advanced theory and practice in sport marketing - Marshalls University

misinterpretation. For example, if you were doing business on the Dutch island of
Aruba and you suggested in English to go out to lunch for sushi, an English
speaking person would think lunch was raw fish. However, a native of Aruba
who may only speak Dutch or Papiamento (although most do also speak English
and Spanish) would ask why you were going to eat garbage for lunch
(sushi�garbage in Aruba). Second, during negotiations, often people will have
side conversations in their native tongue to clarify points or explain a concept further.
However, the message often comes across to the other party much differently.
Some of the assumptions that are often made include “they are talking
behind our back;” “they are plotting something;” “they are keeping something
from us;” or “how disrespectful is that.”
Communication issues are also non-verbal in nature. Depending on the culture,
there are certain tactics that are used as a normal function of bargaining
behavior. Silent periods of 10 seconds or more are commonly used in Japanese
and Russian cultures to think about what has been said, attempt to draw out
additional information, and seek to control the room. Conversational overlap,
or the number of times conversations are interrupted because of hand or facial
gestures, is a tactic used by the Germans, French, and Spanish to control a conversation.
These cultures also are adept in using facial glazing, which is extend
time looking directly into the face of a speaker. In Latin and South American
culture, touching during negotiations (pat of the hand, tap on the shoulder) is
commonplace.
A more serious challenge regarding the effectiveness of alternative dispute
resolution in both international and global sport marketing is the significant
differences in values and beliefs. Concepts including competitiveness, equality,
objectivity, and time vary widely from culture to culture. The American business
culture tends to make decision based on facts, what will make the most
money for the organization, and the notion that “business is business.”
However, in most countries around the world (with the exception of some
European Union countries), these notions will not work. This is especially true
with the concept of time, where in many cultures the time to complete negotiations
often is slower, either because they have a “just make them wait” attitude
(typical in Russian negotiations), or that time just tends to go slower because
of the pace of life in those cultures (typical in Latin and South American
cultures).
The most significant challenge to alternative dispute resolution in international
and global sport marketing is the considerable difference in decision making
processes. We understand in American culture that each individual or group
has a different thought process as a result of their education, experiences, and
environment. Now multiply that by thousands of different culture around the
world that a sport marketing professional might engage with as a result of their
involvement in international and global sport marketing efforts. This is a challenge,
and requires the sport marketing professional to take a holistic approach
to negotiations. This approach includes being prepared to discuss multiple concepts
simultaneously, and must often defer to an unorganized, disorderly
process. This is as a result of negotiations not taking place in the step-by-step
process that Americans are usually accustomed to.
340 ADVANCED THEORY AND PRACTICE IN SPORT MARKETING