Temperament is one sub-set of culture and should be taken into account during negotiations. For example, the American impatience (progressiveness) and the Japanese fastidiousness (precision) could create difficulties in business talks if the respective cultural responses are not understood. The Japanese tend to be reflective, and negotiations with them are likely to be punctuated with periods of silence, which could agitate an American. Very often, the silence is misunderstood and the American is likely to fill the contemplative moments with more words. The reflecting Japanese, in turn, feels rushed and confused. In the case of an American company trying to win a contract with a South American firm, disregard for the importance of the relationship lost the deal. The American company (with a superior product and lower price) made a slick, well-conceived presentation, period. Its Swedish competitor, however, took an entirely different course, spending a week in getting to know the customer, discussing everything except the product, which was introduced only on the last day.

Sony's chairman, Akio Morita, conceived the idea of the Walkman by his desire to listen to music en route to work without disturbing others. The Walkman is popular in America for the opposite reason - it cuts off disturbance from the outside world to the listener!

Hierarchical differences can also cause problems. Perceptions of status are often made on the basis of some status symbols. A British general manager in Bangkok preferred to drive a small car which is more maneuverable in Bangkok's traffic. However his Thai team found it impossible to agree to his request, because if he drove a small car they would be obliged to ride bicycles! Hence he was forced to drive a Mercedes-Benz.

In some traditional cultures, when people are asked to deal with someone who is ten to twenty years younger than them, they feel offended, even though the younger person may be well-qualified, competent and experienced. For instance, the Greek, the Italians, the Japanese and most Asians would be offended dealing with very young Americans or Europeans.

Time is viewed in a variety of ways in different cultures. The Americans, for example, are sequential in their approach, doing only one activity at a time, keeping appointments strictly, scheduling in advance and not running late. In contrast, the South American or Middle Eastern approach is one where appointment times are approximate, meetings may start late and telephone calls and other visitors upset schedules.