Impact of cultural differences on management business negotiations The influence of cultural differences on business talks

Mareeva Anastasia Igorevna

3rd year student of the Faculty of Ship Mechanics

MGAVT branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education " State University sea ​​and river fleet named after Admiral S.O. Makarov"

RF, Moscow e-mail: nasmareeva@rambler. ru

3rd year student, faculty of ship engineering

MSAWT-branch of “The Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping”

e-mail: nasmareeva@rambler. ru

Annotation.

The article presents the problem of the influence of the characteristics of different cultures on negotiations, considers the most well-known types of classifications of cultures according to various signs and parameters. The concepts of “stereotype” and “prejudice” are analyzed from the point of view of intercultural communication, their influence on negotiations. The significance of conflict in intercultural communication is determined, as well as its ability to lead participants to agreement. Some conditions for effective negotiations are outlined. The process of acculturation is considered as a process of mastering another culture. A small comparative description of two cultures (Russian and German) was carried out according to a number of characteristics, to visually represent cultural differences and characteristics. Generalizing conclusions on the work carried out are reflected.

The view of the problem of the influence of the characteristics of different cultures in the talks is presented, the most common types of classifications of cultures on different grounds and parameters are considered at here. The terms of stereotype and prejudice are studied. The value of conflict in intercultural communication is marked at this work too. The process of acculturation is considered as a process of mastering another culture. The comparative characteristics of two cultures (Russian and German) is made on a number of grounds, to visualize cultural differences and peculiarities. Generalized conclusions are reflected at the work done.

Keywords: intercultural communication, cultural characteristics, classification of cultures, stereotype, prejudice, intercultural conflict, acculturation.

Key words: intercultural communication, cultural characteristics, classification of cultures, stereotype, prejudice, intercultural conflict, acculturation.

Currently, in the current conditions of world globalization, with the development of transnational corporations, the creation of integration unions and the improvement international relations in general, issues of international negotiations become more relevant.

During business negotiations you have to deal with people different cultures, i.e. carry out intercultural communication. Intercultural communication is a branch of communication theory that studies the communicative interaction of different cultures, viewed from theoretical and practical points of view.

It is known that each country has a number of its own customs and traditions, some of which are respected and observed by representatives of different cultures, even during business meetings.

Exist different opinions on whether cultural characteristics influence the course of negotiations. Some people believe that if people want to agree, then no “differences” can interfere with them, but if they don’t want to, then knowledge of culture will not help.

However, there are other opinions according to which communications between representatives of different cultures can cause some difficulties associated with differences in expectations and decoding of messages received, rules for submitting and receiving information, and interpretation of verbal and nonverbal signs. It is worth noting that, in addition to cultural differences, negotiations are also influenced by a person’s personal qualities (tolerance, enterprise, personal experience).

Thus, “intercultural communication should be considered as a set of various forms of relationships and communication between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures.”

In intercultural communication theory, it has become common to classify cultures into groups according to various parameters. Among the most known species It is customary to distinguish the following three groupings or typologies:

1. Classification corporate cultures Hertha Hofstede, which is the most common and includes a division into six parameters:

Distance from power;

Individualism - collectivism;

A set of mental, behavioral and physical signs characteristic of men/women;

Acceptance - non-acceptance of uncertainty;

Pragmatism;

Restraint.

According to this classification, a certain culture receives points from 0 to 100.

2. Edward Hall's classification is that cultures are divided according to the nature of their use of space and time.

According to the use of space there are: high-context ( personal life is not separated from professional (France, Middle Eastern countries, Russia, etc.) and low-context (each sector of life is considered separately - USA, Canada, Germany, etc.) cultures.

In relation to time, they distinguish: monochrome (a clear schedule, sequence of actions - Germany, England, USA, Scandinavian countries) and polychrome (busy with many things at the same time, no clear schedule - Latin American and Arab countries, Russian Federation) countries.

3. Richard Lewis's classification reflects the activities of people over time and divides cultures into:

Monoactive (one period of time for one task, punctual and efficient - British, Germans, Americans);

Polyactive (emotional, flexible, focused on interpersonal communication - Italians, Spaniards, Brazilians);

Reactive (patient, polite, non-conflicting, reputation is important - Japanese, Chinese, Koreans).

