Negotiation styles among different groups are entrenched in their customs and background. Negotiations are used by different groups to arrive at a common ground on certain issues and problem (Lewicki, Barry & Saunders , 2010). The negotiation depends on different variables such as people, circumstance, time and position of power. People in high positions of power have a high probability of getting aggressive on their negotiation platform.
The Americans have a tendency of picking up the phone and immediately starting the negotiation. The direct mode of negotiation may scare away clients who would see their mode of business as aggressive and arrogant. The Chinese people have a tendency of gaining confidence from the customers before transacting business. The disadvantage of the form of negotiation is that people have a tendency of losing business. The Chinese on the other hand have a high probability of first establishing a conversation with a person before entering into negotiations. The negotiation styles have a high probability of taking a lot of time before sealing the deal. The time before sealing the deal might produce negative results which might lead to problems in ending the deal.
The two groups Chinese and Americans have a tendency to hold meetings with high executives. The high executives may form a bureaucracy that makes it hard to arrive at the final decision. The bureaucracy may make the negotiation to cost a lot of money because of the cost required to organize meetings by the different personnel. The personnel require huge allowances that might be detrimental in the final business.
The Chinese are always craving to maintain long term relationship with their clients (Solomon, 1999). The long term relationship with the customers is supposed to produce business and trust. The Americans negotiation style does not conduct follow up with their fellow negotiators. The aim of the American is to finish the business deal and everyone to leave. The mode of negotiation has a negative impact on that each business depends on new investment by the business in negotiations. The new investment by the business members will be costly. The Chinese have a low cost of conducting business because of maintaining old linkages. The old business linkages have a high probability of making future negotiations easier. The groups in the Chinese case will have already established trust reducing the time of doing business.
The Americans have a lot of impatience while negotiating. The impatience is attributed to the American negotiators trying to seal a deal quickly. The impatience in the Americans negotiators leads to sometime deals being sealed with people hiding some information in documentations. The hiding of information can cause mistrust arising after the deal is sealed sometimes lead to the party going to court to solve their problems. The Chinese people are patient while making business deals in reading and understanding the person transacting the business. The patience lets the Chinese people to acquire substantial knowledge on the topic of negotiation making the groups to arrive at substantial results.
The Americans have a negotiation style that is driven by winning after the transaction. The style may look mean to other members on the negation table leading to distrust. The distrust might make members of the transaction to withdraw prematurely (Solomon, & Quinney, 2010). The premature withdrawal might lead to huge losses in the event that the business was the main lifeline of running affairs. The Chinese are always available at the negotiating table on a give and take option for the different individuals. The give and take options leave every member on the negation table with something to celebrate at the end of the deal. At the end of the deal every member is satisfied without any loser in the deal.
The Americans have a negotiation style that is confrontational and aggressive. The confrontational nature of the Americans is seen by some as inconsiderate to others. The Chinese do not encourage confrontation in the negotiation but will always give the give and take a chance. The aggressiveness in the American negotiation is attributed to them ending up with business contacts while competition exists with members from other countries. The aggressiveness in the Americans while making business deals can lead to people viewing them as arrogant. The perception by other members of the society on American as arrogant might lead to high cost in making business deals (Jackson, 1999).
The Chinese in their negotiation have respect for hierarchy in the society. The hierarchy is respected in that other members in the group cannot seal the deal without making enquiries from the elderly in the group. Negotiation in America societies does not have a lot of respect for hierarchy. Every member of the society can be involved in making negotiation for the larger group without regard to the age. The non observation of the hierarchy makes it easier for the American people to enter into deals. The conservatives in the Chinese about hierarchy becomes confusing to people who have no knowledge of Chinese cultures. The people getting into negotiations with Chinese should always first learn their cultures which might take a long time.
References
Jackson, R. (1999). The negotiation of cultural identity : perceptions of European Americans and African Americans. Westport, Conn: Praeger.
Lewicki, R., Barry, B. & Saunders, D. (2010). Negotiation. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Solomon, R. & Quinney, N. (2010). American negotiating behaviour : wheeler-dealers, legal eagles, bullies, and preachers. Washington, D.C: United States Institute of Peace.
Solomon, R. (1999). Chinese negotiating behaviour : pursuing interests through "old friends. Washington, D.C: Inst. Of Peace.
