Abstract
This study aims to generalize the research findings about the impact of individualism-collectivism, ethical idealism and inter-personal trust on ethically questionable negotiation tactics, such as pretending, deceiving and lying, in a Germanic culture, namely, that of Austria.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey questionnaires translated from English to German were collected from 304 respondents. A regression analysis was used to test the contribution of the independent variables to the explanation of negotiators’ attitudes towards questionable negotiation tactics.
Findings
The research empirically corroborated a classification of three groups of negotiation tactics, namely, pretending, deceiving and lying, in Austria. Austrian negotiators who scored high on vertical individualism tended to score high on the endorsement of the pretending tactic; those who scored high on horizontal collectivism tended to score low on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; those who scored high on vertical collectivism tended to score high on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; and those who scored high on inter-personal trust tended to score low on the endorsement of the pretending negotiation tactic. Idealistic negotiators tended not to endorse the use of pretending, deceiving and lying negotiation tactics.
Research limitations/implications
The study investigated the respondents’ perceptions, rather than their actual negotiation behavior. Findings are limited to Germanic culture.
Practical implications
The study provides negotiators in Austria with a tool that has the potential to predict the extent to which Austrian negotiators would use various ethically questionable negotiation tactics.
Originality/value
This is the first study to present a model of the antecedents of negotiation tactics in a Germanic cultural context, where negotiation studies are limited. This study validates in Austria three questionable negotiation tactics groups of varying severity, which had previously been studied only in non-Germanic cultures. This research significantly contributes to the generalization of a model of the antecedents of the endorsement of questionable tactics across cultures. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 115-138 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | European Business Review |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Jan 2019 |
Keywords
- Austria
- Collectivism
- Ethical idealism
- Individualism
- Interpersonal trust
- Negotiation tactics
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Ethically questionable negotiation tactics in the Austrian workplace'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Cite this
- APA
- Author
- BIBTEX
- Harvard
- Standard
- RIS
- Vancouver
}
In: European Business Review, Vol. 31, No. 1, 14.01.2019, p. 115-138.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethically questionable negotiation tactics in the Austrian workplace
AU - Goelzner, H.
AU - Stefanidis, A.
AU - Banai, M.
N1 - Cited By :2 Export Date: 14 December 2023 Correspondence Address: Stefanidis, A.; Peter J. Tobin College of Business, United States; email: [email protected] Funding details: European Commission, EC Funding text 1: Abraham Stefanidis is an Associate Professor at Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St John’s University in New York, USA. Dr Stefanidis has received several international fellowships and awards, including the European Commission Marie Curie Research Fellowship and the Emerald/ EMRBI Business Research Award for Emerging Researchers. Abraham Stefanidis is the Editor-in-Chief of International Studies of Management and Organization. Abraham Stefanidis is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: [email protected] Moshe Banai is a Professor at Baruch College, the City University of New York. He received PhD in Management from the London Business School. He has traveled, consulted and taught in over 20 countries. His research is published in more than 80 academic journal articles and book chapters. Moshe Banai is the Associate Editor of the International Studies of Management and Organization. References: Al-Khatib, J.A., Malshe, A., AbdulKader, M., Perception