Abstract

Negotiations bring not only uncertainty but also ambiguity on what is morally appropriate or not to do. This paper sought to determine how appropriate SMEs managers perceive the use of ethically questionable tactics that are usually used in business negotiations and how culture may impact this perception. To achieve this, the study makes comparisons of this perception across demographic and personal characteristics like gender, age, negotiating experience, training, etc. In addition, it studies the causal relationship between cultural values and cultural intelligence with business ethics to analyse the potential of culture to explain the perception of appropriateness of using ethically questionable tactics. The results show that the traditional competitive bargain tactics are seen as the most appropriate ones by those in Greater Lincolnshire and the tactics concerning attacking the opponent’s network as the least appropriate. Culture has a significant impact on the perceived appropriateness of using ethically questionable tactics in negotiations. The relevant implications are discussed along with the limitations and future research directions.