Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions:
The increase in international business and in foreign investment has created a need for executives with knowledge of foreign language and skills in cross-cultural communication. Americans, however, have not been well trained in either area and, consequently, have not enjoyed the same level in negotiation in an international arena as have their foreign counterparts.
Negotiating is the process of communicating back and forth for the purpose of reaching an agreement. Involves persuasion and compromise, but in order to participate in either one, the negotiators must understand the ways in which people are persuaded and how compromise is reached within the culture of negotiation.
In many international negotiations business abroad, Americans are perceived as wealthy and impersonal. It often appears to the foreign negotiator that Americans represents a large multimillion–dollar corporation that can afford to pay the price without bargaining further. The American negotiator’s role became that of and impersonal purveyor of information and cash, the image that succeeds only in underming the negotiation.
In studies of American negotiators abroad, several traits have been identified that may serve to confirm that stereotypical perception, while subverting the negotiator’s position. Two traits in particular that cause cross-cultural misunderstanding are directness and impatience on that part of Amarican negotiator. Furthermore, American negotiators often insist on realizing short-term goals. Foreign negotiators, on the other hand, may value the relationship established between negotiators and may be willing to invest time in it for long-term benefits. In order to solidify the relationship, they may opt for indirect interactions without regard for the time involved in getting to know the other negotiator.
Clearly, perceptions and differences in values affect the outcomes of negotiation and the success of negotiators. For Americans to play a more effective role in international business negotiations, they must put forth more effort to improve cross-cultural understanding.
Question: According to the passage, how can the business persons improve their negotiation skills?
