Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to explore an innovative strategy for studying the Brazilian negotiator’s unique and paradoxical characteristics from a cultural point of view in order to acquire a better understanding of the nature of international business negotiations in Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is of a qualitative nature, using a multiple-case study design at three levels (small-, medium-, and large scale negotiations). Interviews were conducted with Brazilian and German managers to capture the emic-etic view of the Brazilian negotiator. The Strategic Trinity Model was developed to assess the behavior of the Brazilian negotiator in agreement with three metaphors: “African Capoeirista”, “Portuguese Bureaucrat”, and “Indigenous Warrior”.

Findings

The three roles “African Capoeirista”, “Portuguese Bureaucrat”, and “Indigenous Warrior” comprised similar as well as contradicting characteristics. The Brazilian negotiator chose naturally and even paradoxically from these role features, effectively negotiating any given situation, context, and time. During the pre- and post-negotiation phases, traits of the “African Capoeirista” and “Indigenous Warrior” were the most salient. During the formal negotiation phase, however, the characteristics of the “African Capoeirista” and the “Portuguese Bureaucrat” dominated.

Research limitations/implications

International business negotiations in Brazil call for an in-depth comprehension of the paradoxical roles that local negotiators take on in order to achieve better negotiation outcomes.

Originality/value

The present study unveiled the contradicting Brazilian negotiating style in international business negotiations, thus acquiring a better understanding of the negotiation process in the Brazilian market.