Intercultural perspective on negotiations: Russian negotiators American and Spanish counterparts

Possible answers:

Yes, there were such situations (please, give a brief example);

No, there were no such situations;

Another answer (please, write it).

What was the amount of space between the members of the other party? Were they close to you while greeting you and saying “goodbye”?

Possible answers:

Yes, they were close to us: they shook our hands, touched our shoulders in a friendly manner and even hugged us;

The amount of space was neutral: they shook our hands but there were no touches or hugs;

They were very distant: they even did not shake our hands; the greetings were verbal only.

Another answer (please, write it).

Speaking and listening

The questions in this sub-section are aimed to reveal the skills of active listening, giving public speeches, and making one's ideas heard. Questions number 6.1 and 6.2 are aimed at listening skills and question number 6.3 concerns speaking skills.

Were they listening to your arguments and thoughts? Were they asking you questions about the interests of your party?

Possible answers:

Yes, they were listening to us and they were asking questions;

No, they were not listening to us, they were talking about their interests only;

Another answer (please, write it).

Were they interrupting you?

Possible answers:

Yes, they were;

From time to time;

No, they were not;

Another answer (please, write it).

Were they explaining their ideas clearly?

Possible answers:

Yes, we understood all their ideas and interests, their speech was clear;

We understood the most important and central ideas, but their speech was not clear enough;

It was difficult to understand their ideas, their speech was not clear;

Another answer (please, write it).

Section 2

Hofstede's dimensions

1. Power distance

The questions in this sub-section are aimed to reveal the attitude of the representatives of a culture towards inequalities in the society. Question number 1.1 concerns the existence of any status roles among them and question number 1.2 is devoted to the existence of a central figure in decision-making process which possesses more power.

. Did the behavior of the other party represent status roles? Could you observe the clear distinction between a boss/ a supervisor/ a manager and a subordinate?

Possible answers:

Yes, there was a clear distinction between a boss/ a supervisor/ a manager and a subordinate;

Even though there was a boss/ a supervisor/ a manager and a subordinate, the clear distinction between them could not be seen. They behaved as equals;

Another answer (please, write it).

. Were they discussing their decisions between each other before telling you or there was a person who could decide without the discussion with the others?

Possible answers:

Yes, they were discussing all their decisions;

No, there was one decision-maker/ a group of decision-makers. They did not discuss their decision with the others;

Another answer (please, write it).

Individualism vs. collectivism

The question in this sub-section is aimed to reveal the degree to which the representatives of the society are integrated into groups. The most illustrative feature which demonstrates whether a culture is individualistic or collectivistic is the way the representatives of a culture refer to themselves. Question number 2.1 is devoted to this feature.

2.1. How did the other party refer to itself most frequently?

Possible answers:

I/my company: people presented interests using the pronouns “I”, “my”;

We/our company: people presented interests using the pronouns “We”, “our”;

Another answer (please, write it).

Masculinity vs. femininity

The question in this sub-section is aimed to reveal the main drivers of the society. The way how masculinity or femininity can be demonstrated during negotiation process is the understanding of the attitude of the representatives of a culture towards negotiation process. It can be competing, compromising, or accommodating. Question number 3.1 is devoted to revealing this attitude.

How could you describe the attitude of the members of the other party towards the negotiation process?

Possible answers:

Competing: the most important thing for them was “to win” these negotiations;

Compromise: their goal was to meet the expectations of both parties;

Accommodating: they were thinking about our interests and they were able to sacrifice the interests of their party;

Another answer (please, write it).

Uncertainty avoidance

The questions in this sub-section are aimed to reveal the degree to which the representatives of a culture feel threatened by unclear, uncertain, and dubious situations. The question number 4.1 and 4.2 are devoted to demonstrating the degree of being frightened by unexpected situations and innovative solutions correspondingly.

4.1. How did they behave when the negotiation went on the way they did not expect?

Possible answers:

They got frightened when the situation got out of their control;

They continued being calm and they were ready to deal with ambiguous or uncertain situations;

There were no such situations in which something got out of their control;

Another answer (please, write it).

4.2. Were they trying to avoid the solutions which they had not tried before (if you proposed such solutions)?

Possible answers:

Yes, they were trying to avoid new, creative, and innovative solutions, they insisted in the solutions which were familiar for them;

It seemed that there was no difference for them between new, creative, and innovative solutions and familiar solutions;

They were eager to try new, creative, and innovative solutions;

We did not propose new, creative, and innovative solutions;

Another answer (please, write it).

Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation

The question in this sub-section is aimed to reveal the connection of the past with the present or future actions. The question number 5.1 focuses on whether the representatives of other cultures were oriented at maintaining business contact in future.

