Year: 2004
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: As a result of an increasing globalized business world, international negotiation occupies a large quantity of company time.Moreover, academic research suggests that cultural context shapes negotiation activities.Negotiators from similar cultures who understand one another's behavioural idiosyncrasies achieve better outcomes than negotiators with culturally disparate values, attitudes, beliefs and traditions, which may complicate the negotiation process.Therefore, there is an increasing demand for cultural sensitivity and intelligence.This cross-cultural study makes use of the Bhawuk, Gelfund, Singelis & Triandis values survey (1 995) to test for cultural differences and then analyzes how 193 respondents from Thailand and Canada attribute behaviours contained within a negotiation scenario.Specifically, did respondents attribute behaviours from the scenario to direct or indirect styles of communication?It is submitted that the answer to this question is shaped by the cultural context of the respondents.Although results of the research place Thai and Canadian respondents neatly into the collectivist and individualist categories, respectively, scenario results contradict the hypotheses.In fact, Thai respondents attribute negotiation communication behaviours to a direct style more so than Canadians, who attributed behaviours to an indirect style.Secondary research contradicts these results, suggesting that they materialized because the negotiation scenario and following questions were not translated into the Thai language for Thai respondents, who could not understand the subtlety of language contained within the instrument.This study demonstrates not only the importance of a negotiator displaying cultural sensitivity to an opponent's style during negotiations, but also, that negotiators understand the content of language during negotiations. DEDICATION MyUncle C. Gordon Crick for helping proof this project, but more importantly, for encouraging me to obtain my M.B.A. Thomas.Dr. Thomas-I sincerely appreciate your insight in not hesitating to send me to Thailand on exchange.My time there proved invaluable to my International Business education and my understanding of culture; your steady encouragement and practical guidance throughout this project has made me a better person.In addition, I would like
Source: Summit (Simon Fraser University)
Author: George T. Barr
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W70256065