Abstract
This chapter describes the negotiation style of Pakistani managers with a detailed analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. Further, the chapter recommends strategies for negotiating with Pakistani professionals. Before explaining the negotiation aspect, we briefly analyze the historical background, national culture, and general business environment of Pakistan. In particular, we analyze the cultural tendencies of Pakistanis in light of Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions. The analysis brings Pakistan to light as a society high in power distance and strongly oriented toward group relationship. It also reveals that Pakistani society lacks long-term orientation and most plans are built with a medium-term or short-term mind-set. The main strengths of the Pakistani negotiator are relationship orientation, street smarts, practicality, and good communication. Issues that foreign negotiators might find challenging in working with Pakistani counterparts are indirectness, polychronic approach to time, lack of commitment, and slow pace of negotiation. The chapter recommends the foreign negotiator to be relationship-oriented, open, indirect, and composed while negotiating with Pakistani business professionals. Opening a negotiation with extreme positions and then gradually moderating one’s stance can be beneficial while negotiating with Pakistanis.
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Notes
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The following sources can be tapped for more information about Pakistan, its business environment, negotiation styles, and business opportunities.
Database Links and References for More Information Sources
The following sources can be tapped for more information about Pakistan, its business environment, negotiation styles, and business opportunities.
The Government of Pakistan. (2017). Long Term Plan for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (2017–2030). Retrieved from https://www.dawn.com/news/1333101
Naheed, K. (2017). The Culture and Civilization of Pakistan. Karachi: Oxford University Press (ISBN 9780199407736).
Haleem, S. (2013). Pakistan—Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture. Great Britain: Kuperard (ISBN 9781857336771).
Katz, L. (2006). Negotiating International Business: The Negotiator’s Reference Guide to 50 Countries Around the World. Createspace Independent Pub.
Zaidi, A. S. (2015). Issues in Pakistan’s Economy. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
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Mubarak, M.S., Naghavi, N. (2019). Negotiating with Managers from Pakistan. In: Khan, M.A., Ebner, N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Cross-Cultural Business Negotiation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00277-0_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00277-0_12
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