5.1. Was the other party oriented towards short-term business relationship or, vice versa, long-term business relationship?

Possible answers:

The other party was oriented towards short-term business relationship;

The other party was oriented towards long-term business relationship;

We failed to understand that;

Another answer (please, write it).

Indulgence vs. restraint

The question in this sub-section is aimed to reveal the degree of freedom which the social and moral norms leave to the representatives of the culture. The question number 6.1 is devoted to the understanding whether the representatives of another culture were constrained by any norms during negotiations.

How could you describe the behavior of the members of the other party during the negotiation process?

Possible answers:

The members of the other party were not constrained by any social norms, they were behaving as they wanted to. (Please, provide a brief example);

The members of the other party were constrained by some social norms, they were behaving respecting these norms. (Please, provide a brief example);

We failed to understand if they were constrained by some social norms while negotiating;

Another answer (please, write it).

Section 3

Concept of time

The questions in this section are aimed to reveal the attitude of the representatives of a culture towards time. The question number 1 is devoted to the tendency of the representatives of a culture to change plans, while the question number 2 focuses on punctuality.

Were the members of the other party prone to change their plans?

Possible answers:

Yes, the members of the other party tended to change their plans. (Please, provide an example);

No, the members of the other party did not tend to change their plans;

Another answer (please, write it).

Did the members of the other party come to the meeting on time?

Possible answers:

Yes, they were on time;

They came even earlier;

No, they were late.

The Russian-language version of the questionnaire which was given to the respondents is presented in Appendix 1.

2.5 Results

The participants of intercultural negotiations from three companies filled the questionnaires. The questionnaire filled by the representatives of Company 1 may be found in Appendix 2. The questionnaires filled by the representatives of Company 2 based on their experience with Spanish and American counterparts are placed in Appendix 3 and Appendix 4 correspondingly. The final questionnaire filled by the representatives of Company 3 can be observed in Appendix 5.

The current part contains analysis of the collected questionnaires describing the behavioral patterns and features of American and Spanish cultures which can be observed in real-life negotiations.

Spanish counterparts

Section 1

Communication competencies

Relationship and interpersonal communication

Both the representatives of Company 1 and Company 2 admit that the pattern of their communication with Spanish counterparts was strictly formal and distant. Moreover, the two companies pointed out the existence of a conflict during their negotiations. Both companies did not describe their behavior as “aggressive” but both mentioned that they insisted on their position for a long time. Moreover, the representatives of Company 1 wrote that although the behavior of Spaniards could not be called “aggressive”, they tried to persuade them “pretty expressively”. Based on the fact that the two companies categorized the situations as “conflicts” and not just “persuading”, I can make a conclusion that the behavioral pattern of insisting on their position of the representatives of Spanish culture can be perceived as a conflict situation due to their assertiveness and expressiveness.

Mediated communication

As for the technological devices which were used by Spanish counterparts in the process of negotiations, both companies indicated that the other party recorded negotiations with the use of recorders. Furthermore, laptops were used by the representatives of Spanish parties in both cases as well. Consequently, Spaniards have a positive attitude towards the use of technologies during negotiation process.

Intergroup communication

As for the influence of intergroup communication on the relationships within a group, the answers of the representatives of the both companies coincide. In particular, they admitted that the representatives of Spanish culture were united and could be called “a team”. Moreover, in both cases Spanish counterparts referred to themselves as “we” and referred to their interests as “our interests”. Consequently, the conclusion which may be derived is that the communication within a group between Spanish business partners under the influence of intergroup communication is the communication of a tight-knit group defending the interests of a group, not of individuals, and which can be called “a team”.

The ability to communicate enthusiasm, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Both Russian companies indicated that they could call Spaniards neither “passive” nor “full of enthusiasm”. Both respondents point out that they were concentrated and, as one of the respondents wrote, Spaniards were “in work mode”.

Further, in both cases Spaniards did not provide the representatives of the Russian companies with any creative and innovative decisions. Moreover, the respondents from Company 2 admit that Spaniards demonstrated negative attitudes towards innovations. However, the representatives of Company 1 could not observe the attitude towards innovations because there were no situations which could have demonstrated it.

To sum up, it can be outlined that Spaniards tend to stick to familiar decisions and do not tend to be enthusiastic during negotiations.

Nonverbal communication

As for nonverbal communication, the representatives of both Russian companies noticed that Spaniards tended to use nonverbal communication as a tool to pass a hidden message or show attitude a lot. For instance, Spanish counterparts exchanged glances, nodded, and used different gestures. Moreover, in both cases the emotions of Spanish counterparts were clearly reflected on their faces.