of unethical negotiation tactics: a comparative study of US and saudi managers (2008) International Business Review, 17 (1), pp. 78-102; Al-Khatib, J., Rawwas, M.Y.A., Swaidan, Z., Rexeisen, R.J., The ethical challenges of global business-to-business negotiations: an empirical investigation of developing countries marketing managers (2005) Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 13 (4), pp. 46-60; Aquino, K., The effects of ethical climate and the availability of alternatives on the use of deception during negotiation (1998) International Journal of Conflict Management, 9 (3), pp. 195-217; Banai, M., Stefanidis, A., Shetach, A., Özbek, M.F., Attitudes toward ethically questionable negotiation tactics: a Two-Country study (2014) Journal of Business Ethics, 123 (4), pp. 669-685; Banas, J.T., Parks, J.M., Lambs among lions? The impact of ethical ideology on negotiation behaviors and outcomes (2002) International Negotiation, 7 (2), pp. 235-260; Bazerman, N.H., Neale, M.A., (1992) Negotiation Rationally, , New York, NY: Free Press; Boles, T.L., Croson, R., Murnighan, J.K., Deception and retribution in repeated ultimatum bargaining (2000) Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 83 (2), pp. 235-259; Brewer, M.B., Gardner, W.L., Who is this ‘we’? Levels of collective identity and self-representations (1996) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71 (1), pp. 83-93; Brück, F., Kulturunterschiede im deutschsprachigen europa: Kulturvergleich – Deutschland – Österreich – schweiz (2001) Interkulturelles Management: Österreichische Perspektiven, pp. 143-166. , Fink G.Meierewert S.,(Eds), Springer, Wien; Butler, J.K., Behaviors, trust, and goal achievement in a win-win negotiating role play (1995) Group &Organization Management, 20 (4), pp. 486-501; Butler, J.K., Trust expectations, information sharing, climate of trust, and negotiation effectiveness and efficiency (1999) Group and Organization Management, 24 (2), pp. 217-238. , Vol No; Calhoun, P.S., Smith, W.P., Integrative bargaining: does gender make a difference? (1999) International Journal of Conflict Management, 10 (3), pp. 203-224; Carr, A.Z., Is business bluffing ethical? (1968) Harvard Business Review, 46 (1), pp. 143-153; Chen, Y., Brockner, J., Katz, T., Towards an explanation of cultural differences in-group favoritism: the role of individual vs collective primacy (1998) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75 (6), pp. 1490-1502; Cohen, R., (1993) An Advocates View’ in Culture and Negotiation, , SAGE Publications, CA; Cramton, P.C., Dees, J.G., Promoting honesty in negotiation: an exercise in practical ethics (1993) Business Ethics Quarterly, 3 (4), pp. 359-394; Curhan, J.R., Elfenbein, H.A., Xu, H., What do people value when they negotiate? Mapping the domain of subjective value in negotiation (2006) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91 (3), pp. 493-512; Eagly, A.H., Chaiken, S., (1993) The Psychology of Attitudes, , Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, Fort Worth, TX; Elahee, M., Brooks, C.M., Trust and negotiation tactics: perceptions about business-to-business negotiations in Mexico (2004) Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 19 (6), pp. 397-404; Elahee, M.N., Kirby, S.L., Nasif, E., National culture, trust, and perceptions about ethical behavior in intra- and cross-cultural negotiations: An analysis of NAFTA countries (2002) Thunderbird International Business Review, 44 (6), pp. 799-818; (2010), www.britannica.com/topic/Germanic-languages, (accessed: 17 April 2017; Erkus, A., Banai, M., Attitudes towards questionable negotiation tactics in Turkey (2011) International Journal of Conflict Management, 22 (3), pp. 239-263; Erten-Buch, C., Fischer, A., Englische kulturstandards aus österreichischer sicht (2001) Interkulturelles Management: Österreichische Perspektiven, pp. 143-166. , Fink G.Meierewert S. and,(Eds), Wien, Springer; Eweje, G., Brunton, M., Ethical perceptions of business students in a New Zealand university: do gender, age and work experience matter? (2010) Business Ethics: A European Review, 19 (1), pp. 95-111; Fells, R., (2012) Effective Negotiation: From Research to Results, , Cambridge University