Second, bargaining and negotiating are, in part, a culture-bound activity. Approaches to bargaining vary across cultures—a view accepted among liberals, who place importance on state differences. At least two styles of negotiations have been identified These two different styles may lead to contrasting outcomes.
In the negotiations during the 1970s for the New International Economic Order (NIEO), for example, culture influenced the negotiating style adopted by the South. Specifically, during bargaining on specific issues, the South argued in a deductive style—from general principles to particular applications. The task that the South saw for itself, then, was for its states to agree among themselves on basic principles of the NIEO and leave the particular details to be worked out at a later date. This approach conveniently masked conflict over details until a later stage. The South’s approach contrasted sharply with that preferred by many countries in the North, who favored discussion of concrete detail, eschewing grand philosophical debate. The United States and Great Britain, key actors in the North, both favored pragmatically addressing concrete problems and resolving specific issues before broader principles were crystallized. These differences in negotiating approaches led, in part, to a stalemate in negotiations and eventually the failure to achieve any meaningful concessions.