As for the use of space and distance, it was observed that there was neutral amount of space between the parties while greeting each other and they shook hands. However, the representatives of Company 1 admitted that such a formal greeting took place only during their first experience of negotiation with these Spanish counterparts. Currently, as they have been counterparts for several years, the amount of space was reduced and sometimes Spaniards tend to not only shake hands but also pat on shoulder.

Consequently, the answers of the respondents lead to the conclusion that the abundant use of nonverbal communication is a distinctive feature of Spaniards while participating in business communication.

2.6 Speaking and listening

As for listening skills, both the representatives of Company 1 and Company 2 admit that although Spaniards listened to them and asked questions, they still tended to interrupt them from time to time. Consequently, it can be stated that the representatives of Spanish culture do possess listening skills and demonstrate them during negotiations but sometimes there are situations in which they may interrupt.

As for speaking skills, the opinions of the respondents do not coincide. For instance, the representatives of Company 2 stated that it was difficult to understand the ideas of Spanish counterparts and their speech was not clear. However, they added that they consider this fact to be the consequence of the fact that their Spanish counterparts did not have a deep understanding of the subject of the negotiations. As for Company 1, they consider that they expressed their ideas clearly. As a consequence, it can be assumed that speaking skills depend on particular individuals to a greater extent than on a cultural aspect.

Section 2

Hofstede's dimensions

Power distance

According to Hofstede, Spanish culture has a relatively high score in this dimension. It means that Spanish people live in a hierarchical society, in which people accept that each person has their place in the structure. This fact was proved by the answers of both the representatives of Company 1 and Company 2. In particular, they admitted that there was a clear distinction between a boss or a manager and a subordinate. Moreover, this boss or manager was a central figure in decision-making process. Consequently, it can be stated that the representatives of Spanish culture demonstrate the high index in the dimension of power distance during business negotiations.

Individualism vs. collectivism

Even though according to Hofstede, Spaniards occupy the position in the middle between the collectivistic and individualistic society, the answers of the respondents demonstrate the tendency of showing the characteristics of collectivistic society during intercultural business negotiations. In particular, Spanish counterparts referred to themselves as “we” and presented their interests using the phrase “our company” instead of using the pronoun “I” and the phrase “my company”. Consequently, Spaniards feel belonginess to a group when it comes to business communication.

Masculinity vs. femininity

Despite the fact that the index of Spanish culture in this dimension is more inclined to femininity, the answers of the respondents contradict this fact. Both the respondents underlined the option which referred to masculine cultures. In particular, they perceived Spaniards' attitude towards negotiation process as a competitive one. They consider that the most important thing for them was “to win” these negotiations. It therefore may be stated that the illustrative features of masculine cultures may be demonstrated by Spaniards during business negotiations if the subject of negotiations if of a vital importance for them.

Uncertainty avoidance

As for the dimension of uncertainty avoidance, it was noticed by the respondents that the representatives of Spanish culture were nervous and felt uncomfortable when the situation was out of their control. The representatives of Company 2 added that they were frightened by ambiguous situations and they were trying to save face. More than that, they outlined that they opted for familiar decisions and demonstrated a negative attitude towards any innovative or new ones. Such a result corresponds to a high index of Spanish culture in this dimension which means a high degree of being threatened by unclear, uncertain, and dubious situations.



2.7 Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation

The influence of a cultural factor on the dimension of short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation cannot be traced based on the questionnaires of the respondents because their answers differ significantly. For instance, Company 1 pointed out that their Spanish counterparts were oriented at long-term business relationships and they still maintain business contact. On the contrary, Company 2 stated that their counterparts wanted to have short-term business relationships. Consequently, it may be stated that under the circumstances of business communication the behavioral patterns in the dimension of short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation depend on business goals more than on a cultural factor.

Indulgence vs. restraint

According to Hofstede, the representatives of Spanish culture are more restraint than indulgent. However, it should be mentioned here that business communication and especially negotiations involve business etiquette, which is a set of norms that should be respected in order to achieve a successful outcome of negotiations. Consequently, the participants of intercultural business negotiations demonstrate the characteristics of restraint cultures, but it is not connected to the cultural factor but to the type of communication. The answers of the respondents prove this assumption, both the companies state that Spanish counterparts were constrained by some social norms and they were behaving respecting these norms.

