Can the mutual gains approach to negotiation really be exported effectively to other countries and cultures?

Published July 8th, 2008 by Hal Movius

We have taught the Mutual Gains Approach in both public and private sectors, to all kinds of groups, around the world.  The theory of value creation that underpins our approach (the “What”) is easily recognized and understood by participants across cultures.  At the same time, the communication strategies (the “How”) can vary in significant ways across cultures, because of different social norms that govern individual and organization behavior.  We have written about such variation, and provided an expanded set of process prescriptions, for applying the MGA in commercial negotiations with counterparts in Japan, China, and South Korea