Hugh E. Kramer

Cross‐cultural Negotiations: Success through Understanding

The art of negotiation has been explored in a number of bestsellers over the last decade. With the advent of a truly global economy, international and cross‐cultural relationships are forming out of necessity. The potential for error when talking between cultures is considerable and many negotiations have failed owing to cross‐cultural communications breakdown. Pointers are presented of the pitfalls to watch out for when undergoing cross‐cultural negotiations and how to avoid them so as successfully to complete agreements with those from other cultural backgrounds.

Innovation Inertia: THE POWER OF THE INSTALLED BASE

Focusses on a seldom‐studied barrier to the adoption of innovation, namely, the installed base of the technology or the product being supplanted. Examines three dimensions of this “installed base effect”, namely, supply, demand, and externalities. Describes the magnitude of these barriers and makes recommendations for overcoming them.

The Role of Cross‐cultural Negotiations in International Marketing

Examines the relationship and importance of cross‐cultural negotiations to successful international marketing activities. Provides examples of differing cross‐cultural behaviour, and its potential impact on multinational (multi‐cultural) negotiations and hence on international marketing success or failure.

Low Tech Innovation: Resurveying the Basic Meaning of Innovation

Most studies of innovation have a biased high tech slant to them. For an innovation to be considered of major importance it must ordinarily be a high tech innovation which advances the knowledge of society. But innovation is not the exclusive domain of the Western or industrialized world. So‐called primitive societies have succeeded in innovations which in some cases the West has yet to duplicate. Examines the definition of innovation, presents examples of low tech innovations by “primitive” societies and provides several recommendations.

Doing Business in Germany and Australia: An Etic‐Emic Study of Contrasts

Suggests that important aspect of doing business in a foreign country is familiarity with its culture which preconditions its people to perceive, think, feel and act according to the norms of their culture. The norms and values of two different cultures frequently clash with each other, yet are crucial for the marketing and operational success of a foreign company. Discusses the German and Australian cultures and their implication for business decisions from an outside viewpoint.

Measuring intracultural bimodality and cross-cultural diversity in American-Japanese business negotiations

One of the greatest challenges facing managers and administrators in an international environment is effectively communicating and negotiating with their foreign counterparts. Yet a large portion of their time is spent in these most critical activities. Much has been written about the differences in the perception, motivation and behaviour of people from different cultures, in particular about the American and Japanese interface. However, very little scientific confirmation and measurements exist. In this empirical study the nature and intensity of cross-cultural similarities and dissimilarities were tested and measured with selected statements on a Likert-type scale for a sample of 41 American and 29 Japanese practising managers, pointing to weak intracultural bimodality, but strong cross-cultural contrasts.

Germany and the Pacific Islands: A Cross‐cultural Marketing Study

Since the nature of marketing is meeting the needs and wants of one′s customers and those needs and wants are culturally based, it is of especial importance for the marketeer to understand another culture and the differences inherent before he attempts to market goods or services to a foreign county. Culture preconditions a people to perceive, think, feel and act in the norms of their own culture. Norms and values between two cultures frequently clash. Yet it is the understanding, respect and acceptance of another culture and the ability to put aside one′s own cultural mores which separate the successful international marketeer from all others. Utilizes the experience of the authors and discusses examples of cultural differences between the German and the South Pacific Island cultures, their implications in the marketing and business decision‐making function, and provides recommendations for the conduct of a successful business arrangement between Germans and Pacific Islanders.