Huyền Trang
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Join date : 2014-02-22
Age : 30
 |  Subject: The Swiss Negotiating Culture  Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:26 pm | |
| 1.Attitudes and Styles: To the Swiss, negotiating is usually a jointing problem-solving process. They may focus equally on near-term and long-term benefits. The primary negotiation style is cooperative and monochromic work. The Swiss also prefer to negotiate in a straightforward and honest style Since the Swiss believe in the concept of win-win, they expect you to reciprocate their respect and trust. It is strongly advisable to avoid any open confrontation and to remain calm, friendly, patient, and persistent. 2.Pace of Negotiation: Expect negotiations to be slow. The methodical and carefully planned may approach the Swiss, in particular Swiss Germans easily, use in preparing for the negotiation and gathering information takes considerable time, as does the effort needed to work out details of an agreement. Remain patient, control your emotions, and accept the inevitable delays. They are used to pursuing actions and goals systematically, and they dislike interruptions or digressions. 3.Bargaining: The Swiss are not fond of bargaining and strongly dislike haggling. They are very good at making you believe that ‘you get what you pay for. They rarely use deceptive negotiation techniques. Avoid all aggressive tactics when negotiating with the Swiss. They will not shy away from open confrontation if challenged, but this is almost guaranteed to deteriorate rather than strengthen your bargaining position. Extreme openings are viewed as inappropriate and may upset your Swiss counterparts. It is best to open with an offer that is already in the ballpark of what you really expect. 4.Decision Making: Companies are often very hierarchical, even though they may initially not seem that way, and people expect to work within clearly established lines of authority. Nevertheless, the Swiss decision making process is unusual compared with most other cultures. On one hand, the deeply entrenched hierarchies demand that only senior managers make decisions. Once announced, their decisions are not discussed or questioned. On the other hand, decisions are rarely made without the consensus of the whole group they affect, and everyone involved or affected must agree. 5.Agreements and Contracts: Written contract is extremely important. Capturing and exchanging meeting summaries is standard practice in Switzerland. Contracts are almost always dependable, and the agreed terms are viewed as binding. Requests to change contract details after signature may be considered as bad faith and will meet with strong resistance. |
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