《111-1 Course Speech》: International Business Negotiation Strategies: Guest lecture by Professor Thiombiano Dramane Germain
/On Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, Professor David Andersson, the instructor of the GHRM course entitled Cross Cultural Management, hosted Professor Thiombiano Dramane Germain from International Master Program in Asia-Pacific Affairs (IMAPA) to talk about International Business Negotiation Strategies. Professor Germain from Burkina Faso in West Africa received his master’s degree in International Business MBA Program (IBMBA) in 2010 and his Ph.D. degree in the Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies in 2019 from the National Sun Yat-sen University.
The lecture started with the topic “Intercultural communication”, Professor Germain mentioned that based on different cultures, people happen to have different languages, gestures, habits, and negotiation styles. When it comes to communication between different cultures, being sensitive to the local “culture” is a critical factor for any organization to succeed, particularly international businesses. What works in your country might not work well in another, and could even be interpreted as an insult. For example, The OK sign is not OK, in Brazil, it is equivalent to the middle finger.
Professor Germain then continued to mention that when communicating across cultures, there are some criteria:
The difficulties of language: When speaking, try to ensure that you use plain, straightforward language that communicates your point directly.
Physical cues: In the US, UK, and much of Europe, eye contact is a sign of strength and confidence. In places like South America, it’s a sign of trustworthiness. In Japan, however, prolonged eye contact can be deemed impolite.
Punctuality: Westerners tend to hold time in high regard. “Time is money” is a famous phrase that sums up the level of priority time received in US or German culture. As a result, punctuality is important. However, time in Latin countries, such as Portugal, is viewed as more relaxed.
Different negotiating methods: Every culture has a different way of viewing the world and therefore a different way of negotiating. There are some cultures that like to have a team of negotiators rather than just a single negotiator. Other cultures want to create friendly relationships. That is to say, they may want to know the person with whom they’re doing business. Others care little about the people and just want the contract signed or the price agreed upon. There are cultures that like to stay silent and others that have a penchant for storming out of negotiations. Some cultures see the negotiation as a battle that must be won; others want a win-win outcome.
In the end, professor Germain demonstrated the role of culture in doing business in Africa. He mentioned that social and business cultures are influenced by past colonial history, with the African identity playing in the background. As a result, doing business among the same ethnic African groups is prevalent with the propensity to ‘network,’ much before the word came to be used as a verb.
In the social culture part, professor Germain mentioned that there are three distinct components of the people inhabiting present-day Africa: (1) traditional Africans who are yet little affected by modernization (thereby socializing among the same ethnic people), (2) transitional Africans, (3) modern Africans (foreign-educated, well-traveled and socializing using modern tools). Hence, the social and cultural set up in Africa is quite diverse and varied and not static and has been impacted by both internal and external forces.
Talking about the business culture, professor Germain mentioned that conducting business in Africa requires social and cultural awareness and effective cross-cultural communication skills. While in some cultures people focus on producing quick and tangible results in their work; the experience in Africa, on the other hand, differs. The pace of doing things is slower and the outlook is often long-term.
Last but not least, building relationships in Africa most of the time is difficult to see the dividing line that determines where socializing ends and where business begins. Sometimes it takes a backyard barbeque or a couple of visits to the village for a meal or getting acquainted before you are offered any water or tea or even start discussing business.
The guest lecture demonstrated that quality trumps quantity. A smaller class size allows for more discussion time for each student. It also allows for the Q&A section to be integrated into the lecture. The students seemed eager to discuss their ideas with Professor Germain. Afterward, we all took a group picture so as to remember this unique occasion. We hope that there will be many similar occasions in the future.
