Is it better to negotiate in a foreign language?
A new study highlights how using a foreign language can actually improve face-to-face negotiations.
10/15/2024
2 min
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The research by experts from IÉSEG and the University of Seville confirmed that the majority of people prefer to negotiate in their native language. This is no surprise as it’s clearly more comfortable. But what happens when people switch to a foreign language?
To answer this question, the researchers studied more than 300 French and Chinese master’s students as they negotiated in both their native and foreign language—English and Spanish, respectively. They were asked to play the role of either a recruiter or a candidate as part of a fictive corporate recruitment process.
The results were striking. Those negotiating in their foreign language achieved better joint outcomes compared to those negotiating in their native tongue. This means they found a solution where both parties obtained higher individual scores.
Why? They found that people speaking a foreign language were less likely to display emotion, for example anger. They were more likely to think rationally and maintain a higher psychological distance. This ability to step back and to see the big picture resulted in less biased interactions and a better mutual understanding of each party’s interests.
So, while negotiating in a foreign language might feel challenging, it can help, leading to more successful outcomes.
For more details, visit their paper in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. “Linguistics of the heart and mind: Negotiating in one’s native language is comfortable but not efficient” Adrian Barragan Diaz (IÉSEG), Jimena Y. Ramirez Marin (formerly IÉSEG), Elena Poliakova, (IÉSEG) and Francisco J. Medina (University of Seville).