Section 3 Concept of time

As for the concept of time introduced by Hall, it can be assumed that Spain is a polychronic culture because both the representatives of Company 1 and Company 2 state that their Spanish counterparts tended to be late for their negotiations. The tendency of being late is a demonstrative characteristic of polychronic cultures. However, the answers in the question concerning the tendency of changing plans, which is another demonstrative feature of polychronic cultures, differ. For instance, Company 2 pointed out that their Spanish counterparts did not change plans. In contrast, Company 1 admitted that once Spaniards changed the date of the meeting. However, this particular aspect is not demonstrative because the fact of changing plans may depend on various situational features and circumstantial peculiarities. Consequently, it may be stated that Spanish culture is a polychronic one based on the criterion of being late for negotiations.

To sum up, Table 1 illustrates the summary of the gathered behavioral patterns which can be considered to be illustrative for the representatives of Spanish culture during intercultural negotiations with Russian counterparts.

Table 1

Aspect	Behavior Patterns of Spanish Counterparts During Negotiations
Relationship and interpersonal communication	Tend to stick to formal and distant pattern of communication; can be perceived conflicting due to their assertiveness and expressiveness
Mediated communication	Abundant use of technological devices during negotiations
Intergroup communication	Tight-knit group defending the interests of a group
The ability to communicate enthusiasm, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit	Tend to stick to familiar decisions and do not tend to be enthusiastic during negotiations
Nonverbal communication	Abundant use of nonverbal communication; neutral amount of space between the parties (shake hands only)
Speaking and listening	Possess listening skills, demonstrate them in the majority of situations; speaking skills depend on individual differences more than on a cultural aspect
Power distance	High level of power distance
Individualism vs. collectivism	Collectivism
Masculinity vs. femininity	Masculinity
Uncertainty avoidance	High level of uncertainty avoidance
Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation	The behavioral pattern in this aspect depends on circumstantial differences, not a cultural factor
Indulgence vs. restraint	Restraint
Monochronic culture vs. Polychronic culture	Polychronic culture



American Counterparts

Section 1

Communication competencies

Relationship and interpersonal communication

Both the representatives of Company 2 and Company 3 admit that the pattern of their communication with their American counterparts was formal but with a friendly pattern.

As for behavioral patterns in conflict situations, Company 2 stated that there were no conflict situations during their negotiations. Consequently, they could not comment on the behavior of their American counterparts during conflict situations. On the contrary, the representatives of Company 3 had a conflict situation during negotiations with the representatives of American culture, and they considered their behavior during that conflict to be assertive. They stated that Americans did not raise their voice, they were not rude but still they insisted on their position persistently.

Mediated communication

The abundant use of different technological devices was noticed by both companies. In particular, Company 2 described that their American counterparts were using laptops. Moreover, they were recording their negotiations. As for Company 3, they stated that the representatives of the American party were using such applications as WhatsApp and FaceTime to connect with their partners.

2.8 Intergroup communication

The answers of the respondents coincide in the aspect which concerns the influence of intergroup communication on the relationship within a group. They state that American counterparts referred to themselves as “I” and “my company”. However, at the same time both the respondents pointed out that the participants of the American party were united and could be called “a team”. Consequently, the conclusion which may be drawn here is that the representatives of American culture function as a team and, at the same time, perceive the interests, which they defend, as the interests of each particular individual who is participating in negotiations. The ability to communicate enthusiasm, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit The answers of the respondents about this aspect demonstrate the fact that the representatives of American culture were creative and showed a positive attitude towards innovations. In particular, the representatives of Company 3 pointed out that the reason for the negotiations was the fact that Company 3 possessed an innovative technology and American counterparts wanted to get it. Moreover, they added that Americans were active and proposed many innovative decisions. As for Company 2, they were enthusiastic about the negotiations and offered different variants of the solutions to the problem. Consequently, it may be stated that the representatives of American culture have a positive attitude towards innovative decisions and tend to be enthusiastic and creative during negotiations.

Nonverbal communication

Both companies admit that their American counterparts used gestures while communicating sometimes and their faces showed the emotions they had. Moreover, Company 2 indicated that their American counterparts used nonverbal communication in order to transmit a hidden message to each other. They provided the example of exchanging glances. As for the use of space and distance, both the companies described that while greeting and saying “goodbye” they shook their hands and touched their shoulders in a friendly manner.

Speaking and listening

Both the companies state that American counterparts demonstrated their listening skills. They were attentive to what they were saying and asking questions. However, both admit that they tended to interrupt them frequently. Consequently, it can be assumed that although they demonstrated their listening skills, their interests, and the fact of being heard was more important for them.

As for speaking skills, both the representatives of the Russian companies state that their speech was clear, they explained all their ideas and interests, and were understood.