It is also often accepted to divide cultures according to their relevance in professional communication, for example, in relation to the choice of negotiators, to taking minutes, to verbal and non-verbal signs, to the value of time, to risk, etc.

Thus, it is worth saying that there are many factors in which cultures differ from each other, which can seriously aggravate the difficulty of conducting business negotiations. After all, it is known that it is human nature to evaluate the behavior of others from the perspective of their culture, which often leads to misunderstandings.

It is worth noting that during intercultural communications, the interlocutor is often assessed through stereotypes. Their occurrence is due to the objective conditions of people’s lives; these conditions are characterized by the repetition of similar life situations. The human consciousness fixes recurring events and things in the form of images and ideas, with the help of which people can communicate, exchange information and understand each other's values. Thus, stereotypes are a reflection general provisions in everyday practice and include people's social experiences.

In intercultural communication, a person is perceived inseparably from his actions, and thanks to stereotypes, it becomes possible to interpret the causes and consequences of his words and decisions. However, the assessment of representatives of other cultures and the traits attributed to them may not always be correct and adequate, based on our understanding and analysis of their behavior. So stereotypes can both help to understand the interlocutor and harm the negotiations.

Along with the concept of “stereotype” in intercultural communication there is the term “prejudice”, which, unlike collective image- a stereotype carries only negative ideas about another culture. Prejudice rather interferes with intercultural communication.

Stereotypes and prejudices are part of every culture and represent persistent images Everyday life. However, we all live under the influence of various people and media, so prejudices and stereotypes can be modified, become more reasonable and understandable, but this will require a long period time.

Since in intercultural communication, as has already been clarified, there is contact between representatives of different cultures, which in turn have their own cultural norms and characteristics that are used involuntarily by the carrier, this can become the cause of intercultural conflict. Conflict is “an interaction that takes place in the form of confrontation, collision, confrontation between personalities or social forces, interests, views, positions of at least two parties.”

The range of reasons for conflicts is very wide, ranging from simple misunderstandings to deeper reasons that the participants themselves may not even realize. And yet, conflict not only has a negative side, but often participants reach agreement through conflict. According to the science that studies conflicts - conflictology, it is believed that in order to use a conflict for reasonable purposes, i.e. To find a way to resolve the situation, it is necessary to determine the original cause of the conflict and choose a way to resolve it.

So, for intercultural communication to be effective, it is worth taking into account the characteristics of the culture with which the negotiations are being conducted. Communication is considered effective when information from the sender to the recipient is conveyed adequately, i.e. Not only positive information is transmitted, but also negative information; in this case, the goal of the message sender is achieved. Also, the success of intercultural communication is determined by the fact that the participants are satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations.

Among the conditions for the effectiveness of intercultural communication are:

Communicative intention, i.e. desire to send and receive messages;

Willingness to understand cultural differences;

The desire to make joint decisions with representatives of other cultures;

Receptivity to overcoming negative stereotypes and prejudices;

Compliance with ethical standards;

Possession and competent use of communication tools.

In addition to these conditions, there are many important have a correct perception of a person’s appearance and behavior, the partner’s personal factors (gender, age, marital status) and the psychological qualities of his character (contact, adaptability, communicative compatibility).

It is important to say that during the interaction between participants from different countries their identity and significance are determined, in parallel with the mutual complementarity of their cultures, i.e. cultures adapt to each other by borrowing individual elements. As a result of this process, adaptation of one culture to another occurs to varying degrees. This process is called acculturation.

Acculturation is based on the process of communication, which has three interrelated aspects: cognitive, affective and behavioral, which are explained by the presence of processes of perception and processing of information during communication, as well as the performance of actions aimed at people and objects. As a result, a person adapts to the current conditions (in this case, to another culture). Thus, adaptation is an effective indicator of acculturation and is considered from two perspectives: psychological (achieving psychological satisfaction within new culture) and sociocultural (the ability to easily navigate a new culture).

