The challenges of negotiation in English in a Romanian

business environment

Teodorescu Anne-Marie

Abstract
“In business, as well in life, you do not get what you deserve, but what you do negotiate.”

Chester L. Karrass

English negotiators have made subsidiaries in our country and have human resources here,
employees are required to learn English at an advanced level. Big Four and Deloitte are some of
the most important audit firms in the world where Romanians have opportunities to
communicate with English negotiators.

Due to the complexity of the modern business environment, the element of negotiation is a
constant process. Negotiations are never “over”. The English negotiation style, considered by
Bill Scott inferior to the American negotiation style, stands out through flexibility. British
negotiators are open, friendly, sociable, agreeable and respond to initiatives.

The negotiation is part of the international business which plays the role of turntable inside the
working model of international relationships. To Romanians, negotiating is usually a joint
problem-solving process. While the buyer is in a superior position, both sides in a business deal
own the responsibility to reach agreement. Given the current turmoil in the country,
negotiators may focus mostly on the near-term benefits of the business deal. Although the
primary negotiation style is competitive, Romanians nevertheless value long-term relationships
and look for win-win solutions. They avoid any open confrontation as it could damage
relationships. It is best to remain calm, friendly, patient, and persistent, never taking anything
personally. International negotiators should start the negotiation processes when they feel
prepared to do it, have time and emotions under control.
English negotiations have a major impact on the Romanian business environment. For example,
Brexit had multiple effects on the Romanian economy. There are a lot of challenges and
opportunities at European level. Every organization that conducts business with organizations
in the EU, whether it is the government, businesses, universities or non governmental
organizations, will need to examine how Brexit changes its relationships with other
organizations. Practices that are taken for granted will be challenged, old relationships tested
and in some cases dissolved, and new relationships formed. This creates opportunities for value
creation. Commercial exchanges between Romania and the UK have registered an upward
trend, especially beginning with 2005, after concluding, in December 2004, Romania’s
negotiations to join the European Union. In the first 11 months of 2016, bilateral trade
exceeded the whole previous year, rising up to EUR 3.76 billion, with a EUR 898 million trade
surplus for Romania (Results of Romania’s International Trade between 01.01.-30.11.2016, p. 4)
The three key negotiation challenges post-Brexit will be:

1. Negotiating Over Losses

First, the strong individual preference for the status quo means that negotiating parties
will view the current changed situation as a loss. Research suggests that negotiating
over losses is more difficult than negotiating over gains. Negotiating parties will risk an
impasse rather than accepting losses which means that negotiators have to be
particularly skilled when negotiating over losses.

2. Managing Emotion

Second, the strong emotions engendered by Brexit might spill over into negotiations.
(This is most likely to be the case for inter-governmental negotiations.) Research
suggests that emotions are not detrimental to the negotiation process as long as they
are properly managed. Managing emotions productively requires knowledge and
experience.

3. Principles And Perspectives

Third, a number of the negotiations will be about resolving conflict where claims and
counter claims about principles that guide the relationship will be made. A significant
 body of research shows that our advocacy of principles is egocentric; we claim
adherence to principles that benefit us and deprecate principles that benefit others.
Finding common ground in the presence of egocentric biases requires the ability to take
others’ perspectives.

UK’s exit from the European Union will affect the business environment in the EU that is
currently engaged in trade with or inside the UK, as well as British businesses that have
trade with EU countries.
1

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