Culture Case

Society consists of a huge range of ethnicities, cultures, languages, beliefs and religions. Learning about identity and cultural diversity can help us to live and work together in diverse communities, both in your own country and the wider world. It can also help us develop our identity and sense of belonging which are fundamental to personal well-being and the achievements of a flourishing and cohesive society. This article; cross boarder negotiations looks at the importance of understanding cultural diversity in order to make a successful negotiation. It is evident that Cultural differences can influence business negotiations in significant and unexpected ways.

I believe it is important to know and understand ourselves before trying to learn about others. The Johari window first helps to increase awareness about how we see ourselves and then how others see us. Knowing little about yourself and nothing at all about others may interfere with effective interaction. A Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, used to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. The Johari window tool for managing culture diversity is a great way of learning more about how you and others see your culture to be.

However not everyone is open minded about learning about different cultures. It is evident that there are some cultural groups that know only about their own culture and are reluctant to learn about other cultural backgrounds. Bennett (1993) describes six stages of development in intercultural sensitivity. The developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity explains how people or groups tend to think and feel about cultural difference.

The first three stages are considered "ethnocentric" in that one's own culture is seen as the only culture or to varying extents the "better" culture. The last three stages are considered "ethnorelative" in that one's own culture is seen as equal among many other cultures. The ethnorelative stages are characterized by a positive mindset about cultural difference.

In the article; cross boarder negotiations the author looks at different stages to making a successful cross border negotiation. The first stage is to know who the players are.

The author stresses that the need for consensus among players on the other side will affect the negotiation strategy. This is because consensus cultures often focus on relationships rather than deals. The players involved often want to take a substantial amount of time to learn more about the person who wants to make a negotiation before discussing the deal. In consensus cultures, relationship building is critical not only to reaching an agreement but also to making it work. Edward T. Halls