When engaging in a conversation or negotiation between two or more distinct nations, it’s clear that “negotiations, the negotiation process differs from culture to culture in language, cultural conditioning, negotiating styles, approaches to problem-solving, and building trust” (Abramson, Moran, & Harris, 2018, p. 124) and a skilled negotiator is one who can bear in mind the many differences between national cultures. However, the next level of preparation for international communication is to understand that no nation can be adequately characterized as having a single, monolithic culture. After all, our study of differences within vs differences between tells us that “differences within a group are always greater than the differences between groups” (Penn State World Campus, n.d.). In this analysis, we will look at how geopolitical dynamics can be one of the most significant causes of this phenomenon.
Imagine you are traveling to a country like Turkey and you wish to understand the culture, worldview, language, and predilections of the Turkish counterparts with which you will be conducting a negotiation. If you were to crack open a book about Middle Eastern nations and try to study the Turks, the Syrians, the Saudis, etc., you would quickly find that those labels are almost always a large umbrella placed over a complex and diverse population. In fact, that population may or may not even fully accept the national demonym that you are assigning to them!
One of the first things one should bear in mind is that the modern-day borders between Middle Eastern nations are, in many cases, arbitrary and the source of much contention and disruption. As our class materials put it, “[a]fter World War I… the region was broken into countries based on geography rather than tribal boundaries, which has led to many internal conflicts within countries in the region because the governments have to appease many diverse groups with various ideas of how to live life” (Penn State World Campus, n.d.). The map below helps to illustrate this situation by showing how the color-coded ethnic groups have little or no correlation to national borders.
As a specific example, take a look at the dark red section towards the middle of the map which represents the Kurdish people. The Kurds make up nearly 20% of Turkey’s population (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018), a significant portion that is also marginalized by and severely opposed to the Turkish majority. The Kurds are also dispersed throughout Syria, Iraq, Iran, and other countries in the region. The displacement of the Kurds throughout the Middle East and the notable lack of a Kurdish nation-state despite numbering roughly 35 million people (Central Intelligence Agency, 2018) is currently taking center stage in geopolitics with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria. In the absence of American support, the Kurds are facing an invasion by Turkish military forces and are forced to seek alliances with former foes like the Syrian government for protection (McKernan, 2019).
All of this is to say that, should you be doing business with a person or firm based in Turkey or any other country in the region, it is critical that you avoid the temptation to oversimplify your analysis of a country. Our study of differences “within” vs. “between” groups already provides the crucial insight that differences within a group are always the greatest. The ethnic and geopolitical differences within Middle Eastern nations is one particularly illustrative example of this. As someone engaging in international business or diplomacy, a careful and nuanced understanding of these historical and cultural forces will set you up for successful interactions.
References:
Abramson, N. R., Moran, R. T., & Harris, P. R. (2018). Managing cultural differences: global leadership for the 21st century. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Central Intelligence Agency. (2018, February 1). The World Factbook: Turkey. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html.
Columbia University. (2017). The Gulf 2000 Project. Retrieved from http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/maps.shtml.
McKernan, B. (2019, October 13). Kurds reach deal with Damascus in face of Turkish offensive. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/13/kurds-reach-deal-with-damascus-in-face-of-turkish-offensive.
Penn State World Campus (n. d.). The Modern Middle East. October 13, 2019, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008449/modules/items/27026983
Hi Eric,
I found your post very interesting. I liked how you related our studies of the Middle East to the broader aspect of diversity and recognizing differences between and within. I think you are correct in your assessment that people may live places due to geographical rather than cultural differences. This is important to acknowledge when doing business in the Middle East. We can’t assume that people are all the same. My one consideration with this would be sharia law. Unlike the US there isn’t as much of a separation of church and state. Many governments abide by Islamic Law (Penn State, n.d.). To me this would make me want to act culturally appropriate in a broad statement. Lagace (2002) states that Westerners “need to appreciate the extent to which religion and Islamic law are intertwined and permeate all levels of society, including commerce, to greater and lesser degrees depending on the country.” I therefore think that as much as we should recognize that people are all different, we need to accept that business tradition may be different than what we are accustomed to.
References:
Lagace, M. (2002). How To Do Business in Islamic Countries. Retrieved October 16th, 2019 from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/how-to-do-business-in-islamic-countries.
Penn State (n.d.). Focus on Saudi Arabia. Retrieved October 16th, 2019 from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008449/modules/items/27026984.