1. Verbal communication:

- “introduction and beginning of a conversation”: Russian and German culture are characterized by two options for presentation: in person

at a meeting or through intermediaries; the conversation, as a rule, begins with the question “how are you?”, while for Germans the answer is short and optimistic, for Russians it can be both positive and negative and is more detailed;

- “invitations and compliments”: in Russian and German culture it is customary to openly agree or disagree with official invitations; in German culture it is not customary to compliment women during an official visit, but among Russians this is common and acceptable;

- “apology”: Germans ask for forgiveness even when they can do without it (for example, if they accidentally touched another person in transport), Russians do not have this;

2. Nonverbal communication:

- “personal distance”: personal distance in German culture is equal to the distance of an outstretched arm, and intrusion into this zone is a sign of extreme disrespect; in Russian culture this is treated more easily;

- “smile”: a Russian person smiles extremely rarely, because... for him this is a positive reaction to events in life, and among the Germans a smile is also used as a gesture of politeness;

“handshake”: in Russian culture, a handshake most often refers to men, rarely to women, which angers German women when a Russian partner greets only male partners in this way; at the same time, a handshake for Russians is mandatory attribute, but may not be used by the Germans;

3. Organization of the work process: it is typical for Russian culture to combine personal and work relationships, here great importance have friendly ties, which is completely unusual for German culture, where there is a clear division between these spheres of life.

Thus, after making a small comparison between Russian and German cultures, differences were discovered that are often not understood by people from the point of view of their cultures, but at a business level these features need to be known and taken into account.

To summarize, we can conclude that each culture has its own norms and characteristics, which currently have many classifications. Some differences may lead to conflict, but conflict can help reach agreement. Effective cooperation requires the desire and desire to understand not only the partner’s proposal, but also be ready to understand the characteristics of his culture. It is also worth noting that with competent intercultural communication, the process of acculturation occurs.

Bibliography:

1. Gruzikova M.O. Fundamentals of the theory of intercultural communication: [textbook. allowance] / M. O. Guzikova, P. Yu. Fofanova. The Ministry of Education and Science grew. Federation, Ural. federal univ. - Ekaterinburg: Ural Publishing House. Univ., 2015. - 3, 26-28, 94-102, 111 p.

2. Grushevitskaya T.G., Popkov V.D., Sadokhin A.P. Fundamentals of intercultural communication: Textbook for universities / Ed. A.P. Sadokhina. - M.: UNITY-DANA, 2003. - 116, 178-189,208-213, 271-280 p.

3. Vorozheikin I. E., Kibanov A. Ya., Zakharov D. K. Conflictology: Textbook. M.: Infora-M, 2004 - 33 p.

4. Frick T.B. Fundamentals of the theory of intercultural communication: tutorial/ T.B. Freak. Tomsk Polytechnic University. - Tomsk: Publishing house, 2013. - 96 p.

Business conversation is the most common form of business communication. Conducting a business conversation is a test of our ability to establish contact with the interlocutor, express our thoughts clearly and convincingly, listen and hear what our partner says, choose the best psychological position in verbal communication, and the extent to which we master the culture of business communication.

Business conversation in the personnel selection process takes place in the form of an interview. During the interview, a representative of the enterprise checks the candidate for the vacancy for job compatibility, and the applicant for the position receives information about the position and his functions.

A business conversation is usually carried out in the form of personal or telephone communication.

Negotiations are most effective from 9 a.m. to 12–1:30 p.m. Monday and Friday afternoon, as well as immediately after lunch and at the end of the day are not recommended for hard work. Business conversations can be held in a formal or informal setting.

There are the following basic principles for conducting business conversations: attracting attention, arousing interest, detailed justification, identifying interests and eliminating doubts, transforming the interests of the interlocutor and the final decision.

During a business conversation, it is important to use greetings, compliments, and calling by name. It is appropriate to use anecdotes and life stories.

Often a business meeting begins with the presentation of a business card. Having received a business card, you should carefully read the partner’s name and patronymic; if there are any difficulties, ask again (this is better than distorting the name), and try to remember them.

Certain rules regarding clothing and appearance. A trendy suit is completely optional. It is important that it is in good condition.

Business etiquette prescribes strict adherence during negotiations to the rules of conduct of the country - a business partner. The rules of communication between people are related to the way of life, national customs and traditions.

A special type of business conversation is a meeting. Only those specialists who are directly affected by the problem under consideration should be invited to the meeting.

