Japanese Negotiator: Sublety and Strategy Beyond Western Logic [Paperback]

Robert M. March (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1991

This text explains negotiating tactics among the Japanese and provides case studies and practical advice that aims to give the Western executive the edge.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... A book, which, like Bibles in the West, should be put in every Japanese hotel room." -- Australian Business

"An indispensable guide to the ins and outs of Japanese commerce." -- Savvy Magazine

"Robert March shows a profound grasp of Japanese culture and Japanese business psychology in his new book." -- George Fields, author of From Bonsai to Levis

"The most valuable aspect of March's book is his case studies of negotiations." -- London Times

From the Publisher

ON-LINE INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

Could you tell us a little about your background?

"After a career in business, I became an academic in Australia in 1967. The research for my Ph.D. in marketing took me to Japan in 1970, when I came across my friend and former client in Australia, George Fields, who invited me to work during academic recesses for his research company in Tokyo. In 1973, I accepted an invitation as visiting professor at the Institute of International Studies and Training (IIST) in Shizuoka Prefecture, working there, and at Sophia University, until 1981. I then took up a full-time, tenured position as professor of international business at Aoyama Gakuin University until 1988, when I returned to Australia."

What motivated you to write this book? / What got you started?

"I remember Robert Ballon asking me in 1974 what I intended to study in Japan. I said, 'How the Japanese negotiate.' He applauded my decision. From that point on, I devoted myself to studying negotiation academically and in real life in Japan, taught graduate and undergraduate courses on 'International Negotiation,' and led seminars for business people on 'International Negotiation.' I set my students projects studying how foreign and Japanese companies negotiated, and started to do some consulting for foreign companies. The PHP magazine, Intersect, asked me to write a monthly article on negotiation (which ran for 30 months), and an editor at KI read some of my articles and approached me to turn them into a book."

Could you tell us a little about the contents of the book?

"The book is full of case studies, and most reviewers and readers say they are the merit of the book. They are richly documented, and always arouse the interest of students, even today, because they do not date."

What do you see as the centerpiece of the book? Why is the book important?

"The case studies make the book important. It has been on the market since 1988, but is still being reprinted. It is used as a textbook in several universities in Australia, Denmark, and other countries. Many businesspeople dealing with the Japanese tell me that, every time they go to Japan on business, they re-read The Japanese Negotiator on the plane, to refresh themselves again for the very different experience that negotiating with the Japanese presents."

What did you yourself learn from writing the book?

"Readers like stories, not analytical or academic discussions."

What would you like readers to take away with them after reading this book?

"Negotiating with the Japanese is a dramatic and challenging event in their lives. It has to be planned, prepared for, and their role is very much a dramatic one."

What people or books were influential in the writing of your book?

"No one. Its origin lies in the series of articles I wrote."

What are your plans for the future, in terms of new books or other projects?

"I have written other books since then, but the manuscript I am currently preparing, tentatively called Managing Business Relationships with Japan and China, is like an updated version of The Japanese Negotiator. Today, international negotiations by the Japanese are less and less "one-off" events between parties with no other connections, more and more events between parties who have long-standing relationships with one another. Parties in negotiations are much more closely interconnected, are often members of the same 'networks,' which often extend across national boundaries. Western managers are more often dealing with a number of countries in East Asia, and recognize the need to understand the business cultures of a number of the countries, as well as of the cultures of the corporations they deal with."

Is there anything else the reader should know?

"Please visit my website."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN) (May 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770014627
• ISBN-13: 978-4770014627
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,281,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars practical, August 5, 2010

By 

SDB (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Negotiator: Sublety and Strategy Beyond Western Logic (Paperback)

Practical advice for a gaijin such as myself. While this book does not make one an expert on business in Japan, it does help as a nice introduction.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Arigato go zaimas, October 13, 2000

By 

Oon Soon Teik (Penang MALAYSIA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Negotiator: Sublety and Strategy Beyond Western Logic (Paperback)

I personally know Dr Bob March and he has many many "Japanese" experience to share.