Section 2

Hofstede's dimensions

Power distance

According to Hofstede, the USA has a relatively low index in this dimension, and it means that they do not tend to pay attention to positions or statuses. This fact can be proved by the answers of the respondents. In particular, the representatives of Company 3 state that although they negotiated with only on representative of the American company, this person did not make any decisions without calling partners and asking their opinion. Company 2 also noticed that their counterparts made decisions discussing them with each other. More than that, they pointed out that even though there was a boss and a subordinate, the clear distinction between them could not be seen. They behaved as equals.

Individualism vs. collectivism

American society is considered to be a highly- individualistic society by Hofstede. The respondents pointed out that their American counterparts presented interests using the pronouns “I”, “my”. Consequently, the self-image of this culture's representatives is defined in terms of “I”, and this fact can be observed during business negotiations.

Masculinity vs. femininity

American society is considered to be a masculine society and it can be observed during intercultural business negotiations too. For instance, Company 3 indicated that the attitude of their American counterparts towards negotiations was competitive. In particular, it was crucial for them to “win” the negotiations. However, the representatives of Company 4 added that defending their interests was important for them, but they also wanted to achieve a mutually satisfactory outcome.

Uncertainty avoidance

Americans have a low index in the dimension of uncertainty avoidance. Consequently, according to Hofstede, they tend to have a positive attitude towards innovations, and they are not frightened by ambiguous and unexpected situations. As it has already been mentioned, American counterparts of the both Russian companies had a positive attitude towards innovations and new decisions. Moreover, the subject of the negotiations of Company 3 was their innovative technology which Americans wanted to get. As for being frightened of ambiguous situations, Company 2 mentioned that there were no situations when something was out of their control and they could not analyze their reaction in such situations. However, Company 3 had such a situation during negotiations with their counterparts. They outlined that Americans were not frightened by the unexpected situation. On the contrary, they continued insisting on their position.

Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation

Company 3 indicated that their American counterparts were oriented at long-term business relationships. On the contrary, Company 2 stated that the negotiations implied short-term business relationships from the beginning. Consequently, the cultural factor is not a decisive factor in the context of this dimension. Short-term or long-term orientation of business relationships depend on the situational peculiarities of each particular case of intercultural business communication.

Indulgence vs. restraint

As intercultural business communication is limited by business etiquette, it can be stated that, according to the answers of the respondents, representatives of American culture tended to demonstrate characteristics of a restraint society. Despite the fact that the USA, according to Hofstede, is an indulgent society, business communication implies being limited with some norms and behavioral patterns. business communication cultural negotiation

Section 3

Concept of time

Even though both the respondents pointed out that Americans changed their plans, it cannot be considered to be a demonstrative characteristic of polychronic society because both the respondents described the circumstantial peculiarities which influenced the change of plans. In particular, Company 3 admitted that they had to refuse to cooperate because their interests were not preserved to the extent they wanted them to be preserved. As for Company 2, they stated that Americans changed the strategy only when the circumstances changed. As for the tendency of being late, both the respondents stated that Americans came on time. Consequently, it may be stated that the USA is a monochronic culture.

To sum up, Table 2 illustrates the summary of the gathered behavioral patterns which can be considered to be demonstrative for the representatives of American culture during intercultural negotiations with Russian counterparts.

Table 2

Aspect	Behavior Patterns of American Counterparts During Negotiations
Relationship and interpersonal communication	Tend to stick to a formal but friendly pattern of communication; assertive during negotiations
Mediated communication	Abundant use of technological devices during negotiations
Intergroup communication	function as a team; perceive group interests, which they defend, as individual interests
The ability to communicate enthusiasm, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit	have a positive attitude towards innovative decisions and tend to be enthusiastic and creative during negotiations
Nonverbal communication	Sometimes use nonverbal communication; they shake hands and touch shoulders in a friendly manner
Speaking and listening	Listen to the interests of another party but interrupt often; express their ideas and interests clearly
Power distance	Low level of power distance
Individualism vs. collectivism	Individualism
Masculinity vs. femininity	Masculinity
Uncertainty avoidance	Low level of uncertainty avoidance
Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation	The behavioral pattern in this aspect depends on circumstantial differences, not a cultural factor
Indulgence vs. restraint	Restraint
Monochronic culture vs. Polychronic culture	Monochronic culture

Discussion

The analysis below demonstrates the comparison of the behavioral patterns demonstrated by the representatives of American and Spanish cultures during intercultural business negotiations.

Section 1

Communicational competencies

Relationship and interpersonal communication

As for the comparison of Spanish and American behavioral patterns in this aspect, it should be mentioned that both the representatives of American and Spanish cultures tend to be assertive during conflict situations defending their interests. However, according to the answers of the respondents, Americans were not perceived as aggressive. The same cannot be said about Spaniards: their expressiveness while defending their interests may lead to misunderstandings. For instance, it may be considered to be aggressiveness.

