a) What cultural assumptions, if any, did each side make about the other in their communication approach?

b) Were these assumptions accurate? Please analyze why?

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Robert Brown, Senior Vice President for Business Development of an Australian electronics firm, and his associate Luke Thompson, Vice President for Manufacturing, have been tasked to finalize the negotiations for a five-year contract with a Japanese multinational firm to supply critical electronic component parts to the Australian firm. Both managers have extensive experience negotiating contracts with suppliers from several Asian countries, and they were both confident even though this was their first experience with a Japanese firm. Robert even had somewhat of a reputation in his company for his tough negotiation tactics and for closing favorable deals quickly. After their arrival in Tokyo, the first day of negotiations went smoothly, and both sides seemed happy with the progress. Robert was particularly satisfied with the terms and conditions that had been discussed. As the day drew to a close, their Japanese counterparts, Takeshi Miyamoto and Yoshi Shimizu, invited the Australians to continue discussions over dinner at a popular local Japanese restaurant in Shinjuku. Robert and Luke were given an hour to return to their hotel and relax before their hosts would pick them up and take them to the restaurant. They quickly got into a taxi and returned to their hotel. The agreed to meet in the lobby five minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. Robert called his wife in Melbourne to update her on his experiences in Tokyo. He then changed into his suit and tie and headed downstairs. Meanwhile, Luke watched a little TV before getting dressed, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, short pants, and flip-flops to accommodate the hot July weather. The dinner has been described as casual and relaxing, and he planned to enjoy it. He then headed for the elevator. Robert Brown, Senior Vice President for Business Development of an Australian electronics firm, and his associate Luke Thompson, Vice President for Manufacturing, have been tasked to finalize the negotiations for a five-year contract with a Japanese multinational firm to supply critical electronic component parts to the Australian firm. Both managers have extensive experience negotiating contracts with suppliers from several Asian countries, and they were both confident even though this was their first experience with a Japanese firm. Robert even had somewhat of a reputation in his company for his tough negotiation tactics and for closing favorable deals quickly. After their arrival in Tokyo, the first day of negotiations went smoothly, and both sides seemed happy with the progress. Robert was particularly satisfied with the terms and conditions that had been discussed. As the day drew to a close, their Japanese counterparts, Takeshi Miyamoto and Yoshi Shimizu, invited the Australians to continue discussions over dinner at a popular local Japanese restaurant in Shinjuku. Robert and Luke were given an hour to return to their hotel and relax before their hosts would pick them up and take them to the restaurant. They quickly got into a taxi and returned to their hotel. The agreed to meet in the lobby five minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. Robert called his wife in Melbourne to update her on his experiences in Tokyo. He then changed into his suit and tie and headed downstairs. Meanwhile, Luke watched a little TV before getting dressed, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, short pants, and flip-flops to accommodate the hot July weather. The dinner has been described as casual and relaxing, and he planned to enjoy it. He then headed for the elevator.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 Australian Team Robert and Luke Assumption Australians may have assumed a more casual and informal business culture given their experience in negotiating with suppliers from various Asian countries ... View the full answer