2.Cultures in negotiating

Multicultural meetings & negotiations

Recognising cultural differences may be helpful in avoiding misunderstanding between individuals. But how can it be used constructively?

The range of situations in which readers may come across culture clash is vast, ranging from an annual visit to a trade fair to implementing a multinational merger. As a practical example of a culture-sensitive approach in a frequent situation, let us take a monthly coordination meeting between representatives of companies from different countries involved in some kind of association.

Let us also assume that each of them is a stereotypical example of their national culture. How can we predict from the Mole Map, and the other generalisations in this book, how they might behave? And what can be done to make their meeting as productive as possible?

1. Language

The first problem is language. It is most likely to be English, which will suit the north Europeans, or French, which may suit the south Europeans more. Whichever is chosen, there will be some participants who feel at a disadvantage because they do not speak it as fluently as others at the meeting. There is a risk that linguists will dominate the less fluent.

The language problem should be brought into the open by making the working language or languages the first item of discussion. It may be advisable to make arrangements for preparatory papers and minutes to be translated. At the meeting itself it may be decided that people may speak in any language they choose which is comprehensible to the rest. Some members may wish to bring along to the meeting chuchoteurs or 'whisperers', in other words personal simultaneous translators. Whatever is decided, the rules should be made clear.

2. Expectations

Participants will have different expectations of the function and outcome of the meeting. For those towards the individual end of the leadership dimension - French, Belgians, Spanish, Portuguese, Germans - the purpose will be to brief the others with information. If it is clear that the meeting has to result in an agreement or a joint proposal, they will come armed with a detailed plan which they will attempt to impose on the others with as little amendment as possible.

Those towards the GROUP end – Dutch, Danes, British, Italians, Greeks, Irish – will expect the meeting to pool information or problems and take steps to resolve them on a basis of consensus and compromise. If they have developed a plan of their own, it will be a working hypothesis to be negotiated and amended, rather than a position to be defended.

For those at the organic end of the organisation dimension -Italians, Greeks, Spanish - informal networking in the bar or over coffee or during lunch is as important as what goes on at the meeting itself. The meeting will give formal sanction to what has been discussed or agreed outside. For those at the systematic end the extracurricular socialising, while it oils the wheels, counts a lot less than what goes on at the meeting itself.

Time might, therefore, be allocated to both formal and informal socialising. Arrange to meet for dinner the night before If there are French or Spanish participants allow two hours for a proper lunch. For some participants this will be the most constructive part of the event.