They were asked to respond to 4 open-ended questions, and also encouraged to give any other comments freely (See Appendix). The first question was designed to find out the most difficult aspects of conducting business negotiations with Japanese. The second and third questions dealt with more specific questions such as managing conflicts and expressing disagreement. The fourth question concerned communication styles on a more personal level. In the interviews, the order of the questions was flexible, allowing for a natural flow of conversation.