Americans going to Singapore to entertain the possibility of establishing business there, need to know each of the three cultures prefers to deal. Religion plays an important part in the cultural life of every country, and a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of International Business Research points out the cultural realities regarding the negotiation styles of Muslim Iranians, Buddhist Taiwanese and Christian Americans. The independent variables in this research -- religion, collectivism, education, age, gender and work experience -- were tested through empirical surveys of the three cultures. The "devotion to religious rules" is far more prevalent among Muslims than among Christians and Buddhist groups (Farazmand, et al., 2011).

While negotiators should be aware of this cultural fact, this does not mean that any Muslim negotiator would rely more on religion than on "analytical, normative, factual or intuitive negotiation styles"; what matters is the degree of devotion the negotiator has to his faith. Finding that out prior to launching negotiations of course may be problematic, but the negotiator should make an attempt to learn the degree of devotion a Muslim negotiator...

Knowledge of the Muslim religion would help and "…could result in a higher probability of successful agreements,' Farazmand explains (40). Moreover, knowing the ideological beliefs of the negotiator -- whether it is in Taiwan, Iran, or America -- also gives the negotiation a sense of cultural understanding before engaging in dialogue.
In conclusion, having a full understanding of the cultural beliefs, practices and ideological dynamics of the person in the foreign country that will be the negotiator offers an open door to understanding, cooperation, and deal making. The ability to know ahead of time the level of religious and ideological commitment the other negotiator has with respect to his culture is extremely valuable for the success of the negotiation.

Works Cited

Farazmand, Farideh a., Tu, Yu-Te, and Daneefard, Hasan. (2011). Is Religious Culture a Factor

in Negotiation: A Cross-cultural Comparison of Iran, Taiwan and the United States. Journal of International Business Research, 10(1), 27-41.

Osman-Gani, AAhad M., and Tan, Joo-Seng. (2002). Thunderbird International…