The book ‘Negotiating International Business: The Negotiator's Reference Guide to 50 Countries around the World’ by Lothar Katz represent the fact that the culture plays an important role in the negotiation. The individuals while negotiating should be familiar of the fact that what others like and prefer in order to negotiate, and the practices they like to use. They should be familiar of the fact that in order to build the relationships certain techniques are required, such as convincing power that plays an essential role to persuade people, further, the method of conducting the negotiation will also play an effectual role in the process of negotiation. Furthermore, the book describes the fact that culture also affects the negotiation process as culture is the way that helps in solving the problems. The negotiation art is a problem solving art that is greatly influenced by the attitudes, beliefs, and the behaviors, which are shared among the members of the group belonging to a particular culture (Katz, 2006).
The negotiations are made in order to finalize a deal so; negotiation should be carried out, in a way that it helps in building long term relationship and alliances. Furthermore, in order to persuade others logical reasoning should be used so that it appeals to the intuitions and emotions. Such negotiation techniques should be used that help in understanding the values, attitudes, and the beliefs that are relevant for understanding the cultures of others, and are effectual in the culture. While, negotiation, it should be considered that being odd can be forgiven, but being rude cannot be forgiven, as it paves the way to havoc. Further, the book explains that there are deceptive techniques, pressure techniques, aggressive techniques, adversarial technique, defensive techniques and various other techniques that are used in the process of negotiation in order to convince others.
The book also describes about the relations and respect, the communication, meetings and contacts, agreements, negotiations, women in business, and contracts. Effective communication describe about the must-know features and circumstances; it helps the negotiator to know about the fact that whether people prefer direct or the indirect communication, and he/she also become aware of the interpretation of the non-verbal communication. Further, it also describes the fact that the agreements are made and are documented properly in the cultures, in business, and in other works, and the contracts and agreements are dependent on the commitments.
The movie Erin Brockovich reflects in an efficient way that the inter-personal barriers and the communication are the realistic and important part of the negotiation and the persuasion process. This movie is significant for the conflict resolution that is based on values, attitudes, decision making, and bargaining. In the movie, Erin has faced several conflicts in almost every phase of her life. Further, she also suffered from the neck injury, and surgery was a must, she however, fell into huge debt as she has not availed the insurance facility. But, as a matter o fact the resolution to such matters was not just. When Erin sued the person for damages, the person who has hit her, she didn’t get justice, as that person was a doctor, and the lawyer claimed that she was eager for the money, and she somehow planned the accident. The lawyer, however, also questioned Eric about her character by describing that she has no job, and has been divorced twice. Since, Erin was not able to defend herself so the jury decided not to award her damages. This is an indication of the fact that the communication and the inter-personal barriers are a significant part of the negotiation, and the process of convincing and persuading others. Another major issue highlighted in the movie is that Erin did not have any job for supporting her family that comprise of three children. She has searched for the job but of no avail, and then decided about the lawyer as the mediator that has disappointment her in the previous cases, and owed the case to her.
A mediator is well aware of exercising control on identification of issues, impediments and interest, in assessing, selecting, and in generating the options (Ricoeur 1995). Erin Brockovich was frustrated as she was unable to secure the critical data, so she can plan in order to raise the impasse of data, when the mediator approaches the impediments identifying stage for settlement. Considering the approach of the Pacific Gas & Electric, Erin can, however plan for inviting the mediator to assist the parties for generating several options in case the inventing stage is attained. This is a best representation of the negotiation and problem solving skills. Erin was capable of talking; she did everything in order to support her family. She got the employment opportunity, but the Ed, however refused to provide her the benefits. So, the lawyer is also a part of the negotiation process along with Erin.
Furthermore, one more barrier represented in the movie is that Ed has tried to communicate with Erin, as she was not popular with other staff due to her dressing, i.e., other employees were facing inter-personal barriers because of her way of representation. Furthermore, here hermeneutic of the self is quite evident as the employees are considering the personal identity of Erin through its dressing without considering the reality. However, hermeneutic of self helps in bridging the gap between the cogito and the anti-cogito (Ricoeur 1995).
However, Erin did not listen to the words of Ed, so she is unable to grab this concept. She is fired during her research work because Ed thought that she was out for having some fun rather than working. Furthermore, the movie also presents that Erin is capable of negotiating her way back into the work to Ed after going through her research. Further, Erin has demanded benefits and rise in salary and said that if Ed is not going to offer her incentives then she has several other options, this is a representation of the best alternative to the negotiation agreement. The movie is an indication of the fact the Erin is a determined person as well as an efficient negotiator.
Furthermore, the major conflict in the movie about the dispute of the real estate is the indication of the good communication skills. Erin, via assiduous research, becomes able to find that PG&E is utilizing a harmful chemical in the plant known as Chromium 6. However, this chemical when combine with water, it pave the way to several diseases, as well as cancers in the population living in the small towns. For further making the matters and situations worse, the company claimed that it is using Chromium 3 that is beneficial for health. Further, Erin has to persuade and convince individuals that they are becoming sick because of the chemical and not the irrelevant issues that the doctor paid by claims of PG&E. She has to use the best communication skills, so that people living in the town get convinced, and trust her and the suit can be moved forward. The PG&E has presented an offer of a minimal amount in order to buy the house, and completely ignore the other related issues, by describing that they are not related to the illness. In this case, Critical Hermeneutic Approach is evident, which is an indication of the fact the people communicate in order to build the social relations (Richoeur 1995), Erin has also used its communication skills in order to build relationship with people for convincing them about the harmful effects of chemical.
The lawyer of the company stated that they are presenting their final offer, and Erin and Ed do not have any idea about who they are up against. However, after several month of the devoted effort, and continuous research of Erin, they find a connection from plant to the headquarters located in San Francisco that has proved they suppressed the whole issue, the plaintiffs were, however, awarded $330 million, of which $5 were going to a family specifically. This is however, an excellent representation of the communication skills and negotiation for resolving the problem, and removing the barriers to the effectual communication.
In a nutshell, the movie Erin Brockovich and the book Negotiating International Business: The Negotiator's Reference Guide to 50 Countries Around the World focus on the same points such as according to the book culture play an important role in the process of negotiation, which can be analyzed from the fact mentioned in the movie that Erin was not popular among the member as she is representing a different culture with her way to dress herself. Further, the book explains that the convincing power plays an important role, which can be seen from the convincing power of Erin in movie that played an important role and finally she succeeded in her mission. Both the book and the movie support Critical Hermeneutic Approach, in a way that both reflect the fact that communication helps in building social relationships. Furthermore, the book emphasized on the advantages of effective communication, the movie is also the representation of the fact that effective communication is very important in the successful negotiation. This can be analyzed in the movie when Erin has adopted effective communication skills in order to persuade people that the chemical is posing threat to the health of individuals that are living in the community, and become successful in convincing them because of her communication skills. the book has also described about the women in business should be encouraged as they have leadership ability, and the entire movie revolve around a women, and explains the story of woman that possess exceptional leadership skills.
References
Katz, Lothar. (2006). Negotiating International Business: The Negotiator's Reference Guide to 50 Countries Around the World. Booksurge, LLC.
Richoeur, Paul. (1995). Oneself as Another. University of Chicago Press