Press; Ferrel, O.C., Gresham, L.G., Fraedrich, J., A synthesis of decision models for marketing (1989) Journal of Macro-Marketing, 9 (2), pp. 55-65; Foo, M.D., Elfenbein, H.A., Tan, H.H., Aik, V.C., Emotional intelligence and negotiation: the tension between creating and creating value (2004) International Journal of Conflict Management, 5 (4), pp. 411-429; Forsyth, D.R., A taxonomy of ethical ideologies (1980) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39 (1), pp. 175-184; Fulmer, I.S., Barry, B., Long, D.A., Lying and smiling: informational and emotional deception in negotiation (2009) Journal of Business Ethics, 88 (4), pp. 691-709; George, D., Mallery, P., (2003) SPSS for Windows Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference, 11.0 Update, , 4th ed., Boston: Allyn and Bacon; Ghauri, P., Usunier, J.C., Ghauri, P.N., (1996) International Business Negotiations, , Pergamom Press, London; Hair, J.F., Anderson, R.E., Tatham, R.L., Black, W.C., (1998) Multivariate Data Analysis, , Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall; Halpern, J.J., Parks, J.M., Vive la difference: differences between males and females in process and outcomes in a low-conflict negotiation (1996) International Journal of Conflict Management, 7 (1), pp. 45-70; Hitt, W.D., (1990) Ethics and Leadership: Putting Theory into Practice, , Batelle Press, Columbus, OH; Hofstede, G., (1980) Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values, , Sage, Beverly Hills, CA; Jackson, T., Cultural values and management ethics: a 10-nation study (2001) Human Relations, 54 (10), pp. 1267-1302; Katz, L., (2007) Negotiating International Business: The Negotiator’s Reference Guide to 50 Countries around the World, , BookSurge, Charleston, SC; Kaushal, R., Kwantes, C.T., The role of culture and personality in choice of conflict management strategy (2006) International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 30 (5), pp. 579-603; Kelman, H., Compliance, identification, and internalization: three processes of attitude change (1958) Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2 (1), pp. 51-60; Koehn, D., Business and game playing: the false analogy (1997) Journal of Business Ethics, 16 (12-13), pp. 1447-1452; Komarraju, M., Dollinger, S.J., Lovell, J.L., Individualism-collectivism in horizontal and vertical directions as predictors of conflict management styles (2008) International Journal of Conflict Management, 19 (1), pp. 20-35; Krispler, R., (2009) Interkulturelle Verhandlungen. Eine empirische Studie über Einflussfaktoren und deren Wirkungen auf das Verhalten der Österreicher in Verhandlungssituationen, , Unpublished diploma thesis, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Salzburg; Kronzon, S., Darley, J., Is this tactic ethical? Biased judgments of ethics in negotiation (1999) Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 21 (1), pp. 49-60; Lewicki, R.J., Robinson, R.J., Ethical and unethical bargaining tactics: an empirical study (1998) Journal of Business Ethics, 17 (2), pp. 665-682; Lewicki, R.J., Saunders, D.M., Barry, B., (2010) Negotiation, , (6th ed), McGraw Hill, Irwin, Boston, MA; Lichtblau, B., Die auswirkungen kultureller unterschiede auf die österreichisch-französische zusammenarbeit im beruflichen alltag (2001) Interkulturelles Management: Österreichische Perspektiven, pp. 35-44. , Fink G., Meierewert S.,(Eds), Springer, Wien; Lin, X., Miller, S.J., Negotiation approaches: direct and indirect effect of national culture (2003) International Marketing Review, 20 (3), pp. 286-303; McAllister, D.J., Affect and cognition based trust as foundations of interpersonal cooperation in organizations (1995) Academy of Management Journal, 38 (1), pp. 24-59; McDonald, G.M., Kan, P.C., Ethical perceptions of expatriate and local managers in Hong Kong (1997) Journal of Business Ethics, 16 (15), pp. 1605-1623; Ma, Z., Exploring the relationships between the big five personality factors, conflict styles, and bargaining behaviors (2005) IACM 18th Annual Conference, , Canada; Ma, Z., Competing or accommodating? An empirical test of chinese conflict management styles (2007) Contemporary Management Research, 3 (1), pp. 13-22; Ma, Z., The SINS in business negotiation: