ETHNO-CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN NEGOTIATION: PRETENSE, DECEPTION, LIES AND FORMAL CONTRACTS IN GREECE

A retrospect into ethos, this study endeavors to illuminate the impact of individualism, collectivism, idealism and trust on business people tendency to endorse questionable negotiation tactics and to sign formal contracts in Greece. A thousand survey questionnaires were administered to Greek employees, of which 327 usable responses were collected. The use of an online platform allowed the rigorous management and control of the acquired data. The research findings highlight the significant role of ethical idealism in negotiation processes and agreements. The impact of individualism/ collectivism on the endorsement of questionable negotiation tactics and the propensity to sign formal contracts is corroborated. This research does not investigate respondents’ actual negotiation behavior; it rather explores perceptions about preferred negotiation tactics, and attitudes towards ethical behavior, general trust and formal contracts. The findings may deviate from real-life behavior in the Greek setting. Emphasizing the non-US and non-Western European nature of the empirical data collected, the originality of this research stems from the development of a comprehensive research framework about questionable negotiation tactics and formal contracts.