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The American negotiating style
The USA is an example of the ‘melting pot’ of cultures, with its core culture 
rooted in
Anglo- Saxon and predominantly North European cultures. 
However, there is an increasing Hispanic influence, particularly in the 
southern states. American culture is mainly monochronic, individualist and 
low context.
The USA remains a strong ‘can-do’ culture, which is action- orientated, 
dynamic, competitive and optimistic. The culture is backed by high techno-
logy and is risk taking in nature, where anything is considered possible and 
is accepted as a challenge to be overcome.
Communication style is direct, straightforward and to the point, all 
of which can at times be seen by others as blunt, abrupt and impolite. 
What has to be said is clearly stated – it is ‘straight from the shoulder’ and 
Americans do not ‘beat about the bush’. They will disagree firmly and this 
can cause embarrassment to other cultures. American presentations are con-
fident, highly focused and professionally delivered with the aim of making 
the maximum impact. Negotiators are well prepared and see meetings as a 
process whereby decisions are made.
Humour is often used by Americans as an ‘ice-breaker’ to reduce tension, 
but at times it is not always appreciated by other cultures as it is very much 
American culture- based. It is, however, direct and lighthearted, without the 
irony and innuendo so frequently encountered in British humour.
Negotiations are carried out in a relatively informal manner, with any 
member able to express a view, but when the time comes for decision 
making, such members will tend to defer to the senior members in their 
team. Americans see negotiations as an exercise in problem solving, usually 
through a process of ‘ give- and-take’, based on respective strengths rather 
than as a process for sounding out views and gathering information. They 
are basically task- oriented, negotiate hard in the belief that there is always a 
solution and will explore all options in order to overcome an impasse. They 

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The Effect of Culture on International Negotiations 175
do not show much emotion, but put a high value on direct eye contact. 
They show respect for deadlines and schedules, and performance is meas-
ured by ‘getting the job done’. They see time as a resource to be maximized. 
As a result, they are often risk takers and are therefore more prepared to 
move early on a deal.
Americans prefer agreements to be confirmed in writing, although when 
negotiating, they will accept a ‘yes in principle’, providing there is a clear 
action plan to work out the details later. They are generally uncomfortable 
with lulls or silences during negotiations, often become impatient and do 
not have good listening skills themselves. They are also uncomfortable 
with ambiguity and at times lack cross- cultural awareness and sensitivity. 
However, with the spread of globalization, they have learned to develop 
their cross- cultural fluency.
‘Americans usually attack a complex negotiation task sequentially – that 
is they separate the issues and settle them one at a time’ (Graham and 
Herberger, 1983: 164). As a result, they are prone to make concessions at 
intermediate stages before the final agreement.
For Americans in business, entertaining and socializing are often informal. 
Unlike many cultures, they will invite their counterparts to their homes, but 
in general they tend to separate their work life and their social life.