Cross-Cultural Competence and Functional Diversity in Business Negotiations: A Developing Country's Perspective

The paper examines cross-cultural competence and functional diversity in cross border transactions. From the Ghanaian cultural context, we analyse the positions of USA, UK, Germany, Japan, China, and the South African business executives in a buyer-seller relationship exchange of the negotiations using the qualitative exploratory approach. Findings indicate whereas cultural competence significantly affects trans-national negotiation decision making, the success or failure of negotiations is not dependent on the presence of shared cultural identities. Mutual adaptations, trust and power dominance significantly influence cross-border negotiation decision making. Meanwhile, in the buyer-seller dyad, functional diversity in negotiation decision outcomes is influenced by partner's level of exposure and ethics as openness, integrity, and intrinsically linked to business decisions and contractual agreements.