Interview with Bijan Khajehpour, faculty member of the Schranner Negotiation Institute and expert on negotiations with Iranians:
Mr. Khajehpour, thank you for taking the time for this interview. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country of rich cultural heritage. How do these cultural characteristics affect today’s business dealings in Iran?
One could write an entire book in response to this question. The Iranian culture has a very deep impact on the Iranian behavior including the nation’s business practices. The pride in representing a millennia old civilization means that Iranian businesspersons are proud and demand respect. Lack of respect for the Iranian values would be a non-starter in negotiating with Iranians. A combination of Iranian and Islamic values influence business dealings. Add to those two orientations some of the tensions and anxieties that are generated by revolutionary ideology (such as distrust towards some of the western nations) and you end up with a picture that is complex and multilayered.
What international businesspeople need to appreciate is that despite the complexity it is possible to decipher how the cultural, historical and political dimensions influence the Iranian approach to negotiations.