Mapping Negotiation Behavior Across Cultures: A Pattern-Based, Attribute-Free Methodological Approach

Abstract: Intercultural negotiation research has generated extensive knowledge on cultural differences in negotiation behavior. However, much of this research relies on predefined cultural dimensions and selected behavioral attributes, meaning that analyses are guided by theoretically assumed categories, which may constrain the identification of emergent patterns. As a result, broader relational patterns often remain underexplored. Responding to calls for greater methodological openness, this study introduces an attribute-free, pattern-based approach that adopts a multidimensional perspective on intercultural negotiation behavior. Using multidimensional scaling (MDS), perceived similarities in negotiation behavior across cultures are mapped without imposing theoretical categories ex ante, enabling the identification of cultural structures, clusters, and overlaps. To support interpretation, the approach is complemented by a dual-perspective behavioral self-assessment capturing both active and reactive negotiation behavior. Drawing on 322 complete datasets from experienced negotiators representing just under 30 national cultures, the study demonstrates the potential of similarity-based methods to reveal cultural configurations that extend beyond established cultural models and offers a scalable foundation for theory development and practice-oriented applications.

Keywords: negotiation, culture, intercultural negotiation, negotiation behaviour, international, methodology, multidimensional scaling, similarity-based analysis