Intercultural sensitivity: recognising differences

You represent a Mauritian computer company which is negotiating to buy hardware from a manufacturer in Japan. In your first meeting, you explain that your company expects to control the production and quality of the hardware. The manufacturer's representative looks down and says softly, "perhaps that will be difficult". You press for agreement and to emphasise your willingness to buy, you show the prepared contract that you have brought with you. However the manufacturer seems increasingly vague and uninterested.

(a) What are the differences that exist in the cultures of countries across the world?

(b) How can you overcome intercultural communication barriers?

(c) From the case study, how would you have dealt and communicated with your Japanese counterpart?