There is a difference between the patterns of communication during negotiations of Spanish and American cultures. Spaniards demonstrate a strictly formal manner of behavior while Americans' pattern of communication combines formality and friendliness.

Mediated communication

Both the representatives of Spanish and American cultures tend to use a wide range of technological devices during intercultural business negotiations in the 21st century.

Intergroup communication

All the respondents stated that both Americans and Spaniards behaved as a team under the influence of intergroup communication. Moreover, Spanish counterparts used only the pronouns “We”, “our” while negotiating. On the contrary, Americans were operating with the pronouns “I”, “my”. This fact demonstrates that Spaniards tend to perceive themselves as a part of a group and they defend the interests of their group, while Americans perceive the interests of a group as individual interests and tend to defend them on their own behalf as individuals, not on behalf of the group. Consequently, the representatives of Spanish culture may be considered to be a more tight-knit community.

The ability to communicate enthusiasm, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit

The behavioral patterns of the representatives of Spanish and American cultures differ in this aspect a lot. In particular, while Americans tend to be enthusiastic about innovative and creative decisions, Spaniards opt for familiar ones. Creativity and enthusiasm were not considered to be the characteristics of Spanish representatives' behavior during negotiations by the respondents while Americans offered a different creative approaches and strategies.

Nonverbal communication

It was noticed by the respondents that Spaniards used nonverbal communication more frequently than Americans. Moreover, the representatives of Spanish culture used a wider range of nonverbal signals while transmitting nonverbal hidden signals to each other than the representatives of the American one. Further, as it has been stated, Spaniards opt for a more distant and formal pattern of communication than Americans. It can be observed on the examples of both verbal (see point 1 “relationship and interpersonal communication”) and nonverbal communication. In particular, Americans keep a closer distance with their counterparts than Spaniards. In addition, Americans not only shake hands but also they can pat an interlocutor's shoulder while greeting. In contrast, Spaniards do not go beyond shaking hands.

Speaking and listening

All the respondents indicated that both Americans and Spaniards were listening to them attentively and asking questions. However, it can be stated that the representatives of American culture tended to interrupt more frequently than the representatives of Spanish one.

As for speaking skills, it can be stated that it was easier for the respondents to understand the ideas expressed by Americans than Spaniards. However, it can be assumed that individual factor and situational peculiarities played a more influencing role on the occurrence of misunderstandings than cultural factor. In particular, one of the respondents pointed out that the representatives of Spanish cultures lacked the understanding of the topic. This may have laid to the problems in expressing ideas.

Section 2

Hofstede's dimensions

Power distance

According to Hofstede, Spain has a high index in this dimension and, consequently, it has a high level of power distance, while Americans have a low index and a low level of power distance. The answers of the respondents proved it. As for intercultural negotiations with Spanish counterparts, there was a central figure who made decisions. Consequently, there was a person who possesses more power than others and this person was to make decisions and determine the course of negotiations. As for Americans, they made decisions only after a discussion with all the partners. This fact means that there were no central figures and their power was equal.

Individualism vs. collectivism

Spanish and American societies are different in terms of self-identification of their members. The distribution of the countries proposed by Hofstede was confirmed. In particular, the representatives of Spanish culture demonstrated the characteristics of collectivistic societies during intercultural negotiations referring to themselves and defending their interests with the use of the pronouns “we”, “our”. At the same time, Americans were proved to be the representatives of individualistic society and to demonstrate such behavioral patterns during intercultural negotiations. In particular, they did not identify themselves in terms of a group and used the pronouns “I”, “my”.

Masculinity vs. femininity

Despite the fact that Spain is considered to be a more feminine culture that the USA, the representatives of both cultures tended to demonstrate the characteristics of masculine cultures during intercultural business communication. Consequently, it may be concluded that under the circumstances of business communication, the representatives of both masculine and feminine cultures demonstrate the characteristics of masculine societies because situational peculiarities impact this dimension more than cultural differences.

Uncertainty avoidance

As for Spain, it can be stated that Spaniards demonstrate the characteristics of high uncertainty avoidance not only in everyday life, but also during intercultural business negotiations. In particular, they tend to stick to familiar decisions and have a cautious attitude towards innovations. On the contrary, Americans were proved to demonstrate the characteristics of low uncertainty avoidance. They showed enthusiasm towards innovations and new creative decisions.

Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation

As for the dimension of short-term or long-term orientation, it can be stated that situational peculiarities are a more decisive factor in the context of this dimension than a cultural factor.

