The success of negotiations depends on the specific skills and knowledge of a negotiator. Not only awareness of cultural peculiarities plays a crucial part, but also practical experience. Reasonable and goal-oriented use of negotiation strategies also requires particular personal characteristics, such as flexibility. Although this trait can help achieve favorable results in negotiations, it is vital for a negotiator to know when this behavior is appropriate.
Acquiring Skills and Knowledge through Negotiation
International negotiation facilitates better communication skills and knowledge regarding the contemporary business environment. Ghauri et al. (2020) claim that negotiation skills are not genetically inherent in people but can be learned through constant practice. Moreover, being a good negotiator requires having background knowledge of the social, economic, and political systems of various countries where the negotiation counterparts come from (Ghauri et al., 2020). Nevertheless, having only a theoretical foundation may be ineffective, especially when not used in practice. Negotiators gain valuable practical communication skills with people having different cultural backgrounds. It relates to particular behaviors, word and negotiation strategy choices, gestures, emphasizing some crucial points, and so further. These skills are vital in the modern business environment because following specific rules of conduct ensures that a negotiator is competent and trustworthy.
Flexibility
Mastering and successfully using negotiation art involves special psychological traits. One of the most critical characteristics of an effective negotiator is flexibility, which should be used highly cautiously. This concept is similar to psychological flexibility, which means the ability to react to situations that correspond to and help achieve desired and valued goals (Doorley et al., 2020; Cherry et al., 2021). In terms of negotiation, being flexible is associated with the skill that allows a negotiator to insist on own views and interests or make concessions with a discussion partner depending on a situation.
A negotiator can be flexible in various ways and use different negotiation strategies. Thus, he or she can opt for making advances to a counterpart if the latter is undeterred. However, it is a delicate moment when a negotiator should rapidly decide whether such tactics could help. For instance, Ramirez Marin et al. (2019) describe that some negotiators may use threats or offer the best alternatives to a negotiated agreement (BATNA). These and similar behaviors require responding according to the context of negotiations. Flexibility can be a powerful tool if a discussion partner is also open to changes and alternatives. On the other hand, being exceedingly flexible may suggest to others that a negotiator cannot assert his or her interests and is ineffective. Moreover, he or she can be viewed as weak and inclined to follow dictated conditions. Meanwhile, inflexibility is useful when the other negotiation party uses evident manipulations and dishonest techniques. However, an inflexible negotiator can earn a reputation of being implacable, which decreases trust between discussion partners.
Summary of Initial Post Key Points
The initial post touched on the cultural factors that influence negotiations. The discussion process usually follows commonly accepted stages, such as information exchange, clarification, problem-solving, and implementation. However, being aware of cultural factors that may influence the negotiation course is essential. Although business practices vary from country to country, negotiators with different cultural backgrounds appreciate respect, trustworthiness, and shared values in their interactions with counterparts. Nevertheless, disagreements between foreign parties may still arise, which requires specific addressing through conflict resolution, management, or transformation.
Conclusion
Finally, flexibility should be exercised with considerable caution, depending on the negotiation context and counterparts. Theoretical knowledge of the cultural peculiarities of negotiation partners is useful only when practiced. Flexibility can serve as a helpful tool when other parties are also ready to make advances, though it may encourage dishonest communication techniques. Being inflexible can guard against the mentioned practices but may worsen trust between negotiation partners.
References
Cherry, K. M., Hoeven, E. V., Patterson, T. S., & Lumley, M. N. (2021). Defining and measuring “psychological flexibility”: A narrative scoping review of diverse flexibility and rigidity constructs and perspectives. Clinical Psychology Review, 84, 1-16. Web.
Doorley, J. D., Goodman, F. R., Kelso, K. C., & Kashdan, T. B. (2020). Psychological flexibility: What we know, what we do not know, and what we think we know. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(12), 1-11. Web.
Ghauri, P.N., Ott, U.F., & Rammal, H.G. (2020). International business negotiations: Theory and practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Ramirez Marin, J., Olekalns, M., & Adair, W. (2019). Normatively speaking: Do cultural norms influence negotiation, conflict management, and communication? Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, 12(2), 146-160. Web.