Table etiquette during business functions includes being considerate of your neighbors, knowing how to use cutlery, sitting correctly at the table, and eating gracefully. There are the following types of business feasts: “a glass of champagne” or “a glass of wine”, breakfast, tea, jourfix, cocktail, “a la buffet”, lunch, buffet lunch, dinner, etc.

They are seated at the table, alternating men and women, the mistress of the house and the owner are seated at the head of the table. On special occasions, toasts are made - short speeches, while everyone looks at the person making the toast, raising their glasses. Sometimes after toasts they clink glasses with those who are sitting close, and bow slightly to others, raising their hand with the glass. Toasts should be given at the appropriate time.

4. Business negotiations: the culture of professional negotiations, conflicts and ways to resolve them

Preparation for negotiations includes the following stages: drawing up the rules of negotiations, operational preparation of negotiations, selection and systematization of materials, analysis of the collected material, preparation of a work plan for negotiations, editing, processing of the progress of negotiations. The negotiation process includes initiating negotiations, transmitting information, arguing, refuting a partner's arguments, and making decisions.

In psychology, conflict is defined as a collision of oppositely directed, mutually incompatible tendencies in the consciousness of an individual, in interpersonal interactions or interpersonal relationships of individuals or groups of people, associated with negative emotional experiences.

Conflict situations arise for the following reasons: lack of resources, differences in goals and ideas about them, differences in values ​​and behavior, committing immoral acts.

In social psychology, there is a multivariate typology of conflict depending on the criteria that are taken as a basis. So, for example, the conflict can be intrapersonal (between family sympathies and the leader’s sense of duty); interpersonal (between the manager and his deputy regarding the position, bonuses between employees); between an individual and the organization to which he belongs; between organizations or groups of the same or different status.

It is also possible to classify conflicts horizontally (between ordinary employees who are not subordinate to each other), vertically (between people who are subordinate to each other) and mixed, in which both are represented.

Despite their specificity and diversity, conflicts generally have common stages:

potential formation of conflicting interests, values, norms;

the transition of a potential conflict into a real one or the stage of the participants in the conflict realizing their true or falsely understood interests;

conflicting actions;

removing or resolving a conflict.

Each conflict also has a more or less clearly defined structure. In any conflict there is an object of a conflict situation, associated either with organizational and technological difficulties, peculiarities of remuneration, or with the specifics of business and personal relations of the conflicting parties. The next element of the conflict is the goals, subjective motives of its participants, determined by their views and beliefs, material and spiritual interests. Further, the conflict presupposes the presence of opponents, specific individuals who are its participants. And finally, in any conflict it is important to distinguish the immediate cause of the conflict from its real causes, which are often hidden.

Constructive conflict resolution depends on the following factors:

adequacy of the perception of the conflict, that is, a fairly accurate assessment of the actions and intentions of both the enemy and one’s own, not distorted by personal biases;

openness and effectiveness of communication, readiness for a comprehensive discussion of problems, when participants honestly express their understanding of what is happening and ways out of a conflict situation;

creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation.

Researchers point to five main styles of behavior in conflict:

competition or rivalry – active defense of one’s own position;

cooperation – finding ways to jointly solve a problem;

compromise - searching for a solution based on mutual concessions;

device;

ignoring or avoiding participation in the conflict.

A business woman's wardrobe should consist of at least two or three skirts, jackets and blouses. There should be no more than three colors in the entire clothing ensemble. Cosmetics and makeup should not be bright and provocative. You should not overuse jewelry and ornaments.

Culturology: Textbook for universities Apresyan Ruben Grantovich

13.4. Business negotiation culture

One of the needs that defines human communication is to be appreciated, recognized, and understood. Hence the advice D. Carnegie: give your interlocutor the opportunity to feel significant, show attention to your interlocutor. All over the world, extremely important importance is attached to mastering negotiation techniques. But an objection may arise due to the fact that, in the ordinary understanding, negotiations relate to a certain category of officials: leaders of various ranks, diplomats, politicians, military leaders. However, experts in the field of effective negotiation technology Roger Fisher And William Urey They convince us that each of us, at a certain moment in our activity, turns out to be a subject conducting negotiations, that every day we agree on something. People negotiate even when they don't realize it. The authors of the method of effective negotiations call them shuttle communication, designed to reach an agreement when the contracting parties have coinciding or opposing interests.