Indulgence vs. restraint

All the respondents pointed out that both the representatives of Spain and the USA demonstrated the characteristics of a restraint society during intercultural business negotiations. Business etiquette imposes certain restrictions which should be respected in order to achieve a beneficial outcome of negotiations.

Section 3

Concept of time

It was proved that the representatives of American and Spanish cultures have different attitude towards time. In particular, Americans demonstrate the characteristics of monochronic cultures during intercultural business negotiations. For instance, they come to the meetings on time and tend to change their plans only after the occurrence of significant changes in the course of negotiations. On the contrary, Spaniards are the representatives of a polychronic cultures, in which people tend to be late for the meetings. Spaniards demonstrated this tendency in the majority of cases.

In conclusion, Table 3 summarizes the gathered behavioral patterns which can be considered to be illustrative for the representatives of American and Spanish cultures during intercultural negotiations with Russian counterparts.

Table 3

Aspect	Behavior Patterns of American Counterparts During Negotiations	Behavior Patterns of Spanish Counterparts During Negotiations
Relationship and interpersonal communication	Tend to stick to a formal but friendly pattern of communication; assertive during negotiations	Tend to stick to formal and distant pattern of communication; can be perceived conflicting due to their assertiveness and expressiveness
Mediated communication	Abundant use of technological devices during negotiations	Abundant use of technological devices during negotiations
Intergroup communication	function as a team; perceive group interests, which they defend, as individual interests	Tight-knit group defending the interests of a group
The ability to communicate enthusiasm, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit	have a positive attitude towards innovative decisions and tend to be enthusiastic and creative during negotiations	Tend to stick to familiar decisions and do not tend to be enthusiastic during negotiations
Nonverbal communication	Sometimes use nonverbal communication; they shake hands and touch shoulders in a friendly manner	Abundant use of nonverbal communication; neutral amount of space between the parties (shake hands only)
Speaking and listening	Listen to the interests of another party but interrupt often; express their ideas and interests clearly	Possess listening skills, demonstrate them in the majority of situations; speaking skills depend on individual differences more than on a cultural aspect
Power distance	Low level of power distance	High level of power distance
Individualism vs. collectivism	Individualism	Collectivism
Masculinity vs. femininity	Masculinity	Masculinity
Uncertainty avoidance	Low level of uncertainty avoidance	High level of uncertainty avoidance
Short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation	The behavioral pattern in this aspect depends on circumstantial differences, not a cultural factor	The behavioral pattern in this aspect depends on circumstantial differences, not a cultural factor
Indulgence vs. restraint	Restraint	Restraint
Monochronic culture vs. Polychronic culture	Monochronic culture	Polychronic culture



To sum up, it can be stated that the results of the questionnaire demonstrate the importance of knowing the mentioned behavioral patterns of the representatives of American and Spanish cultures while preparing to negotiations with them. The reason is that if the participants of negotiations fail to know all these peculiarities, it may lead to misunderstandings and even conflicts.

As for Spaniards, the main features which may lead to misunderstandings are their expressiveness and assertiveness which may be perceived as aggressiveness, their avoidance of any innovative decisions, and their tendency to be late and change plans.

It may be recommended to the specialists, who are going to participate in negotiations with Spaniards, to stick to formal pattern of communication, to shake hands while greeting, to perceive their expressiveness calmly, and to understand that there is a central figure who makes decisions and whom they make to persuade if they want the outcome of negotiations to be beneficial for them. Moreover, the participants of negotiations with Spaniards should be ready for being interrupted sometimes and for abundant use of nonverbal communication. The specialists should not frighten them offering innovative decisions and insisting on them. If they want to offer an innovative or creative decision, they should explain it to Spaniards and wait till they weigh up all the advantages and disadvantages and get familiar with it. Finally, the participants of negotiations with Spaniards should be aware of a high possibility of rescheduling their meeting.

As for Americans, their friendliness, assertiveness, and innovativeness may frighten the representatives of more conservative cultures.

The specialists, who are going to participate in intercultural negotiations with the representatives of American cultures, should be ready for an informal pattern of communication: they may not only greet shaking a hand but also pat on shoulder in a friendly manner. Moreover, it is important to be aware of the fact that they interrupt often, and they tend to defend their interests assertively. It should be known that although they refer to themselves while defending their interests using the pronouns “I”, “my”, they make decisions collectively and there is no central figure. Further, Americans offer innovative decisions often and it was proved that they are more interested and enthusiastic about creative and innovative decisions than about familiar ones.

