Negotiation is a part of everyone's life. Negotiations take place over who performs what tasks in the household, how resources are allocated among children, who gets what type of raise in the workplace and how multi-billion dollar business deals are structured. Negotiations can be formal·as business deals typically are·or informal, such as negotiations regarding household tasks. Every person has their own negotiating skills and style, but some generalities can be broadly drawn regarding how men and women negotiate, and how individualistic and collectivistic cultures influence negotiating. This research considers the various negotiating interactions that might take place among these individuals and how the negotiations might proceed.
Men are typically assumed to be more aggressive than women and are also assumed to have a more aggressive negotiating style than their female counterparts. There is an emphasis among men on "winning" even if the other party in the negotiation does not fare well or could have done better·with no harm to the first party·in the negotiation. Although the "win win" negotiation strategy has gained favor in the business world in recent years, there continues to be an emphasis on making sure that one is not "snookered" in a negotiation and that the negotiating party has obtained the best possible deal for himself or his interests (Johnson 23).
Women tend to use "softer" language than men in Canada and the United States, and may even be apologetic in their language when faced with formal negotiations. Personal feelings should be kept out of formal business negotiations, and men in Western societies are typically raised to maintain an "it's only business" attitude while women are encouraged to cultivate a more emotional framework. This can be detrimental in negotiations with men where the man may be focused on "winning" and the woman is not only interested in obtaining a good outcome for herse
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