The importance that the business world attaches to mastering the method of effective communications is evidenced by this fact. A special division at Harvard Law School develops rules of negotiation. Robert Fisher is a law professor at the school, and William Urey is the associate director of the Negotiation Program at the same school. They developed a method principled negotiations, which consists in solving problems based on the essence of the matter, and not from the subjective positions of the contracting parties. The method involves persistence in achieving goals and a flexible, humane attitude towards negotiating partners. The method makes it possible to be fair, to achieve what is intended, and at the same time remain within the bounds of decency. At the same time, the authors of the method of principled negotiations draw attention to the fact that, naturally, negotiations differ from each other in content, status, and level. It’s one thing for a son, daughter, and mother to negotiate to get permission to go camping with friends. Another is negotiations between a manager and subordinates regarding the implementation of a specific project. And completely different are the negotiations between the heads of state on the problems of combating terrorism.

But at the same time, the authors of the book “The Path to Agreement, or Negotiations without Defeats” R. Fisher And W. Yuri argue that the basic elements of any negotiation remain unchanged. “To find your way through the jungle of human relationships,” they say, “it is useful to consider three main categories: perception, emotion and communication. Various relationship problems between people fall into one of these three baskets." And we are convinced that the methods of principled negotiations are the same methods of productive communication based on the culture of communicative activity.

Perception– finding out the way of thinking of the other contracting party. Hence the rule: imagine yourself in the place of another, do not draw hasty conclusions based on your own considerations. If differences arise in the perception of the same sentence, discuss them. Let the other side shine. Ask for advice, take into account the principles and image of the participants in communication. This is the same requirement to show empathy, respect for the personality of the partner, which we talked about when arguing for the conditions of mutual understanding.

Emotions– First of all, be aware of your and their feelings. Allow the other side, if passions are heating up, to “let off steam”; do not react to emotional manifestations, because the main thing for you is to achieve mutual understanding. Use symbolic gestures that support the conversation, and do not forget about the effectiveness of a sense of humor.

Communication– be restrained, delicate, polite. Point out mistakes not directly, but indirectly, so talk not about your partner, but about yourself. For example, do not rush to say: “You are wrong!”, It is better to say: “I don’t quite understand you...”; instead of: “How carelessly and hastily you did this work!” – “I didn’t think the work required more time than you had; Unfortunately, it was not possible to carry it out accurately enough.”

These recommendations in essence and even in form coincide with the advice Dale Carnegie. For example, here are six rules he suggests for making a good impression on your communication partners: smile, be friendly, be welcoming, be genuinely interested in other people, be a good listener, encourage others to talk about themselves, talk about what interests you interlocutor, instill in him an awareness of his importance and do it sincerely.

Carnegie especially formulates rules on how to influence people without humiliating or insulting their dignity. Start with praise, sincere recognition of their dignity. Ask questions instead of giving orders. Agree, you will react differently to the manager’s instructions, which are different in form: 1. Tomorrow, so that this work is completed! 2. Do you think this work will be completed by tomorrow? In the first case, irritation may arise caused by the authoritarian tone of the order (you feel the position of the “Parent”). In the second case, you will calmly accept the manager’s wishes, because the communication was on equal terms, like “Adult” with “Adult”.

Carnegie gives special advice to the leader: use encouragement, create for people good reputation, give them the opportunity to maintain their prestige. Create the impression that if a mistake or mistake is made, it can be corrected. Get people excited to do what you have to offer.

It is no coincidence that management specialists devote Special attention business etiquette of a manager as an indispensable condition for the formation of a favorable psychological climate in the organization. They advise: look for opportunities, don’t put up barriers; communicate in such a way as to see what can be done, not what cannot be done. The President of the Volga Academy of Business and Management gives specific advice on this matter R.G. Mannapov:

The transactional analysis of these positions is convincing: it is proposed to take not the authoritarian, peremptory position of a “Parent”, but the position of an “Adult”, ready to treat the point of view of a communication partner with respect and attention. One of the management aphorisms is to praise the employee, criticize the work. What does it mean? Leadership etiquette is the ability to encourage and criticize in a way that shows respect for human dignity.

