals about the state of their negotiations in China.

4.
Question 4
‘Guanxi’, a Chinese term, most often translated as “relationship” is crucial for any negotiator
attempting to enter into a business relationship in China. Building a strong relationship with a
Chinese counterpart is best achieved by:

1 point

Taking into consideration how sensitive Chinese negotiators can be to their counterparts’ effort to
make their stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

Insisting on shaking hands as often as possible to show determination and honesty. A

Making a personal connection. Insisting on sharing personal family histories and getting to know
the other negotiator’s children, especially, will always be seen as a way to move a negotiation
forward.

5.
Question 5
US Diplomats tends to present themselves and their negotiating habits as “tough but fair”. But
how do other countries’ diplomatic corps usually see them?

1 point
“tough but fair”: that’s right. American diplomats play openly and very rarely resort to strong-arm
tactics to get their way.

“American interests first, the rest: second”. Used to global dominance in most areas, the USA
has never been known to hesitate advocating and serving its own interests at the expense of
other, less powerful nations.

“a benevolent hegemony”: what is the point of being powerful and relying on unsurpassed power
if it is not be a “beacon for the world”?

6.
Question 6
Which profession has had the most influence and impact on crafting the very particular style of
US negotiators?

1 point

Blacksmith: while the issue is hot, hammer it with blunt force to shape it into what you want.

Grape-pickers: one is best advised to pick grapes when they are ripest.

Lawyers: negotiating means getting a deal and its complete details down on paper to prevent
anyone from finding loopholes.

7.
Question 7
Time is a ‘currency’ one needs to understand to appreciate middle-eastern cultures. In this
respect which skills would you need to develop in order to best advance your future negotiations
on the eastern shores of the mediteranean?

1 point

Time management: a good negotiator always keeps time under control.

Quality time: a good negotiator knows how to make time productive.

Patience. “why are you running like this? Sit down, have coffee with me and let’s talk a little
before you have to go”.
8.
Question 8
Negotiations are seen as a personal investment where trust in the other negotiator is of the
essence. As a consequence, negotiators commit their word, their ‘face’ in a sense, and would
suffer a personal loss if they were to go back on their word.

In such a context, what should you expect in building strong personal relationships?

1 point

Invest your personal time by accepting to stay a little longer after the meeting to exchange a few
words.

Allow your counterpart to ask personal questions about you and “let him or her in”: allowing
someone to get to know you more is a skill you need.

Accept an invitation to a hammam from a business partner. Middle-eastern negotiators, like their
Scandinavian counterparts, often share a bath in order to close a deal.

9.
Question 9
The 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change took
place in Paris in the fall of 2015. The main lessons of these negotiations for chief negotiators are:

1 point

Prepare seriously, know your counterparts, hear others’ concerns and play on these concerns to
push your agenda.

Prepare thoroughly if you do not want to fail, build trust before you need it, listen actively to
gather up information before you start negotiating, clarify your mandate and pace yourself in
order to resist fatigue.

Know your national interests, prepare the negotiations by knowing your adversary’s weaknesses,
exploit them and ensure that your own state’s interests come first.

10.
Question 10
When it comes to advocating climate change measures, the whole world is concerned. The
extent to which changes need to take place (in technology, policy, habits, means of development
and production, transport and trade, to cite just a few areas) imposed negotiation seems the only
means through which agreements can be built. Multilateral negotiations are best characterized
by:

1 point

Their complexity: multilateral negotiations require exchanges between dozens, if not hundreds, of
delegates on very complicated issues. Organization is fundamental.

Their complexity: multilateral negotiations demand that the Chairperson works to organize a path
to consensus and reduce the many different views and opinions to a few that can be discussed.
Management is key.

Their complexity: multilateral negotiations, such as the COPs, are carefully watched by hundreds
of stakeholders, from industrial lobbies to environmental groups, to citizens and others.
Inclusiveness of all opinions and management of transparency is essential.