Question 1

In the context of international business negotiations, when faced with a complex negotiation task, most Asians divide the large task up into a series of smaller tasks.

Accepted Answer

When faced with a complex negotiation task, most Westerners divide the large task up into a series of smaller tasks. In Asia, however, a different approach is more often taken wherein all the issues are discussed at once, in no apparent order, and concessions are made on all issues at the end of the discussion. The Western sequential approach and the Eastern holistic approach do not mix well.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of the four kinds of problems caused by cultural differences in international business negotiations?

Accepted Answer

Cultural differences cause four kinds of problems in international business negotiations, and they occur at the levels of language, nonverbal behaviors, values, and thinking and decision-making processes. The order is important; the problems lower on the list are more serious because they are more subtle.

Question 3

Which of the following is usually the reason for side conversations among foreign negotiators in their native languages?

Accepted Answer

The usual purpose of side conversations among foreign negotiators in their native languages is to straighten out a translation problem.

Question 4

The single most important activity of international business negotiations is oration.

Accepted Answer

The single most important activity of negotiations is listening. A negotiator's primary job is collecting information with the goal of enhancing creativity.

Question 5

Which of the following groups of negotiators is considered to be the most reticent about giving information about themselves?

Accepted Answer

The Japanese appear on the low end of the continuum of self-disclosures, with their score of 34 percent (along with Spaniards and English-speaking Canadians) being the second lowest across all groups considered, suggesting that they are the most reticent about giving information, except for the Israelis at 30 percent.

Question 6

In the context of the effect of values on international business negotiations, American buyers achieve better results than Japanese buyers.

Accepted Answer

Not only do Japanese buyers achieve better results than American buyers, but compared with American sellers ($4,350), Japanese sellers also get more of the commercial pie ($4,430).

Question 7

On a tour to Australia in 1992, George Bush Sr. flashed the victory sign at the Australian public, with the palm facing inwards, which was considered a rude gesture. This is an example of cultural differences causing problems at the level of:

Accepted Answer

In this case, the gesture by George Bush Sr. is an example of cultural differences causing problems at the level of nonverbal behaviors. Cultural differences in nonverbal behaviors are almost always hidden below our awareness. When the nonverbal signals from foreign partners are different, negotiators are most likely to misinterpret them without even being conscious of the mistake.

Question 8

In the context of preparation for international negotiations, a thorough preliminary research eliminates the need for negotiators to make a list of key facts to reconfirm at the negotiation table.

Accepted Answer

No matter how thorough the preliminary research, negotiators should always make a list of key facts to reconfirm at the negotiation table. Information gathered about foreign customers and markets almost always includes errors, and things can change during those long airline flights.

Question 9

Which of the following statements regarding national stereotypes is true?

Accepted Answer

Contrary to popular perception, there are many Americans who are excellent international negotiators and some Japanese who are ineffective. The point is that negotiations are not conducted between national stereotypes; negotiations are conducted between people, and cultural factors often make huge differences.

Question 10

In the context of the effect of values on international business negotiations, the Japanese tend to emphasize hierarchical relationships that leads to hampered internal communications.

Accepted Answer

The Japanese emphasis on hierarchical relationships seems to hamper internal communications; subordinates don't pass along bad news, for example.

Question 11

Which of the following is considered to be the most common complaint heard from American managers in terms of the negotiation behavior of foreign clients?

Accepted Answer

The most common complaint heard from American managers regards foreign clients and partners breaking into side conversations in their native languages. At best, this is seen as impolite, and quite often American negotiators are likely to attribute something sinister to the content of the foreign talk-"They're plotting or telling secrets."

Question 12

The first stage of the business negotiation process is nontask sounding, which includes all those activities that might be described as establishing rapport or getting to know one another.

Accepted Answer

The first stage of a business negotiation process is nontask sounding, which includes all those activities that might be described as establishing rapport or getting to know one another, but it does not include information related to the "business" of a meeting.

Question 13

Due to the great differences in the roles played by women across cultures, gender should be used as a selection criterion for international negotiation teams.

Accepted Answer

Gender should not be used as a selection criterion for international negotiation teams, despite the great differences in the roles of women across cultures. Even in countries where women do not participate in management, American female negotiators are treated as foreigners first.

Question 14

Formality being a way of life in the United States, even the smallest contracts between companies often involves a formal signing ceremony.

Accepted Answer

Informality being a way of life in the United States, even the largest contracts between companies are often sent through the mail for signature. But when a major agreement is reached with foreign companies, their executives may expect a formal signing ceremony involving CEOs of the respective companies.

