Deck 19: Negotiating With International Customers, Partners, and Regulators

Question 1

In the context of international business negotiations, individual personalities and backgrounds have no bearing at the negotiation table.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Individual personalities and backgrounds and a variety of situational factors also heavily influence behavior at the negotiation table-and it is the manager's responsibility to consider these factors.

Question 2

In the context of international business negotiations, the style of Israeli negotiators is the most aggressive of all cultures.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: The style of the French negotiators is perhaps the most aggressive of all the groups. In particular, they use the highest percentage of threats and warnings.

Question 3

The behavior of the businesspeople in Taiwan is quite different from that in China and Japan, but similar to that in Korea.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: The behavior of the businesspeople in Taiwan is quite different from that in China and Japan but similar to that in Korea.

Question 4

In the context of international business negotiations, Guanxi, or personal connections is key for negotiators working in Western countries.

Question 5

In the context of international business negotiations, verbal tactics used during negotiations differ vastly across diverse cultures.

Question 6

Four values-objectivity, competitiveness, equality, and punctuality-that are held strongly by most Americans seem to frequently cause misunderstandings in international business negotiations.

Question 7

French business negotiators use the lowest percentage of self-disclosure yet, they also use, by far, the highest percentages of promises and recommendations.

Question 8

In the context of international business negotiations, age and experience are known to affect the negotiation behaviors of individuals.

Question 9

Japan is an exceptional place because on almost every dimension of negotiation style considered, the Japanese are on or near the end of the scale.

Question 10

In the context of international business negotiations, generalizations about the negotiation style of a region such as Asia are very often correct.

Question 11

The egalitarian values of American society dictate that American sellers give complete deference to the needs and wishes of the buyers.

Question 12

Cultural differences cause four kinds of problems in international business negotiations, at the levels of leadership, motivation, resources, and technical skills.

Question 13

The Japanese business negotiation style comprises an infrequent use of no and you, and facial gazing, as well as more frequent silent periods.

Question 14

In the context of international business negotiations, Americans are near the bottom of the languages skills list.

Question 15

In the context of international business negotiations, collectivistic, high-context cultures do not consider personalities and substance as separate issues.

Question 16

In the context of international business negotiations, the variation across cultures is greater when comparing linguistic aspects of language than when the verbal content of negotiations is considered.

Question 17

In the context of international business negotiations, disagreements among foreign team members, in the form of side conversations, are often followed by concessions to the other negotiating party.

Question 18

Cultural differences in nonverbal behaviors are almost always hidden below our awareness.

Question 19

International business negotiations are conducted keeping national stereotypes in mind.

Question 20

The British, German, and American businesspeople are found to fall in the middle of most scale for dimensions of negotiating behaviors.

Question 21

In international business, global marketing strategies are almost always implemented through _____ with business partners and customers from foreign countries.

A) video-conferencing
B) face-to-face negotiations
C) online collaborations
D) international treaties
E) a memoranda of cooperation

Question 22

At which of the following levels do cultural differences cause problems in international business negotiations?

A) Economy
B) Values
C) Leadership
D) Motivation
E) Resources

Question 23

On a tour to Australia in 1992, George Bush Sr. flashed the victory sign at the Australian public, with the palm facing inwards, which was considered a rude gesture. This is an example of cultural differences causing problems at the level of:

A) thinking processes.
B) values.
C) language.
D) nonverbal behaviors.
E) decision-making processes.

Question 24

In high-context cultures, where personal relationships are crucial, high-level business executives must stay in touch with their foreign counterparts.

Question 25

Which of the following is the reason for side conversations among foreign negotiators in their native languages?

A) Stalling the negotiations.
B) Sorting out a translation problem.
C) Diversionary tactics.
D) Sharing secrets.
E) A gesture of disapproval.

Question 26

In the context of the effect of values on international business negotiations, the Japanese tend to emphasize hierarchical relationships that leads to hampered internal communications.

Question 27

Due to the great differences in the roles of women across cultures, gender should be used as a selection criterion for international negotiation teams.

