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Dignity, face, and honor cultures: A study of negotiation strategy and outcomes in three cultures
Author(s) -
Aslani Soroush,
RamirezMarin Jimena,
Brett Jeanne,
Yao Jingjing,
SemnaniAzad Zhaleh,
Zhang ZhiXue,
Tinsley Catherine,
Weingart Laurie,
Adair Wendi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of organizational behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.938
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1099-1379
pISSN - 0894-3796
DOI - 10.1002/job.2095
Subject(s) - honor , dignity , negotiation , face (sociological concept) , empirical research , harmony (color) , sociology , social psychology , psychology , political science , law , social science , epistemology , computer science , art , philosophy , visual arts , operating system
Summary This study compares negotiation strategy and outcomes in countries illustrating dignity, face, and honor cultures. Hypotheses predict cultural differences in negotiators' aspirations, use of strategy, and outcomes based on the implications of differences in self‐worth and social structures in dignity, face, and honor cultures. Data were from a face‐to‐face negotiation simulation; participants were intra‐cultural samples from the USA (dignity), China (face), and Qatar (honor). The empirical results provide strong evidence for the predictions concerning the reliance on more competitive negotiation strategies in honor and face cultures relative to dignity cultures in this context of negotiating a new business relationship. The study makes two important theoretical contributions. First, it proposes how and why people in a previously understudied part of the world, that is, the Middle East, use negotiation strategy. Second, it addresses a conundrum in the East Asian literature on negotiation: the theory and research that emphasize the norms of harmony and cooperation in social interaction versus empirical evidence that negotiations in East Asia are highly competitive. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.