One of the secrets of friendly communication is a smile as an external manifestation of the willingness to be attentive and show empathy. How many wonderful words have been said about a smile! It costs nothing, but gives a lot. It enriches those who receive it without impoverishing those who give it. It lasts a moment, but sometimes remains in the memory forever. It creates happiness in the home, an atmosphere of goodwill in business relationships and serves as a password for friends. She is an inspiration to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, a ray of sunshine to the sad, nature's best antidote to troubles. And yet it cannot be bought, sold, borrowed, or stolen, since it is of no use in itself unless it is given to someone. Therefore, one of the rules of productive communication is don’t hide your smile, don’t be shy to show positive emotions, an outward sign of goodwill.

Another condition for negotiations without defeat is look at the subject of negotiations not only from your own point of view.

You make a request, a proposal to your colleagues, manager or some official. You should never start by stating your interests, arguing a request or proposal. It is important that the interlocutor you contact feels the importance of your proposal for himself as a leader, for the team. Therefore, it is useful to start the conversation with what the interlocutor may be interested in. For example, you are interested in taking part in a scientific and practical conference, and came to your manager with an application for a business trip. If you start a conversation by expressing your desire, it is possible that you will receive a refusal. But you can start with the fact that the invitation you received is an indicator of the prestige of the institute, and communication at the conference would allow you to expand the circle of supporters of the innovative programs developed by the team. In this way, you focus on the arguments in favor of your business trip based not on personal, but on the general interests of the organization, which are close to the leader. With this approach, you are more likely to achieve satisfaction of your own interests.

There is another rule for successful negotiations, which is called "Socrates' secret" The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates did not leave us his works because he believed that a written thought dies. But his talented students and followers Xenophon And Plato left their memories of Socrates, including his amazing gift for dialogue. This is how Socrates' secret came to us. It consists in the fact that you divide the problem you are interested in or the main idea aimed at achieving the desired result into separate logically consistent links that gradually lead to the main idea, and present each link in the form of sequentially asked questions that assume a positive answer.

Let's try to solve the problems of the business trip you are interested in using the “secret of Socrates”. A logical chain of questions might look, for example, like this:

1. Addressing the manager, you ask: “Are you, of course, familiar with the activities of such and such a university (or public organization)"? The answer should be positive. Next you ask the following questions:

2. “Would it be useful for us to get to know their leading specialists better?”

3. “Is it prestigious for our organization to receive an invitation to a conference?”

4. “Obviously, the conference will be very representative?”

5. “Perhaps participation in the conference would allow us to expand the circle of supporters of our ideas?”

6. “How would you feel about our employees participating in this conference?”

7. “I received an invitation. Will you allow me to go on a business trip?

The “secret of Socrates” can be characterized differently: it is a reduced, well-thought-out dialogue with the interception of initiative. In his memoirs about Socrates, there is this advice from him: “The next time you are dying to tell a person that he is wrong, remember old barefoot Socrates and humbly ask your interlocutor a question - a question to which the answer is yes.”

What is the advantage of "Socrates' secret"? The initiator of the conversation holds the attention of the interlocutor, he leads the logic of the conversation. If there is a miscalculation in the established logical chain, you will immediately notice it and correct the further course of communication. The interlocutor, with your help, comes to a decision in which you are interested.

The secrets of a productive dialogue can be expressed by a proverb: if you want to be interesting (meaning to your partner), be interested. In the treasury of wisdom different nations There are many instructive thoughts that draw our attention to the culture of human communication. Here are some of them.

“Rivers and streams give up their water to the seas because they are lower than them. Likewise, a person, wanting to rise, must keep himself lower than others.”

“There is no magic stronger than the magic of words”

Anatole France

Don't forget, dear man:

The bullet wound will heal soon,

The wound from the word burns throughout the entire century.

(Gamzat Tsadasa, Dagestan poet)

“Just as medicine fails to reach its goal if the dose is too large, so does blame and criticism when it exceeds the measure of justice.”

A. Schopenhauer

“An enemy who looks for your mistakes is more useful than a friend who tries to hide them.”

Leonardo da Vinci

“Power over oneself is the highest power”