Japan Negotiation Style

Japan negotiation style is different than in UK. Since Japan is a culture that values harmony, the goal in negotiations is to have integrative agreements. This means that the outcome will be a win- win situation because both parties will have a clear understanding of both interest and priorities. Defining clear goals and assigning resources to obtain the highest return possible is the first step in any negotiation.

Once the goals are clear, its time for the Negotiation Process to star. Preparation is extremely important because both parties will have to research everything from the other party and vice versa. Once both parties have all the information regarding their counterparts its time for Relationship Building Stage. In this stage is when both parties meet face-to-face. Japan values face-to-face very high. Japanese will try to find a third party that can introduce their counter part to them. In the first meeting it is important to exchange gifts. Japanese executives value the exchange of gifts because it leads to a stronger relationship. It is also important for Japanese counterparts to show respect for Japan culture by slightly bowing after greeting them with handshakes. Every negotiator must present themselves by their full name and the business they represent. It is important for counterpart's negotiators to address Japanese negotiators with their title. Exchanging business cards is so important in Japan that it has the same ritual as a ceremony. The card represents the individual so he/she must put his information and the company he/she represents both in English and in Japanese.

The next stage is Information Exchange; in this step Japanese negotiators will give vague information and expect the counterpart to do the same because being vague considered a virtue. Persuasion is the next stage, this stage will take a long time because Japanese disagree indirectly and will be straightforward with what they want. They will also make a lot of questions and expect their counterpart to answer everything because if they don't Japanese will think that they are unprepared. Japanese values quiet, sincere and compromising individuals. Silence is actually considered a virtue. They are quiet because they are reflecting and sometimes they even do it with their eyes closed. It is important not to be persistent because then the negotiators will be seen as rude and arrogant. Finally agreement takes place, unlike Americans Japanese even though they have a contract, they will look forward to meet again and change some parts of the agreement. This is because contracts are viewed as a preliminary stage for the Japanese. It is common that after a contract has been signed, additional meetings will be required because additional negotiations or re-negotiations might be brought up again.

In a negotiation it is important to know the tactics used by the negotiating parties, this can be situational and negotiating tactics. Deciding