Asians Use Their Brains Differently
Mar 19, 08 Posted in AsiaAccording to an article on SpectroscopyNOW.com, an interdisciplinary research team found that when having to solve easy or more complex tasks, the brains of Asian and American individuals consistently show different patterns of brain activity. This aligns well with Richard E. Nesbitt’s observations in his book “The Geography of Thought - How Asians and Westerners Think Differently,” which I highly recommend. Both independently indicate that Asians focus much more on context and holistic thinking when interacting with others and making decisions. What does this have to do with negotiating?
I think a lot. It is easy to see a connection between these research results and the approaches to negotiation that are common in countries such as China or Korea. While Americans (and many other Westerners) prefer a categorized approach (”Let’s talk about delivery first, next about return rights, then about unit pricing”), East Asian negotiators commonly look at the whole deal and frequently switch subjects during the bargaining exchange, which their counterparts often find confusing and annoying. Many of us may have had this experience of dealing with “chaotic” Chinese negotiators.
In my experience, it is vital to come prepared for this difference and adjust your negotiation strategy accordingly. The tit-for-tat approach often taught in western books is not very effective when dealing with a Chinese. You’ll be better off if you lay out the whole deal in front of you, create a number of alternative concession options, keep good notes on what you and your Asian counterpart agreed to or didn’t agree to, and remain flexible enough throughout the exchange, focus on the overall value of the deal to you rather than any particular aspect of it.
8 Responses to “Asians Use Their Brains Differently”
By john on May 2, 08
In our early research at Toyota we could readily observe such differences. We have American teams of executives and Japanese teams of executives the same decision-making materials. The Americans sat at a table, face-to-face, and went throught the data page-by-page. The Japanese took the report apart and posted the data on a large whiteboard, all three faced the data and discussed the information pointing to details at the beginning, middle, end and then the beginning again. The interpersonal processes varied in these very visible ways even on this simple task.
By Rafael Barajas on May 12, 08
Being highly socially intertwined cultures, Asians tend to be much more communal and think in wholes. Which leads to believe that they as apply this logic when negotiating. They will look at a deal and see how a deal fits in with the overall good of the company, and how that is sustainable for the profit of the company and its partners. Where Americans’ individualistic nature tends to focus more on the specific success of certain people. This leads to the focus on how the success of one part of a project will ultimately lead to the success of the greater good, just by focusing on a specific segment. When negotiating with an Asian customer it will be wise to not just focus on the effectiveness of the single proposition, but how this proposition will in fact fit into the overall strategic plans of the company and its sustainability.
By Lothar on May 12, 08
On the “When negotiating with an Asian customer …” part, I agree to the most part but would caution you not to think of all Asians being the same. You may currently find far more near-term oriented and less holistic approaches in places like Kazakhstan or Lebanon, both of which are also in Asia.
By Colleen on May 14, 08
While different regions of Asia have been referenced the core idea that is subtly mentioned is that while geographic proximity is important and can determine how people think and interact, the core details of importance are really the principles that people value. These values shape how thought processes occur and how problems are solved. While the tips above for negotiating in these “chaotic environments” are great and necessary especially for Americans, I think the situation provides an example and an opportunity. More Americans especially those conducting international work, go into negotiations and business thinking that their way is the only, or the best. These situations provide support for why more companies should prepare their employees who do international business with resources, classes, and the ability to learn besides in the actual negotiations. It reinforces the importance for upfront training and teaching their employees to think in new ways. The cost benefits are realized to both the employee and the company. It makes the employee a more valuable worker and both capitalizes on opportunity and minimizes risk.
By Robert Chiang on May 15, 08
The reason people may find negotiations with the Chinese being “chaotic” is because of culture differences. Various regions around the world, people are exposed to different environments and educated differently. For example, people from the States may find it hard to set up meetings with Mexicans, because if you made an appointment at 1pm, they may not show up until a half an hour later. I have worked with Chinese people before in my previous job and they are very detailed oriented and concerned about prices. People just need to be more worldly and open minded and understand how different cultures operate. Once they overcome that aspect, they can have an easier job negotiating.
By Dan on May 15, 08
In dealing and negotiating with Asian culture, specifically the more Eastern regions, many of the value structures are different than the values of Americans and must be taken into consideration when negotiating or conducting business. The origins of Eastern and Western thinking, combined with the different environments in which surrounds each, help create a different belief system. While it is common for Americans to be more individualistic, are motivated by achievement and status, and are object oriented. Whereas, in Asian cultures, businesses tend to value collectivism, are not necessarily motivated by achievement for individual purposes, and may focus more on the context of business and negotiations. It is important to take these cultural aspects into consideration, as they affect the uncontrollable forces that impact international business, and put it into context with the environment that business is conducted in order to mitigate risk and maximize control in a world that is continuously changing.
By Yanumar Noer on May 15, 08
Asian business people is doing business very differently from the westerns. In indonesia, The government regulation in business is not yet established very well. There are alot of ethical issues going on. In indonesia, there is no The right way of success. Business COntracts sometimes does not mean anything. You have to be very detail and careful in establish the business. The way of thinking indonesian people are, if it is illegal, you can make it legal, and if it complex, you can make it simple. That is why many western people cannot succed in my country because they just cannot adapt to the indonesian business environment. The tricky part in indonesia is when you are dealing with the government people. In order to win a project with the government, sometimes bribing is the only way to win the case. There are alot of law regulations that need to be established so there is a clear line in what is right and what is wrong. However, once you can deal with the government, the river of cash flow will be there for the business people. Hopefully in the future years, we will have a better regulation so everybody can do well in the business and our country economy can go up.
By Thania Trujillo on May 16, 08
The differences can also be seen in their buying behavior, which can be related to negotiating. We have to consider that Asians are the fastest growing population group. They are most affluent and best educated. They are frequent buyers and are brand loyal. They are also more concerned with keeping up appearances. All of these features affect their negation skills. These features can be seen as a result of their culture. We can’t forget about the cultural differences present: language, power distance, low vs. high context and tight vs. loose culture.