Cultural Efficiency in Global Transactions - Case Study Example

Cultural Efficiency in Global Transactions By Devangini Mahapatra Chauhan Introduction Culture has had widespread implications for various aspects of one’s personal and civic life. As a matter of fact, it is the cultural climate of the organisation that dictates the level of competency in various sectors of the economy. India, for example, is a country where agriculture and allied activities is the primary contributor to the economy. So the balance of payments and other such phenomena, including business deals and transactions have a strong leaning towards the farmer’s point of view and his take on where the economy should in order for him to support his business. Cultural Context for Business Negotiations In this context, it is imperative to define culture before going any further. While there are countless numbers of definitions for this factor of an individual’s life, there is mass consensus regarding the fact that culture broadly identifies elements which are included in the realm of ideas, feelings, and thoughts. In this regard, there are varying views that speak of the fact that culture is also inclusive of the factors that dominate the creation of behavior patterns where there is a monopoly of various institutions that dictate the operational ideals within a particular group or community. These institutions revolve around the practices and rituals attached to marriage, household duties and even business. The factors that affect a culture are a subtle variation of biological inheritance as well. To discuss the affect of culture on negotiations, I have chosen to define culture as a composite function that includes elements emanating from the socially transmitted behavior patterns, norms, beliefs and values of a given community. With regard to this assumption, I have drawn on theories that define behavioral patterns of people as reactions to their surrounding and interactions with people. Perspective and Research - UK It has been noted that the perspective one applies to the purpose of business may vary with what another applied with the same negotiation. Therefore, in this paper, through the study of negotiating and business practices in England, I will try to develop a framework within which one must act in the UK. For starters, the primary social rule followed by the British is the cardinal one of indirectness. They will seldom say something as directly as their American counterpart, for the simple reason that like subtleties in life and prefer to give more evasive responses to questions. In one’s business plan and negotiation strategy with the British, it is imperative to pay attention to imitating these mannerisms that will help put them at ease. One has to avoid being too blunt or direct as the British do not take too easily to such practices and also find these things a little on the impolite side. (Morrison et al, 2006) This, however, does not mean that they are overtly serious and lack a sense of humor. In Britain, the proverbial stiff upper lip is not as scary as it sounds – it merely shows that these people are more or less reserved with a great pride and do not like to appear ruffled under any circumstances. (International Business Negotiation – UK Social Behaviors and Business Practices) The British do not require the exchange of pleasantries or gifts to proceed with business negotiations. One of the good parts about dealing with the British is that there is always a wide scope to exercise the funny bone – the British have a fabulous sense of humor which comes to the fore in any and every situation. This is a sort of defense mechanism for their stiff upper lip. (International Business Negotiation – UK Social Behaviors and Business Practices) While on speech and humor, in Britain, one has to develop a taste for and understanding of a higher level of nuances in speech which suffice for a sense of humor. In general, the British are people who are fond of using and creating metaphors and idioms in their regular speak. One must be prepared for this and not be taken aback. This shows that they are an elegant lot in their day to day lives and this applies to anyone, not just a particular class of people. It is therefore imperative to deal with them accordingly and communicate with apt responses. These responses need not be sprinkled with metaphors or idioms, but a strong understanding of these is imperative to connect what they are trying to say at various occasions. This will help give the correct responses and help promote effective communication. The British culture is one where there is lack of bluntness in putting something across; therefore it is imperative to understand the fact that they make use of such tools in their grammar in order to read a person before committing. These qualities must be studied and catered for in the negotiating strategy. (Morrison et al, 2006) In business meetings, elements like good manners and formal ways are a must when in the UK, apart from punctuality. Also, these people insist on finding out background details to make sure the party is reliable – therefore expect enough of tea and cookies sessions before signing on the dotted line. Here, it is imperative to understand that the typical British will want to make sure all the papers are in place because they cannot sit back and take things easy when there is money and resources to be used and exchanged. Also, wasting time by not paying attention to details and thereby missing important elements in meeting is unacceptable to these people. (Morrison et al, 2006) One must remember that the British value time, resources and money as well as the personal energy spent in a meeting. Therefore, it is always advisable to go with extra paperwork that you might be expecting to finish the next day as they may suddenly want to look at a certain paper and not having the details may cause them to judge you in a negative way. This is a trait imbibed in their personal lifestyles as well. With a strong sense of traditional values that find root in the colonial history and rich background, the British will expect a more traditional form of dressing. While one might want to pack knee length skirts and formal suits, it is also imperative to note that the British accord a great deal of importance to the presence of the female partner (in case of men) on the business trip – this shows them that the person they are about to enter into dealings with have integrity and stability in their personal lives. (International Business Negotiation – UK Social Behaviors and Business Practices) Further, when going to UK for business negotiations, one needs to pack some warm clothes for anytime of the year owing to the erratic patterns that the rainfall follows which makes the temperature drop suddenly – this could lead to illness and loss of days. The British do not appreciate unprofessional behavior in this regard. Conclusion To understand and interpret UK’s negotiating patterns, one would need to possess good working knowledge of cultural nuances that guide these patterns. This will assist in bridging various gaps where negotiations are concerned. Therefore, on this note, the paper concludes with the observation that professional and occupational culture as far as the attitudes in the negotiation process are concerned, are as significant as national culture in deciphering a person's negotiating style. References: Morrison, T; Conway, W A (Oct, 2006) Kiss, Bow or Shake hands The Best Selling guide to doing business in more than 60 countries. Adams Media Corporation. Hall, Edward T. (1959). The Silent Language. New York: Doubleday. International Business Negotiation – UK Social Behaviors and Business Practices. URL: http://jefferson-marketing-and-business.over-blog.com/article-1237933.html (Accessed on: March, 07, 2007) Read More