13. Analyze an intercultural situation.

Joe arrived 15 minutes late for his appointment with Itaru Nakamura, sales manager for a small manufacturer to which Joe’s firm hoped to sell parts. “Sorry to be late,” he apologized,

“but you know how the local drivers are. At any rate, since I’m late, let’s get right down to brass tacks.” Joe began to pace back and forth in the small office. “The way I see it, if you and I can come to some agreement this afternoon, we’ll be able to get the rest to agree. After all, who knows more about this than you and I do?” Joe sat down opposite his colleague and looked him straight in the eye. “So what do you say? Can we agree on the basics and let our assistants hammer out the details?” His colleague was silent for a few moments, then said, “Yes.”

Discuss Joe’s intercultural skills. Specifically, what mistakes did he make? What did Nakamura’s response probably mean?