Cross-Cultural Interactions

The literature suggests a series of hypotheses to be tested, several of which are conflicting. At the more global level, we find implied in many comparative studies that negotiator behavior will not vary between cross-cultural and intra-cultural situations. Rubin and Brown and Graham and Herberger provide explanations for such obstinacy or the null hypothesis. 

HO   Processes and outcomes in cross-cultural negotiations will be no different from those in intra-cultural negotiations. That is, a person from culture X will negotiate with a person from culture Y in the same way as a person from culture X will negotiate with a person from culture X (i.e., XY = XX). 

Alternatively, the preponderance of research suggests that negotiators adjust behaviors in cross-cultural negotiations, thus leading to variations in processes and outcomes. 

HI     Processes and outcomes in cross-cultural negotiations will be different from those in intra-cultural negotiations (i.e., XY ≠ XX). 

The research regarding negotiator similarity and cross-cultural communication problems suggests behaviors and outcomes will vary across cultural situations in the following manner: 

Hla    Cooperativeness (PSA), interpersonal attraction, satisfaction, and profits will be lower and duration (time) longer in cross-cultural negotiations than in intra-cultural negotiations (i.e., when XY ≠ XX, then XY < XX). 

The literatures on reciprocity and interactional synchrony also suggest that variations in behaviors and outcomes will occur across situations. However, the direction of variation will differ: 

Hlb    When cooperativeness (PSA), interpersonal attraction, time, satisfaction, and profits differ from crossto intra-cultural situations, the cross-cultural behaviors and outcomes will be similar within the dyads (i.e., when XY ≠ XX, then XY = YX). 

The reader will note that hypotheses Hla and Hlb are not mutually exclusive. 

Acculturation theory suggests that Japanese and Francophone negotiators will adapt in cross-cultural settings to a greater degree than their American and Anglophone counterparts. This last "hypothesis" cannot be formally tested using this research design. However, it will be worthwhile to consider the results from this perspective.