The ‘ABC’ of intercultural negotiations

Abstract

Globalization of the world economy has resulted in an increased interdependence between nations around the world. Cross cultural skills have therefore become increasingly important as more and more people from different countries study, work, and live together. The paper examined two main aspects of culture; first, as a dynamic concept, and second, as both a barrier and a bridge in crosscultural negotiations. The discussion leads us to conclude that what is different is not necessarily inferior and what is familiar is not always the best. We argue that while the development of intercultural competence may be difficult to learn and apply, when we accept the boundedness of our rationality and awareness, we will be more willing to open ourselves to self discovery to minimize intercultural differences in negotiations.