“Some of the training that we have done has been targeted specifically at the Japanese culture. Because of the reluctance to have a conflict situation some of the local staff find it difficult to negotiate. They are almost embarrassed to ask for a price reduction. We have run training programmes to explain that negotiation isn’t a gun to the head but a win-win agreement between two parties”

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This post is part of a series of excerpts from interviews with foreign executives in Japan, focusing on creativity. Excerpts have been edited for confidentiality.
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