explore the cross-cultural differences in business ethics between Canada and China (2010) Journal of Business Ethics, 91 (S1), pp. 123-135; Ma, Z., Liang, D., Chen, H., Negotiating with the chinese: are they more likely to use unethical strategies? (2013) Group Decision and Negotiation, 22 (4), pp. 641-655; Mayer, R.C., Davis, J.H., The effect of the performance appraisal system on trust for management: a field quasi-experiment (1999) Journal of Applied Psychology, 84 (1), pp. 123-136; Mayer, R.C., Davis, J.H., Schoorman, F.D., An integration model of organizational trust (1995) The Academy of Management Review, 20 (3), pp. 709-734; Meierewert, S., Cultural standard research and its implications for managing multinational teams: cooperation with croatians and slovenes – the Austrian perspective (2009) European J. Of Cross-Cultural Competence and Management, 1 (1), pp. 119-135; Meierewert, S., Horváth-Topcu, K., Kulturstandards im vergleich: Österreich und ungarn (2001) Interkulturelles Management: Österreichische Perspektiven, pp. 111-124. , Fink G.Meierewert S. and,(Eds), Springer, Wien; Mintu-Wimsatt, A., Garcia, R., Calantone, R., Risk, trust and the problem solving approach: a cross cultural negotiation study (2005) Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 13 (1), pp. 52-61; Olekalns, M., Lau, F., Smith, P.L., Resolving the empty core: trust as a determinant of outcomes in three-party negotiations (2007) Group Decision and Negotiation, 16 (6), pp. 527-538; Olekalns, M., Smith, P.L., Mutually dependent: power, trust, affect and the use of deception in negotiation (2009) Journal of Business Ethics, 85 (3), pp. 347-365; Perry, G.M., Nixon, C.J., The influence of role models on negotiation ethics of college students (2005) Journal of Business Ethics, 62 (1), pp. 25-40; Podsakoff, P.M., Organ, D.W., Self-reports in organizational research: problems and prospects (1986) Journal of Management, 12 (4), pp. 531-544; Pump, V.A., (2008), Unpublished doctoral dissertation., Graz University, Graz; Rawwas, M.Y.A., Patzer, G.L., Klassen, M.L., Consumer ethics in cross-cultural settings: entrepreneurial implications (1995) European Journal of Marketing, 29 (7), pp. 62-78; Reitz, H.J., Wall, J.A., Love, M.S., Ethics in negotiation: oil and water or good lubrication? (1998) Business Horizons, 41 (3), pp. 5-14; Rivers, C., Lytle, A.L., Lying, cheating foreigners!! negotiation ethics across cultures (2007) International Negotiation, 12 (1), pp. 1-28; Robinson, R.J., Lewicki, R.J., Donahue, E.M., Extending and testing a five factor model of ethical and unethical bargaining tactics: introducing the SINS scale (2000) Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21 (6), pp. 649-664; Ronen, S., Shenkar, O., Clustering countries on attitudinal dimensions: a review and synthesis (1985) Academy of Management Review, 10 (3), pp. 435-454; Ross, W., LaCroix, J., Multiple meanings of trust in negotiation theory and research: a literature review and integrative model (1996) International Journal of Conflict Management, 7 (4), pp. 314-360; Rotter, J.B., Interpersonal trust, trustworthiness, and gullibility (1980) American Psychologist, 35 (1), pp. 1-7; Schroth, H.A., Helping you is helping me: improving students’ ethical behaviors in a negotiation by appealing to ethical egoism and the reputation effect (2008) Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, 1 (4), pp. 389-407; Shavitt, S., Lalwani, A.K., Zhang, J., Torelli, C.J., The horizontal/vertical distinction in cross-cultural consumer research (2006) Journal of Consumer Psychology, 16 (4), pp. 325-356; Singelis, T.M., Triandis, H.C., Bhawuk, D.S., Gelfand, M.J., Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: a theoretical and measurement refinement (1995) Cross- Cultural Research, 29 (3), pp. 240-275; Singhapakdi, A., Rallapalli, K.C., Rao, C.P., Vitell, S.J., Personal and professional values underlying ethical decisions: a comparison of American and Thai marketers (1995) International Marketing Review, 12 (4), pp. 65-76; Sivadas, E., Bruvold, N.T., Michelle, R.N., A reduced version of the horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism scale: a four-country assessment (2008) Journal of Business Research, 61 (3), pp. 