BEWARE OF THE BARGAINING SKILL OF KOREANS! - In Korea You Bargain or You Lose!

SEOUL –Over the decades I have observed a deep-seated tendency for American and other Western businesspeople on their first outings in Asia to be especially careful about inadvertently antagonizing or insulting their Asian counterparts by some kind of cultural slip-up.      Being sensitive to cultural differences is, of course, imperative in successfully establishing and sustaining business and political relationships with Asians [and others!]        But there is invariably a point and a time when being more sensitive than is expected or necessary becomes a major disadvantage to the Western side. When this happens—and it does, regularly—the foreign side loses to some degree.      There is, perhaps, no better example of this syndrome than when Westerners are engaged in negotiating with Koreans…and when continuing to engage in relationships with Koreans after an agreement of whatever kind has been “reached.”     There are two important factors that must be taken into consideration when dealing with Koreans. First, Koreans have a powerful tradition of enuri (eh-nuu-ree) or bargaining. The nature of the traditional culture of Korea made it absolutely essential that individuals become especially skilled at bargaining in virtually every area of their lives.       Relationships between the sexes, between social classes and in business and political situations were [and still are to a considerable degree] strictly structured and enforced, making it vital that individuals learn how to stretch the limitations of their positions as far as possible by their verbal skills.      One aspect of this bargaining factor evolved from the fact that until modern times in Korea the prices of goods were not fixed.   There were no widely established principles for setting the cost of goods or the value of labor. It was a matter of choice and need.    Today [South] Korean department stores, fine boutiques, restaurants and the like have fixed prices, but in the great city markets, enuri (eh-nuu-ree) or haggling, to use a colloquial term, is still practiced with gusto by merchants and shoppers. If you don’t haggle you will get the short end of the stick.      Just important as the haggling skills of Koreans is the fact that they are culturally conditioned to use emotion in their bargaining and negotiations—and they are extremely clever at using emotional tactics to get what they want.      This pertains to all relationships.   If you want to see and hear something startling to Western eyes and ears just be in the near vicinity of a Korean woman when she believes she had been wronged by a man or wants something from a man!      Korean businesspeople, bureaucrats and politicians typically use everything in their emotional arsenal when dealing with foreigners—something that throws typical Westerners [men in particular] for a loop because they have little or no experience in using emotion as a bargaining tool and in getting their way after deals are signed.      Koreans typically turn the negotiation of simple points into high drama by introducing various kinds of emotional elements, which frequently includes shouting. When this happens, the thing to do is to remain calm and collected and stick to your guns until your Korean counterparts accept the idea that you are not going to be bamboozled into anything.      And whatever you do don’t get on the wrong side of a Korean woman! Copyright © 2009 by Boyé Lafayette De Mente ____________________ Boyé Lafayette De Mente is a graduate of Jōchi University in Tokyo and Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. He is the author of more than 50 books on the business practices, cultures and languages of China, Japan, Korea and Mexico. For a list and synopses of his books go to: www.boyedemente.com .

Was this helpful? 0 0 Comments

You're reading BEWARE OF THE BARGAINING SKILL OF KOREANS! - In Korea You Bargain or You Lose!.