National culture, trust, and perceptions about ethical behavior in intra‐ and cross‐cultural negotiations: An analysis of NAFTA countries

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the role of national culture in the formation of the trust that people are likely to extend to exchange partners in business negotiations and, consequently, how the level of such trust influences the likelihood of using certain questionable tactics in intra‐ and cross‐cultural negotiations. Based on survey data collected from businesspeople from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this article shows that trust is culturally embedded and has a negative relationship with the likelihood of using certain questionable negotiation tactics. The study found that Mexican negotiators are less likely to use questionable negotiation tactics in intracultural negotiations as compared to cross‐cultural negotiations. On the other hand,the intended negotiation behaviors of Canadian and U.S. negotiators were not found to vary significantly across intra‐ and cross‐cultural negotiations. The findings of the study underscore the importance of building relationship with exchange partners, especially when such exchange partners come from countries that represent collectivistic, high‐context, strong uncertainty‐avoidance,and large power‐distance cultures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.