This research on negotiation style and Mexican culture has been carried out in Mexico by Global Azez and directed by Dr. Habib Chamoun and Ing. José Manuel Aguirre through surveys of groups of professionals and people involved in negotiation activities., based on the model proposed by Dr. Salacuse, from Harvard University.
The results presented in this article are preliminary and are not statistically rigorous, so no rules or stereotypes should be inferred. Later, exhaustive results and conclusions will be presented.
All people have a style of negotiation. This style is the result of her childhood, the family environment, her profession, the business culture, among other things, and the other life experiences of the person.
Certain factors that may affect negotiating skills and style are manifested on several occasions by the conditions in which goods and benefits have been obtained in life. Some people are embarrassed to ask for something because they have regularly had everything, in others, the ego prevents them from giving in or accepting agreements.
If we also look at the environment, with stories of abuse of power and cases of the strongest winning over others, not for being a better negotiator, but perhaps for having privileged information, among other things, we will be able to understand more clearly the trends negotiation that we will see later.
In the past 10 years, negotiation as a methodological practice has obtained more attention, because the projects involved are more complex, the players are global and multiple, the competition is greater and the client is more informed.
We have gone from tactics and tricks to methods of negotiation and decision making, game theory, analysis of alternatives, and even the concepts of negotiating principles, where both win and not only the money is at stake but honesty and ethics of the parts. In the present, understanding of other cultures, tactics and negotiation processes is required to obtain better benefits for both parties. The individual with bargaining power is the one who knows and practices with values and ethics, the art and science of negotiation, because negotiations are no longer in the short term: it is the long-term and repetitive clients that count.
It is as fundamental to understand how other cultures negotiate in order to be successful in global negotiations, as it is to know the style of Mexicans in particular.
Below are some results of a research carried out in Mexico by Global Azez about the 10 factors that affect culture and negotiation style applying the intercultural negotiation analysis scheme of Dr. Jeswald Salacuse from Harvard University.
The Ten Factors Affecting Dr. Jeswald Salacuse's Trading Style (Salaculse, Jeswald. "Making Global Deals". New York, NY Times Business, 1992. Dr. Chamoun is the author of the book Business Development, 2nd Edition.)
Dr. Salacuse defines ten factors that affect the negotiation processes:
1. Negotiation goal (Contract or relationship?)
Are you negotiating specifically to get a contract, or are you negotiating to develop a long-term relationship?
2. Attitude towards trading (Win-Lose or Win-Win?)
In the win-win attitude, both parties seek to associate the goals or negotiate until a mutual or comprehensive benefit is achieved. In the other option, one of the parties must yield significant aspects to achieve the deal.
3. Personal Style (Informal or Formal?)
A formal negotiator tries to address participants by their titles and avoid very familiar or personal deals. The informal negotiator seeks a friendlier and more personal relationship, trying to create a casual and comfortable environment for negotiation.
4. Communication (Direct or Indirect?)
Direct communication refers to one that uses direct, simple and forceful phrases to define situations. Indirect communication assumes that the other party has a significantly high level of education and / or understanding, thus preferring to use detours or "between the lines" or innuendoes to express an opinion or decision.
5. Time sensitivity (High or Low?)
A high sensitivity for the value of time reflects a strong attachment to punctuality and formality in commitments for decision-making and compliance. The low sensitivity indicates more flexibility in changes of important dates and less punctuality for appointments, etc.
6. Importance of emotions (High or Low?)
Negotiators can show or hide their emotions. Some negotiators try to hide any feelings, while others do not hesitate to demonstrate their responses or decisions emotionally.
7. Format of agreements (Specific or General?)
A specific format refers to the detailed wording of all aspects related to the deal. General contracts do not cover all points and are intentionally left open to continue the relationship.
8. Development of agreements (Down-Up or Up-Down?)
There are styles that prefer to start the negotiation in general terms, and along the way, attack specific points, this is a "top-down" style. Others prefer first to define all the specific points of the deal and leave the general context to the end; this is the bottom-up style.
9. Team organization (A leader or Consensus?)
In some cultures, group decisions are made by an absolute leader, in a more autocratic way. In others, there is a tendency to find team solutions and conclusions.
10. Ability to take risks (High or Low?)
Negotiators with high risk-taking capacity conduct business with a higher degree of uncertainty. On the other hand, those with a low risk capacity expect to know all the details and avoid any complications that may arise before closing any deal.
