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Negotiating Across Cultures: Communication Obstacles in International Diplomacy

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"Negotiating across cultures: communication obstacles in international diplomacy", written by Raymond Cohen, is an interesting book that explains why culture matters during negotiation talks, and gives several examples that highlight the importance of taking into account the "hidden dimension" of culture.

According to Mr. Cohen, there are two different paradigms of negotiation. The first one is mainly verbal and low-context, has a problem-solving spirit, and pervades individualistic societies (for example, most Western countries). On the other hand, the second paradigm of negotiation is predominantly nonverbal and high-context, is centered around building relationships, and happens to be the norm in collectivistic societies (for examples, non-Western societies). If negotiators from different paradigms engage in talks, problems are likely to arise, unless they are aware of the peculiarities of their interlocutor's culture.

However, the author points out that "If cross-cultural dissonance can harm a relationship, the converse should be equally true: that cross-cultural harmony, based on careful attention to the other side's psychological needs, should prove beneficial". Cohen gives some valuable tips, for example: "Prepare yourself for a negotiation by studying your opponents' culture and history, and not just the issue at hand", or "Do not assume that what you mean by a message -verbal or nonverbal- is what representatives of the other side will understand by it".

On the whole, I can say that I liked "Negotiating across cultures" because it is written in an engaging way and gives practical knowledge that is likely to be useful, due to the fact that it allows us to learn more about the "hidden dimension" that so often puts obstacles in the negotiator's way. Only if we know that those obstacles are there will we be able to build bridges across differences, and eventually reach an agreement.

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