Question 28

Labeling Americans "cowboys" and associating the Japanese with the image of a samurai warrior are examples of:

A) national symbols.
B) linguistic identifiers.
C) social hierarchy.
D) racial discrimination.
E) cultural stereotypes.

Question 29

In the context of preparation for international negotiations, a thorough preliminary research eliminates the need for negotiators to make a list of key facts to reconfirm at the negotiation table.

Question 30

Which of the following images is a cultural stereotype attributed to American negotiators by foreign business negotiators?

A) The cowboy.
B) The suave, smooth-talker.
C) The pretentious connoisseur.
D) The "stiff upper lip".
E) The unpunctual, bungling fool.

Question 31

In the context of international business negotiations, bargaining skill is at the top of almost everyone's list of negotiator traits.

Question 32

In the context of international business negotiations, when faced with a complex negotiation task, most Asians divide the large task up into a series of smaller tasks.

Question 33

In China, even the largest business contracts between companies are often sent through the mail for signature.

Question 34

The first stage of the business negotiation process is nontask sounding, which includes all those activities that might be described as establishing rapport or getting to know one another.

Question 35

Which of the following groups of negotiators are considered to be the most reticent about giving information about themselves?

A) Israelis
B) Canadians
C) Germans
D) Americans
E) Chinese

Question 36

In the context of the effect of values on international business negotiations, American buyers achieve better results than Japanese buyers.

Question 37

The single most important activity of international business negotiations is oration.

Question 38

Which of the following is an important lesson with respect to negotiation?

A) Regional generalizations very often are not correct.
B) The Japanese tend to be in the middle of the scale on almost every dimension of negotiation style.
C) National stereotypes tend to closely reflect the reality, more often than not.
D) On almost every dimension of negotiation style considered, the Americans are on or near the end of the scale.
E) Asian negotiation styles tend to be collectively similar across all dimensions.

Question 39

Which of the following is considered to be the most common complaint heard from American managers in terms of the negotiation behavior of foreign clients?

A) The insistence on exchanging business cards to establish the rank of the negotiators.
B) The overt emphasis laid on punctuality and the tendency to waste time.
C) The lack of feedback, positive as well as negative, regarding the negotiations.
D) Foreign clients and partners breaking into side conversations in their native languages.
E) Frequent instances of facial gazing and touching that distract their counterparts.

Question 40

Which of the following statements regarding national stereotypes is true?

A) Americans are the best negotiators because they will spend days trying to get to know their opponents.
B) The image of the cowboy used as a cultural stereotype reflects the organizational loyalty of the Americans.
C) Negotiations are conducted between people rather than national stereotypes.
D) The Japanese are the worst negotiators because they think everything works in foreign countries as it does in Japan.
E) The fierce, samurai-warrior stereotyped image of the Japanese embodies their brand of competitiveness.

Question 41

Which of the following factors forms the basis of commercial interactions in countries such as China, Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines?

A) Equality.
B) Focus on bottom line.
C) International cooperation.
D) Corporate social responsibility.
E) Long-term reciprocity.

Question 42

Which of the following groups of negotiators was found to have the most aggressive negotiation style?

A) The Spaniards
B) The Israelis
C) The Americans
D) The Koreans
E) The French

Question 43

Which of the following is a factor responsible for global business successes?

A) Standardization of negotiation procedures.
B) Emergence of the English language as the chief medium of negotiations.
C) Increased homogenization of cultures across the world.
D) Large numbers of skillful international negotiators.
E) Standardized use of technology in all areas related to business negotiations.

Question 44

In Japanese business organizations, subordinates do not pass along bad news to their superiors. This lack of internal communications can be attributed to:

A) the inherently shy nature of the Japanese.
B) the Japanese emphasis on hierarchical relationships.
C) the practice of omerta or solemn oath-taking.
D) the insistence on solving problems at the point of origin and not escalating them.
E) Guanxi, the Japanese practice of personal connections.