Question 15

In the context of international business negotiations, labeling Americans as "cowboys" and associating the Japanese with the image of a samurai warrior are examples of:

Accepted Answer

The images of John Wayne, the cowboy, and the samurai, the fierce warrior, often are used as cultural stereotypes in discussions of international business negotiations. Such representations almost always convey a grain of truth-an American cowboy kind of competitiveness versus a samurai kind of organizational (company) loyalty.

Question 16

Which of the following images is a cultural stereotype that is most likely attributed to American negotiators by foreign business negotiators?

Accepted Answer

The images of John Wayne, the cowboy, and the samurai, the fierce warrior, often are used as cultural stereotypes in discussions of international business negotiations. Such representations almost always convey a grain of truth-an American cowboy kind of competitiveness versus a samurai kind of organizational (company) loyalty.

Question 17

In high-context cultures, where personal relationships are crucial, high-level business executives must stay in touch with their foreign counterparts.

Accepted Answer

Follow-up communications are an important part of business negotiations with partners and clients from most foreign countries. Particularly in high-context cultures, where personal relationships are crucial, high-level executives must stay in touch with their counterparts. Letters, pictures, and mutual visits remain important long after contracts are signed.

Question 18

In international business, global marketing strategies are almost always implemented through _____ with business partners and customers from foreign countries.

Accepted Answer

Face-to-face negotiations are an omnipresent activity in international commerce. Once global marketing strategies have been formulated, once marketing research has been conducted to support those strategies, and once product/service, pricing, promotion, and place decisions have been made, then the focus of managers turns to implementation of the plans. In international business, such plans are almost always implemented through face-to-face negotiations with business partners and customers from foreign countries.

Question 19

Which of the following is an important lesson with respect to negotiation?

Accepted Answer

Looking broadly across the several cultures, two important lessons stand out. The first is that regional generalizations very often are not correct. For example, Japanese and Korean negotiation styles are quite similar in some ways, but in other ways, they could not be more different. The second lesson learned from this study is that Japan is an exceptional place: On almost every dimension of negotiation style considered, the Japanese are on or near the end of the scale.

Question 20

In the context of international business negotiations, bargaining skill is at the top of almost everyone's list of negotiator traits.

Accepted Answer

Preparation and planning skill is at the top of almost everyone's list of negotiator traits, yet it seems many Americans are still planning strategies during over-ocean flights when they should be trying to rest.

Quiz 19: Inventive Negotiations With International Customers, Partners, and Regulators

In the context of international business negotiations, when faced with a complex negotiation task, most Asians divide the large task up into a series of smaller tasks.

Which of the following is true of the four kinds of problems caused by cultural differences in international business negotiations?

Which of the following is usually the reason for side conversations among foreign negotiators in their native languages?

The single most important activity of international business negotiations is oration.

Which of the following groups of negotiators is considered to be the most reticent about giving information about themselves?

In the context of the effect of values on international business negotiations, American buyers achieve better results than Japanese buyers.

On a tour to Australia in 1992, George Bush Sr. flashed the victory sign at the Australian public, with the palm facing inwards, which was considered a rude gesture. This is an example of cultural differences causing problems at the level of:

In the context of preparation for international negotiations, a thorough preliminary research eliminates the need for negotiators to make a list of key facts to reconfirm at the negotiation table.

Which of the following statements regarding national stereotypes is true?

In the context of the effect of values on international business negotiations, the Japanese tend to emphasize hierarchical relationships that leads to hampered internal communications.

Which of the following is considered to be the most common complaint heard from American managers in terms of the negotiation behavior of foreign clients?

The first stage of the business negotiation process is nontask sounding, which includes all those activities that might be described as establishing rapport or getting to know one another.

Due to the great differences in the roles played by women across cultures, gender should be used as a selection criterion for international negotiation teams.

Formality being a way of life in the United States, even the smallest contracts between companies often involves a formal signing ceremony.

In the context of international business negotiations, labeling Americans as "cowboys" and associating the Japanese with the image of a samurai warrior are examples of:

Which of the following images is a cultural stereotype that is most likely attributed to American negotiators by foreign business negotiators?

In high-context cultures, where personal relationships are crucial, high-level business executives must stay in touch with their foreign counterparts.

In international business, global marketing strategies are almost always implemented through _____ with business partners and customers from foreign countries.

Which of the following is an important lesson with respect to negotiation?

In the context of international business negotiations, bargaining skill is at the top of almost everyone's list of negotiator traits.