Multi-cultural minds in inter and intra negotiation.

• Main Authors: Hoang, Thuy Phuong Quynh., Liew, Ling Ling., Tiang, Jia Jun.
• Other Authors: Cheng, Catherine Ooi Lan
• Format: Final Year Project
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business::Management::Negotiation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/10409
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Negotiation is commonplace in daily life. However, negotiation is often difficult because even the simplest negotiation is both cognitively and emotionally taxing (Carsten K. W. De Dreu & Van Kleff, 2004). In this age of the global economy, the complexity of negotiation is becoming increasingly important especially in a cross-cultural context. Our research contributions focus, firstly, on cultural priming and its effects on individuals who possess more than one set of cultural values. This is of much relevance in the context of Singapore, a nation known for its multiracial and multiethnic citizens. Using cultural icons as the means for priming, we first carried out a preliminary test on a dozen Singaporeans to ensure the reliability of the icons before the implementation of the actual priming task. A Singapore-context negotiation task- preceded by a pre negotiation and followed by a post negotiation questionnaire, was used to test the possible influences and implications of multi-cultural minds in inter and intra negotiations. How cultural differences can affect both negotiation processes and outcomes form our second main area of interest in this study. Findings concerning joint gains revealed new and interesting directions for further research. However, other results were not conclusive about any distinctive orientations towards specific sets of cultural values and ideals made through priming.