Question 45

Which of the following statements reflects the decision-making style of the Americans in business negotiations?

A) A business meeting is an opportunity to develop a business relationship with the goal of long-term mutual benefit.
B) The economic issues are the context, not the content, of the business negotiation talks.
C) A business negotiation is a problem-solving activity, the best deal for both parties being the solution.
D) Business issues are akin to the journey, and resolving them is reaching the destination, with the journey being more important than the destination.
E) Interpersonal and inter-organizational bonds take precedence over the bottom-line in business negotiations.

Question 46

Which of the following statements is true about the negotiation behavior of Korean negotiators?

A) They use more silent periods than any other group.
B) They ask the greatest number of questions.
C) They are most reticent about disclosing information.
D) They use the word no and interrupt more frequently than the Japanese.
E) They use the lowest percentage of aggressive persuasive tactics.

Question 47

Which of the following behaviors of the Spaniards reinforces the view that Spanish negotiators use a high percentage of commands?

A) Extensive use of silent periods.
B) Highest incidence of touching another negotiator.
C) Greeting callers on the phone with "diga" (speak).
D) Shunning eye contact with others.
E) Wishing others with a "hola" or "bueno".

Question 48

Phil, a buyer for a chain of departmental stores in the U.S., and his team are engaged in negotiations with a Brazilian supplier. Which of the following signals would indicate that Phil's team has been making progress in the negotiations with the Brazilians?

A) Lowered bargaining by the Brazilians.
B) Sending executives of lower rank to continue the discussions.
C) A noticeable decrease in instances of private conversations among the Brazilians.
D) Questions that focus on the more general areas of the deal.
E) A softening of attitudes and positions on some of the issues.

Question 49

The negotiation style of the Russians is found to be the quite similar in many respects to that of the:

A) Germans.
B) Japanese.
C) British.
D) Koreans.
E) Israelis.

Question 50

Which nonverbal behavior of Israeli negotiators is most likely to be blamed for American negotiators using the "pushy" stereotype to describe their Israeli counterparts?

A) They interrupt one another more frequently than any other group.
B) They use the lowest percentage of self-disclosures.
C) They use the highest percentages of promises and recommendations.
D) They use the second-highest percentages of threats and warnings.
E) They use a higher percentage of commands than any other group.

Question 51

Which of the following is the first step towards initiating efficient and effective international business negotiations?

A) Management of preliminaries such as training and location of talks.
B) Preparation and manipulation of negotiation settings.
C) Selecting an appropriate negotiation team.
D) Managing the process of negotiations.
E) Appropriate follow-up procedures and practices.

Question 52

Which of the following can be considered by American negotiators as a signal of progress in a business relationship with foreigners?

A) Very few questions on specific areas of the deal.
B) A hardening of attitudes and positions on some issues.
C) A lesser frequency of talk among themselves in their own language.
D) Higher-level foreigners being included in the discussions.
E) Use of the higher-level and formal channels of communication.

Question 53

Which of the following is true of the decision-making process with respect to the American and Japanese negotiators?

A) The Western sequential approach and the Eastern holistic approach are found to mix well.
B) Americans often make unnecessary concessions right before agreements are announced by the Japanese.
C) All issues are discussed at once by the Americans, in no apparent order, and concessions are made on all issues at the end of the discussion.
D) American managers find it easier to measure the progress of negotiations with their Japanese counterparts.
E) When negotiating with the Japanese, Americans find that the progress of negotiations is closely linked to the number of issues resolved.

Question 54

Which of the following approaches is adopted by Westerners when faced with a complex negotiation task?

A) Dividing the large task into a series of smaller tasks.
B) Consulting external experts for their assessment of the task.
C) Discussing all issues at once, in no apparent order.
D) Making larger than normal concessions in a bid to push the deal through.
E) Buying time by tackling peripheral issues first, and then tackling the main task.

Question 55

Which of the following countries are considered to be the least aggressive with respect to negotiation behavior?