201-210; Stefanidis, A., Banai, M., Ethno‐cultural considerations in negotiation: pretense, deception and lies in the greek workplace (2014) Business Ethics: A European Review, 23 (2), pp. 197-217; Stefanidis, A., Banai, M., Richter, U.H., Employee attitudes toward questionable negotiation tactics: empirical evidence from Peru (2013) International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24 (4), pp. 826-852; Tenbrunsel, A.E., Misrepresentation and expectations of misrepresentation in an ethical dilemma: the role of incentives and temptation (1998) Academy of Management Journal, 41 (3), pp. 330-339; Thompson, L., (2001) The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, , Prentice Hall. Inc, NJ, NJ; Triandis, H.C., (1995) Individualism and Collectivism, , Westview Press, Boulder, CO; Triandis, H.C., Carnevale, P., Gelfand, M.J., Culture and deception in negotiation: a multi-level analysis (2001) International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 1 (1), pp. 73-90; Triandis, H.C., Gelfand, M.J., Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism (1998) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74 (1), pp. 118-128; Valtingojer, T., Internationales management im schnittpunkt zweier kulturen: Italien und österreich (2001) Interkulturelles Management: Österreichische Perspektiven, pp. 51-74. , Fink G.Meierewert S.,(Eds), Springer, Wien; Vitell, S.J., Nwachukwu, S.L., Barnes, J.H., The effects of culture on ethical decision making: an application of hofstede’s typology (1993) Journal of Business Ethics, 12 (10), pp. 753-773; Vitell, S.J., Rallapalli, K., Singhapakdi, A., Marketing norms: the influences of personal moral philosophies and organizational ethical culture (1993) Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21 (4), pp. 331-337; Volkema, R.J., A comparison of perceptions of ethical negotiation behavior in Mexico and the United States (1998) The International Journal of Conflict Management, 9 (3), pp. 218-233; Volkema, R.J., Demographic, cultural, and economic predictors of perceived ethicality of negotiation behavior: a nine-country analysis (2004) Journal of Business Research, 57 (1), pp. 69-78; Volkema, R.J., Fleury, M.T.L., (2002) Journal of Business Ethic, 6 (4), pp. 381-398. , Alternative negotiating conditions and the choice of negotiation tactics: a cross-cultural comparison; Walters, A.E., Stuhlmacher, A.F., Meyer, L.L., Gender and negotiation competitiveness: a meta-analysis (1998) Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 76 (1), pp. 1-29. , Vol No; Wathne, K.H., Heide, J.B., Opportunism in inter-firm relationships: forms, outcomes and solutions (2000) Journal of Marketing, 64 (4), pp. 36-51; Weeks, W.A., Moore, C.W., McKinney, J.A., Longenecker, J.G., The effects of gender and career stage on ethical judgment (1999) Journal of Business Ethics, 20 (4), pp. 301-313; Williamson, O.E., (1985) The Economic Institutions of Capitalism, , The Free Press, New York, NY; Xiao, H., Ma, Z., Business ethics in Canada, China and Taiwan: a three-culture study (2015) Nankai Business Review International, 6 (2), pp. 106-127; Yang, Y., De Cremer, D., Wang, C., How ethically would americans and chinese negotiate? The effect of intra-cultural versus inter-cultural negotiations (2017) Journal of Business Ethics, 145 (3), pp. 659-670; Zarkada-Fraser, A., Fraser, C., Moral decision-making in international sales negotiations (2001) The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 16 (4), pp. 274-293
PY - 2019/1/14
Y1 - 2019/1/14
N2 - Purpose This study aims to generalize the research findings about the impact of individualism-collectivism, ethical idealism and inter-personal trust on ethically questionable negotiation tactics, such as pretending, deceiving and lying, in a Germanic culture, namely, that of Austria. Design/methodology/approach Survey questionnaires translated from English to German were collected from 304 respondents. A regression analysis was used to test the contribution of the independent variables to the explanation of negotiators’ attitudes towards questionable negotiation tactics. Findings The research empirically corroborated a classification of three groups of negotiation tactics, namely, pretending, deceiving