This way of thinking may be confusing to American negotiators at first, plus the fact that nothing is ever completely settled. Instead of solving one thing at a time and moving on to the next item, Asian style allows the negotiators to come back again and again (circular fashion) to points already discussed. They may even discuss many issues concurrently and consider the whole situation all at the same time.
Use of time is a form of non-verbal communication. It sends a message about what one believes -- and in this case, what the culture values. To Americans who value their time and see it as something they don't have enough of, the Asian view can be frustrating. To Japanese and Chinese team members, time is never something to be saved; thus, they have no conception of wasting it either. Koreans, on the other hand, take less time in making decisions, and they are also more open to sticking to an agenda. In contrast, the Chinese are less willing to stick to an agenda, for the team is always more important than reaching an agreement.
Koreans, like the Chinese also take a broader view of issues rather than focus on specifics one at a time. They don't trust detail-oriented negotiators.
Koreans may make decisions faster than Japanese or Chinese because their teams are smaller, and members are given more authority to make decisions, but Koreans also tend to use time in a manipulative manner -- as a "stalling tactic," for example, to wear down opponents and get what they want.
Non-verbal messages appear to be more important to Asian negotiators. They rely on them as signs of "implicit understanding." Asians negotiate more intuitively and utilize empathy to interpret non-verbal messages. Koreans especially rely on intuition and personal feelings rather than logic, although they are more confrontational and less docile than Japanese or Chinese negotiators. Koreans pay attention to their feelings and focus on the sense of connection they feel for the other negotiators rather than on the price of the goods or quality of the product. Koreans also...
They want to see sincerity, honesty, and good faith expressed. If a personal relationship fails to develop or the opposing team members are perceived to be insincere, this can result in failure to reach an agreement. In all of this they rely on non-verbal cues, facial expressions and body language.
Unlike Koreans who tend to be very emotional in their dealings, Japanese negotiators do not like to show their feelings or display emotion. It is considered bad taste. Loss of temper, for example, is a character flaw, and if conflict develops with the other side, Japanese negotiators will withdraw. Likewise, Japanese businessmen are always careful to save face. The need to establish trust in the relationship with other negotiators is paramount because to them, losing face means failure. Confrontation and frankness is therefore avoided because that kind of communication can lead to someone losing face and destroying the relationship. This may be why Japanese negotiators are vague and ambiguous (in the beginning, especially) because if they need to change their positions, they can do it and not suffer a painful loss of face.
The meaning of some crucial Japanese non-verbals differs from American. For example, silence does not signify they are upset or disapproving; it means they are concentrating and "thinking deeply." It shows respect for the other's point-of-view. Laughter, on the other hand, does not mean they found something funny; probably, it means they are nervous or embarrassed by something the other side has done. Likewise, cautiousness does not signify fear or weakness in Japanese people; instead, it shows "patience, dependability, and sincerity." Furthermore, too much logic is suspect. Not everything position is right or wrong to them -- they tend to see multiple aspects of a situation -- which helps maintain harmony. In any intercultural negotiation, paying attention to each other's priorities and non-verbal messages, which are culturally shaped, is necessary for successful agreements.