A) France
B) Germany
C) China
D) Taiwan
E) Japan

Question 56

Which of the following statements reflects the American notions of the importance of objectivity?

A) American business is the hotbed of nepotism.
B) Americans do not play favorites.
C) In business, people matter more than economics and performance.
D) Americans have little regard for decisions based upon the bottom line.
E) American business is heavily skewed against meritocracy.

Question 57

Even though American sellers make lower profits than the Japanese, many American managers apparently prefer lower profits if those profits are yielded from a more equal split of the joint profits. This demonstrates that Americans and Japanese have different views about _____.

A) favoritism
B) competitiveness
C) individualism
D) fairness
E) nepotism

Question 58

Which negotiation tactic, according to foreign negotiators, is most useful when dealing with Americans?

A) Offering cutbacks on deals.
B) Including higher-level executives in talks.
C) Providing lots of self-disclosures.
D) High first-offers, followed immediately with deeply discounted second-offers.
E) Taking time over the negotiations.

Question 59

Which of the following statements about American and Japanese buyer-seller relationships is true? Feedback:

A) American sellers tend to treat American buyers more as equals.
B) Japanese ideals dictate that buyers give complete deference to the wishes and needs of sellers.
C) American buyers will generally "take care of" American sellers or Japanese sellers more than any others do.
D) Most Americans will, by nature, treat Japanese buyers less frequently as equals.
E) Americans score the lowest among all the cultural groups on the individualism scale.

Question 60

Which of the following statements is true regarding the decision-making processes in international business negotiations?

A) Asian negotiators prefer to break up a complex, large task into a series of smaller tasks.
B) The American approach to a complex negotiation task is to discuss all issues at once, in no apparent order.
C) American negotiators tend to make larger concessions after agreements are announced.
D) Americans tackle issues such as prices, delivery, and warranty one at a time, with the final agreement being the sum of smaller agreements.
E) The Western sequential approach and the Eastern holistic approach to decision-making are found to complement each other.

Question 61

Which of the following traits is important for marketing executives involved in international negotiations?

A) Optimism
B) Altruism
C) Hypersensitivity
D) Cultural apathy
E) Excessive aggression

Question 62

Which of the following statements on the roles of men and women in international business negotiations is true?

A) In general, women are more comfortable speaking up in a meeting to maintain intimacy with their foreign counterparts.
B) Men are more comfortable talking one-on-one than women, owing to the social stigma associated with such practices.
C) The negotiation style of American women is a lot closer to that of the Japanese than that of American men.
D) In countries where women do not participate in management, American female negotiators are first treated as incompetent.
E) It is not particularly important for female executives to establish personal rapport at restaurants and other informal settings.

Question 63

In studies conducted at Ford Motor Company and AT&T, some traits were found to be important predictors of negotiator success with international clients and partners. Which of the following was one of these traits?

A) Ability to function without team assistance.
B) Influence at headquarters.
C) Appreciation of external factors in negotiations.
D) Ability to command attention from an audience.
E) Willingness to take copious notes during negotiations.

Question 64

In the context of international business negotiations, even small companies can possess great power in negotiations if they have:

A) influence at headquarters.
B) a larger negotiating team.
C) less to lose and more to gain from the deal.
D) many good alternatives and their larger counterparts do not.
E) the advantage of location and time limits.

Question 65

In the context of international business negotiations, the notion of _____ relates to how power in negotiations is best measured.

A) what you negotiate is what you get
B) what you negotiate is what you get
C) the best alternative to a negotiated agreement
D) the failure to listen during negotiations
E) a standard for business negotiations

Question 66

An international business negotiator's primary job is collecting information with the goal of enhancing creativity. Which of the following steps may be taken during a meeting to ensure that the negotiator is able to do his job well?

A) Appointing different members of the team to provide self-disclosures and appropriate replies to queries.
B) Bringing along junior executives for the purpose of training through observation and participation.
C) Providing additional information to the other party when all the members fall silent during the meeting.
D) Assigning one team member the sole responsibility of taking careful notes and not worrying about speaking.
E) Including higher-rank executives and using informal channels of communication.

