Cross Cultural Negotiation with the Japanese: Seeking Heavenly ...

Cross cultural negotiation is one of the most important business skills you can practice if you are part of a multinational company.

The Japanese tend to pay more attention to long-term relationships than Western businesspeople do. An important part of their decision to do business with someone is whether they will be able to work harmoniously with them in the future.

Even if the price is right, there is little point in dealing with someone who will make trouble later.

The Japanese have formalized the practice of building harmonious long term relationships into their business culture. When a transaction is about to close, the Japanese use a technique called, ?Seeking Heavenly Approval.?

After the facts are in and a written agreement near at hand, a period is set aside for achieving executive consensus as to whether they want to do business with the other party in the long run.

In a well attended discussion marked by long periods of silence, members of the executive group reach mutual inner understanding and consensus. The Japanese call this moment of harmonious accord, ?Kan.? By having sought and achieved ?heavenly approval?, they have given themselves a final chance to evaluate whether the agreement will satisfy their needs and give them piece of mind in the future.

In general, again, they are unwilling to deal with those who may cause them aggravation in the future, no matter how good the price right now.

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Cross Cultural Negotiation

Related terms: Cross-Cultural Negotiation Styles, Cross-Cultural Negotiation Process, Cultural Differences in Negotiation, Negotiation Pitfalls, Negotiation and Culture, Hofstede Onion Diagram, Cross-Cultural Paradox, Negotiator Magazine

Source: http://www.karrass.com/blog/cross-cultural-negotiation-with-the-japanese-seeking-heavenly-approval/

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