and lying, in Austria. Austrian negotiators who scored high on vertical individualism tended to score high on the endorsement of the pretending tactic; those who scored high on horizontal collectivism tended to score low on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; those who scored high on vertical collectivism tended to score high on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; and those who scored high on inter-personal trust tended to score low on the endorsement of the pretending negotiation tactic. Idealistic negotiators tended not to endorse the use of pretending, deceiving and lying negotiation tactics. Research limitations/implications The study investigated the respondents’ perceptions, rather than their actual negotiation behavior. Findings are limited to Germanic culture. Practical implications The study provides negotiators in Austria with a tool that has the potential to predict the extent to which Austrian negotiators would use various ethically questionable negotiation tactics. Originality/value This is the first study to present a model of the antecedents of negotiation tactics in a Germanic cultural context, where negotiation studies are limited. This study validates in Austria three questionable negotiation tactics groups of varying severity, which had previously been studied only in non-Germanic cultures. This research significantly contributes to the generalization of a model of the antecedents of the endorsement of questionable tactics across cultures. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
AB - Purpose This study aims to generalize the research findings about the impact of individualism-collectivism, ethical idealism and inter-personal trust on ethically questionable negotiation tactics, such as pretending, deceiving and lying, in a Germanic culture, namely, that of Austria. Design/methodology/approach Survey questionnaires translated from English to German were collected from 304 respondents. A regression analysis was used to test the contribution of the independent variables to the explanation of negotiators’ attitudes towards questionable negotiation tactics. Findings The research empirically corroborated a classification of three groups of negotiation tactics, namely, pretending, deceiving and lying, in Austria. Austrian negotiators who scored high on vertical individualism tended to score high on the endorsement of the pretending tactic; those who scored high on horizontal collectivism tended to score low on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; those who scored high on vertical collectivism tended to score high on the endorsement of the deceiving and lying tactics; and those who scored high on inter-personal trust tended to score low on the endorsement of the pretending negotiation tactic. Idealistic negotiators tended not to endorse the use of pretending, deceiving and lying negotiation tactics. Research limitations/implications The study investigated the respondents’ perceptions, rather than their actual negotiation behavior. Findings are limited to Germanic culture. Practical implications The study provides negotiators in Austria with a tool that has the potential to predict the extent to which Austrian negotiators would use various ethically questionable negotiation tactics. Originality/value This is the first study to present a model of the antecedents of negotiation tactics in a Germanic cultural context, where negotiation studies are limited. This study validates in Austria three questionable negotiation tactics groups of varying severity, which had previously been studied only in non-Germanic cultures. This research significantly contributes to the generalization of a model of the antecedents of the endorsement of questionable tactics across cultures. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
KW - Austria
KW - Collectivism
KW - Ethical idealism
KW - Individualism
KW - Interpersonal trust
KW - Negotiation tactics
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/4fb5615c-2aa5-3841-9637-b73de9dcc836/
U2 - 10.1108/ebr-08-2015-0081
DO - 10.1108/ebr-08-2015-0081
M3 - Article
SN - 0955-534X
VL - 31
SP - 115
EP - 138
JO - European Business Review
JF - European Business Review
IS - 1
ER -