Course: Culture & Organizations
Week 7 Discussion Forum
How must your negotiation style change when dealing with a unionized plant as an active multinational enterprise in a Latin American country versus that in the U.S.? What differences in cultural biases in making decisions do you think would exist between North American and European managers? Support your argument with your textbook readings from the week plus real-life examples and academic research from the KU online library.
Back up all opinions with the readings and outside research in academic journals at the KU online library.
- 250 word minimum for initial post
- Include at least two references
- Respond to two learner’s initial post.
KU online library: https://keiseruniversity.libguides.com/home/home?preview=afb5d66ab3b853fa361847ea7dfda322
Reference requirements:
2020-2023 (Peer Review)
APA format
Week 7 OverviewTopics:Cross-cultural Decision Making, Influence, and Negotiation
Week 7 Objectives
Upon successful completion of the week, you will be able to:
- Identify the models of decision making, including the rational decision-making model and the positive decision-making model.
- Analyze cross-cultural decision-making concerns, including decision heuristics and biases including loss framing and escalating commitment.
- understand effective decision-making in multi-cultural organizations.
- Recognize group decision making, the problem of groupthink, and the impact of culture on groups.
- Understand what persuasion is and its role in the cultural process.
- Identify and analyze the six primary approaches to culture and influence.
- Understand cross-cultural negotiations.
- Analyze cross-cultural applications and concerns.
- Textbook 1: Chapter 8
Textbook 1:Understanding Organizational Culture Second Edition
Author Mats Alvesson
Publisher Sage(The teaching materials are in the attachment. Please check them out. Thank you!)
What are the elements of a good Discussion post?Consider the following for each post you make:
- Take a position and persuade your peers by including relevant points from the lectures, text and other readings
- Cite your references to include texts, web site addresses, periodicals, etc.
- Include relevant personal experience with applied content
- Organize your responses logically by including:
- If you discover conflicting points of view in the readings or between the readings and the lectures, describe the various points of view and cite their source
- When responding to classmates, try to add clarity to what’s already been presented by adding your own experience and/or knowledge
- Reply to the responses you agree with by adding support or clarifying the point of view; do not merely acknowledge your agreement
- Reply to statements you disagree with by presenting counter-arguments
- Always communicate respectfully
- Remember that the goal of the discussion is to achieve specific learning outcomes. Try to be both subjective and objective in your point of view. It will help you clarify your position and can make discussions more stimulating.
Student reply 1:
In order to successfully negotiate in a culturally diverse nation, one must be able to adapt to the local way of life. When bargaining with a unionized plant in Latin America, bear the following points in mind.
1. Establish trust with the community. It will be easier to comprehend their problems and effectively convey your argument if you step a little outside of the professional connection.
2. Be amiable but resolute and assertive. Latinos adore this mindset.
3. Be ready to adjust to a new culture where your ability to remain composed and patient will be put to the test on a daily basis. After you go past it, you’ll have a fulfilling relationship.
4. Make an effort to interpret omissions. It happens that sometimes “yes” can mean “no” and vice versa. Nonverbal communication also has a role in
crucial part in the discussions.
5. The societies of the Latin American countries are closely connected. Getting in touch with certain important individuals entails integrating into a broader community. This might make it easier for you to quickly solve larger issues.
Section Two down the ladder, although in many other countries—including some EU members—making decisions for oneself is valued more highly.
Compared to American culture, where the message is explicit and specific, high context cultures like European, Asian, and Mediterranean use different communication styles where the message is unclear and unspecified and can be understood by context, nonverbal cues, and between-the-lines interpretation.
Being emotional in business interactions is frowned upon in certain cultures (the US and several European nations, for example), but it is welcomed in other cultures.
Decision-making in nations such as the United States is delegated
Ayoub, A., Anugwom, C. M., Prieto, J., Balderramo, D., Javier, D. F., Mattos, A. Z., Arrese, M., Carrera, E., Zwier, M. A. G., Oliveira, J., Boonstra, A., & Debes, J. D. (2023). Assessment of STAT4 Variants and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Latin Americans and Europeans. Cancers, 15(18), 4530. https://0624a7non-mp03-y-https-doi-org.prx-keiser.lirn.net/10.3390/cancers15184530
Haeger, A., Soza-Ried, C., Kramer, V., Hurtado de Mendoza, A., Eppard, E., Noémie Emmanuel, Wettlin, J., Amaral, H., & Fernández, R. (2023). Al[18F]F-NOTA-Octreotide Is Comparable to [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TATE for PET/CT Imaging of Neuroendocrine Tumours in the Latin-American Population. Cancers, 15(2), 439. https://0624a7non-mp03-y-https-doi-org.prx-keiser.lirn.net/10.3390/cancers15020439
Student reply 2:
Cultures vary worldwide and good negotiators will be knowledgeable in the cultures in which they are operating. Negotiations occur when two parties seek a compromise to a business problem (Begum, 2021). When negotiating in Latin American countries, US employees will need to do as much background checking as possible to see who they are working with. It is commonly assumed that Latin Americans have strong family ties and focus on relationships compared to the US employee who may mainly be focused on results and profits. Knowing your customer and presenting an image that gains confidence are key steps in the negotiation process.
Biases in decision making occur both in the US and Europe. European managers will be able to communicate with US business managers with ease. Certain biases do exist that should be addressed before hand. It must also be understood that the other party will most likely be biased toward you. Knowing how the other party is thinking during a negotiation is advantageous. Proper preparation and planning will make for successful negotiations that are beneficial to both parties (Poortinga, 2019).
References
Begum, S. (2021). A Literature Review on Implications of Cultural Dimensions on International Business Negotiations: Special Reference to China, Japan and United States. Japan and United States (December 20, 2021).
Poortinga, Y. H., & Hendriks, E. C. (2019). Culture as a factor in international negotiations: a proposed research project from a psychological perspective. In Processes of international negotiations (pp. 203- 212). Routledge.