Question 67

In the context of international business negotiations, which of the following skills tops the list of negotiator traits?

A) Preparation and planning skills.
B) Observational and oratory skills.
C) Linguistic and social skills.
D) Persuasion and intellectual skills.
E) Informational and interpretation skills.

Question 68

The single most important activity of international business negotiations is _____.

A) oration
B) listening
C) presentation
D) etiquette
E) self-disclosure

Question 69

Which of the following actions must be taken by a negotiator before international negotiations begin?

A) Asking questions on specific areas of the deal.
B) Planning of concession strategies.
C) Making concessions before reaching an agreement.
D) Rushing the foreign negotiator to come to a decision.
E) Rely only on information obtained from external sources.

Question 70

In the context of international business negotiations, even in countries where women do not participate in management, American female negotiators are first treated as _____.

A) distractions
B) ignorant people
C) incompetent people
D) foreigners
E) inexperienced people

Question 71

In the context of international negotiations, which of the following is found to be lacking in the curriculum of most schools of diplomacy?

A) Language skills.
B) Diplomatic history and international relations.
C) Foreign policies.
D) Social and diplomatic skills.
E) Cultural differences in communication styles.

Question 72

In the context of international business negotiations, which of the following methods is the most efficient way to communicate with clients and partners in places like Mexico, Malaysia, and China?

A) Conversations over long dinners.
B) Negotiations through video-conferencing.
C) Conversations over the telephone.
D) Negotiations through electronic mail.
E) Negotiations between lower- to mid-ranking executives.

Question 73

Which of the following aspects of international business negotiations is considered to be the most difficult?

A) Agreeing on the number of participants in the negotiation.
B) Finding the best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
C) Actual conduct of the face-to-face meeting.
D) Deciding on the location and physical arrangements.
E) Selection of the appropriate negotiation team.

Question 74

Why it is important to bring along a senior executive to an international business negotiation?

A) Influence at headquarters is crucial to success.
B) The flexible position of the organization is indicated.
C) The specific technical details of the deal can be discussed.
D) Information can be collected with the goal of enhancing creativity.
E) A larger number of nodding heads can exercise greater influence.

Question 75

In relationship-oriented cultures, ____ speaks quite loudly in both persuasion and the demonstration of interest in the business relationship.

A) the bottom line
B) profit
C) team strength
D) secrecy
E) rank

Question 76

Americans often make the mistake of going it alone against a greater number of foreigners in business negotiations. Which of the following factors can this behavior be attributed to?

A) Collectivism
B) Chivalry
C) Information-orientation
D) Pragmatism
E) Independence

Question 77

Which of the following aspects of the negotiation setting is an important consideration as it may eventually determine legal jurisdiction if disputes arise?

A) Time limits
B) Communications channels
C) Number of participants
D) Physical arrangements
E) Location

Question 78

Which of the following factors often gets in the way of American team negotiations?

A) A cultural heritage of interdependence and collectivism.
B) Emphasis on careful note taking and training via observation.
C) Compensation schemes overly emphasizing individual performance.
D) Preference for split commissions for negotiation teams.
E) A strictly hierarchical structure of American organizations.

Question 79

Which of the following statements regarding the physical arrangements of an international negotiation setting is true?

A) Russians prefer to talk to everyone separately, and once everyone agrees, to schedule inclusive meetings.
B) Japanese tend toward a cumulative approach, meeting with one party and reaching an agreement, then both parties calling on a third party.
C) The social reality is that a superlative argument can exercise greater influence than even a larger number of nodding heads.
D) Americans tend to want to get everyone together to "hammer out an agreement" even if opinions and positions are divergent.
E) Japanese tend to shun the practice of higher level executives being included in negotiation to indicate interest in the deal.

Question 80

_____ should not be used as a selection criterion for international negotiation teams.

A) Stamina
B) Maturity
C) Flexibility
D) Flexibility
E) Gender