Perceptions of the appropriateness of negotiation in educational settings: A cross-cultural comparison among Koreans and Americans

This study focused on perceptions of the appropriateness of negotiation among Koreans and mainstream Americans. Mainstream American college students (n = 193), Korean students in the U.S. (n = 75), and Korean students in Korea (n = 110) rated the appropriateness of negotiating with instructors and classmates in 73 situations. Results showed that while there were no significant differences between Korean students in the U.S. and in Korea, there were highly significant differences between the combined Korean group and the American group. Korean found negotiation significantly less appropriate in 12 of the 13 situations (i.e., if the instructor had calculated points in an exam incorrectly, or if the class was not helping them learn). The findings point to the importance of cultural differences for the teaching and learning process.