Intercultural Negotiations : How Different Cultures Affect the Negotiation Process Cross‐culture

In today’s international market place, the identification of cultural differences is an absolute necessity for successful business negotiations. Being able to negotiate effectively across cultures is crucial for many inter-organizational relationships. The more globalized the world becomes; the more requires an understanding and adapting skills for the different cultures existing in the world. This has lead to my great interest in how cultural factors influences on negotiations cross- cultures. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding for what cultural related factors that influence on the negotiation process cross- culture. To reach this purpose, a qualitative case study has been completed on the sales process of LKAB and Outokumpu, that are two companies that are acting within the steel and iron ore industry. Data for this study has been collected through interviews with sales managers of each company. This study has shown that there exist a range of cultural related factors that influences on the negotiation process, and should therefore be considered in order to be more successful when negotiating cross- culture. These factors has turned out to have an major impact in that way that if they are not considered properly, it may influence a negotiation process negatively. It is also shown that the best way to successful negotiations command a good relationship between the two negotiating parties. Moreover it is also stated that culture has an impact on what behavior the negotiator use.Validerat; 20110928 (anonymous