Unit Seven Essay
Jason A. Parks
MT 302 Organizational Behavior
Professor: Janice Baldon-Gutter
October 10, 2011

Executive Summary In this project we, the student, get the chance to take an in-depth look into negotiation skills and norms of those in various cultures. The assignment itself asks us to take on the role of a negotiator in United States norms and styles and analyze how we would interpret these other cultures and respond taking their styles and norms into consideration and working on a business type negotiation with them. (Robins & Judge, 2011) As a business student it is very important to become knowledgeable and aware of other’s cultural norms and business styles, in the event that we will be interacting with them in future business situations. Upon first glance it is apparently obvious that the United States and Brazil are quite similar in norms, practices, and styles. It is also obviously notable that the East Asian and (Japanese and Korean) are almost a complete one eighty of the first two described cultures. (Beyond Intractability, 2003) To go into elaboration, let us take a look at the female role in both the western and eastern cultures. In the western cultures it began quite different for woman in the workplace, but it has become equal in power and how women and men interact in the workplace in aspects such as; negotiations, space orientations, as well as authoritative roles. In the Eastern culture it is quite different. Women and men are not perceived as equal. It is actually quite rare to see a woman in a power role in these cultures. (Beyond Intractability, 2003) Space orientation is one that, in my opinion, needs to be noted and made aware of by business people who do deal with other cultures in their business travels. In the United States, we

are very aware of one’s space and have unwritten guidelines on how we meet and