Jean Brett and her colleagues have demonstrated that culture plays an important role in determining which tactics negotiators select.29Let's begin with their interesting and well-crafted study of bargaining tactics among Brazilian, Japanese, and American managers.30In this study, managers from the three countries were paired cross- culturally in 20-minute negotiation sessions, and the investigators simply counted the number of times managers from each country used either a verbal or nonverbal negotiation tactic. They found significant differences in both verbal and nonverbal bargaining or negotiating tactics (seeExhibit 8.7). Notice, for example, how often negotiators from each country said "no" during just 20 minutes (83, 6, 9, for Brazil, Japan, United States, respectively), touched their opponents (5, 0, 0), or had silent periods during which they said nothing (0, 6, 4). What does this say about cultural variations in negotiations?

Exhibit 8.7Bargaining tactics (Brazil, Japan, United States)

Transcribed Image Text:

Bargaining tactics Brazil Japan USA Giving orders 14 1 6 Interrupting 29 29 13 10 Saying "no" 83 6 Silent periods 0 6 Touching others 5 0 04 0 9 Bargaining tactics Brazil Japan USA Giving orders 14 1 6 Interrupting 29 29 13 10 Saying "no" 83 6 Silent periods 0 6 Touching others 5 0 04 0 9