The mentioned recommendations should be considered while negotiating with the representatives of American and Spanish cultures. It may help to avoid misunderstandings and to achieve a beneficial outcome of negotiations.



Conclusion

The current paper examined the existing theory on the topic of intercultural business communication and intercultural business negotiation discovering the aspects which differ among different cultures and which further were used in the questionnaire which may be utilized to analyse the behavioural patterns of different cultures during intercultural negotiations.

It should be stated that the research focused on non-linguistic factors and language barrier did not interfere negotiation process in the examined cases. Consequently, the aspects, which were chosen for the analysis, were non-linguistic.

The aspects for the first section were found in the work of Waldeck et al. (2012), they were related to the communication competencies and they revealed the behaviour during conflict situations, intergroup communication, attitude towards the use of technological devices during negotiations, attitude towards creative decisions, the use of nonverbal communication, and speaking and listening skills.

The aspects for the second section were taken from the work of Hofstede et al. (2010), they revealed the attitude towards power, individualistic or collectivistic characteristics, the attitude towards unexpected situations, masculine or feminine characteristics, short-term orientation or long- term orientation, and indulgent or restraint characteristics.

The final section was based on the work of Hall (1983), and it was dedicated to the attitude towards time.

The analysis of the aspects resulted in the development of the questionnaire which can be used to analyze the behavioral pattern of the representatives not only of Spain and the USA but of other cultures during intercultural business negotiations which may be utilized by the specialists in cross-cultural communication at the stage of preparation to intercultural negotiations.

In addition, the behavioral features of the representatives of Spain and the USA described by Hofstede et al. were examined. The answers of the respondents proved that the indexes assigned by Hofstede et al. to American and Spanish cultures in such traits as power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance are demonstrated by Spaniards and Americans during intercultural business negotiations. However, the indexes in such dimensions as masculinity vs. femininity and indulgence vs. restraint were not proved. It was assumed that while participating in intercultural business negotiations, the representatives of cultures tend to demonstrate the characteristics of masculine and restraint societies regardless of their indexes in this dimension assigned by Hofstede et al. Moreover, it was stated that cultural factor does not influence the dimension of short-term orientation vs. long-term orientation during intercultural business communication to the extent that situational peculiarities influence it.

As for other aspects, it was revealed that both the cultures tend to use technologies in the process of communication and function as a team. However, other aspects differ among these cultures. In particular, Spain was proved to be a polychronic culture, to stick to formal and distant pattern of communication, not to support innovative decisions, to complement their speech with nonverbal communication frequently, and sometimes to interrupt their interlocutors. Meanwhile, Americans demonstrated the characteristics of a monochronic culture, opted for a formal but friendly pattern of communication, were enthusiastic about innovations and creative decisions, sometimes used nonverbal communication, and often interrupted the Russian counterparts.

Moreover, the analysis of the questionnaires led to the development of the recommendations for specialists who are going to participate in negotiations with Americans and Spaniards.

In particular, while negotiating with Spaniards, specialists should opt for formal pattern of communication, seek to persuade a central figure, opt for decisions which are familiar for Spaniards, and to be ready for their expressiveness, abundant use of nonverbal communication.

As for negotiations with Americans, specialists should be ready for an informal pattern of communication, their assertiveness, collective decision-making, and tendency to opt for innovative decisions.

Consequently, the paper answered the research questions compiling and analyzing the theory, and the research resulted in the development of the questionnaire which reveals the behavioral patterns of different cultural during intercultural business negotiations. Moreover, the study composed the description of the behavioral patterns demonstrated during intercultural negotiations process of the representatives of Spanish and American cultures and developed the recommendations for negotiations with the representatives of these cultures. The questionnaire, the description, and the recommendations may be widely used by specialists in intercultural business negotiations increasing the chances of a beneficial outcome of negotiations.

The results are limited by the number of the companies involved. In particular, there were three of them. Consequently, it might have affected the results because I could have failed to notice some tendencies which would have been clearly observed if there had been more companies involved. Moreover, I could have failed to differentiate between situational factors and cultural ones.

The further research may get more companies involved and it may thus lead to the elimination of the mentioned limitations. In addition, there can be conducted a wider description of the behavior patterns of the representatives of American and Spanish cultures during intercultural negotiations.

The next issue for the further research is the influence of business context on the cultural differences which are expressed by the participants. For instance, the comparison of business intercultural negotiations to intercultural everyday communication will be conducted. It will reveal whether business context suppresses or, vice versa, provokes the manifestation of some cultural peculiarities.

Finally, the questionnaire may be filled by the participants of intercultural business negotiations with other cultures expanding the collection of the examined cultures.



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