Cultural Influence in Digital Business Negotiations: A Cross-Cultural Communication Analysis

Abstract

This master’s thesis investigates how cultural values, specifically individualism versus collectivism, manifest in digital negotiations with a particular focus on the interaction between cultural background and assigned negotiation roles. A qualitative-experimental study was conducted with eight crosscultural negotiations via Zoom where each pair contained a participant from an individualist and a collectivist culture, randomly assigned to a buyer or seller role. The study examined verbal, nonverbal and paraverbal communication behaviors, finding that both cultural groups had similar levels of directness in digital negotiations and challenged the stereotype of collectivists being indirect communicators. In contrast, collectivists, especially in a buyer role, had a greater focus on relationships, politeness and emotional expressiveness. Individualists focused on task-oriented language, efficiency and direct eye contact. The paraverbal characteristics of collectivists displayed a richer tone and rhythm and a stronger focus on relational harmony, while the individualists were steadier and more business-like in their delivery. Role assignment stimulated varied styles: sellers from both cultures were more direct and less relational than buyers, and buyers, particularly collectivist buyers, emphasized relational language and used more varied expressive nonverbal behavior. The subjective evaluations confirmed these findings: collectivists expressed more satisfaction with the process and relationship aspects of the negotiation, while individualists were more focused on performance and the outcome. Furthermore, the digital medium acted as both a constraint and a catalyst, limiting some nonverbal cues but prompting increased verbal clarity and adaptation to visible signals. Overall, these findings underline the necessity of considering cultural background and negotiated role in digital cross-cultural business negotiations. This thesis contributes to the understanding of intercultural digital negotiation behaviors and provides some practical guidelines for how business professionals can improve communication effectiveness and develop sustained partnerships internationally in virtual spaces.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Andreas Zehetner (Supervisor)