Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Set in a high-pressure sales office, this movie depicts real estate agents in constant contact with clients and each other, always ready to close or walk away from deals. The focus is on results, not relationships or context, and the right to exit is exercised ruthlessly.
movies
Hauptmann Wiesler
In The Lives of Others, set in 1984 East Berlin, the Stasi secret police monitor playwright Georg Dreyman, suspecting him of anti-government activities. The Stasi officer, Hauptmann (captain) Wiesler, employs a methodical, structured approach during Dreyman’s interrogation.
Wiesler adheres strictly to protocol, asking precise, repetitive questions to expose inconsistencies. The scene is devoid of emotional appeals and is driven by logic, structure, and adherence to bureaucratic procedure. The emphasis on detailed questioning, factual evidence, and strict procedural adherence reflects the German preference for systematic, rule-based negotiation, even in coercive situations.
transactional and ruthless
There Will Be Blood (2007). Daniel Plainview’s business dealings are transactional and ruthless. He enters agreements with landowners and partners, only to break or manipulate them for personal gain. The film critiques the destructive consequences of this approach, both for individuals and communities.
McDonald brothers
The Founder (2016). This film tells the story of Ray Kroc and the McDonald brothers. Kroc enters into an agreement with the brothers to franchise their restaurant, maintains constant contact as the business grows, but ultimately finds ways to change the terms and force the original owners out. The movie highlights how agreements can be transactional, with parties reserving the right to alter or exit arrangements when it suits their interests.
“Show him the money”
In Jerry Maguire, the negotiation between Jerry Maguire and Rod Tidwell encapsulates the American emphasis on assertiveness, personal branding, and relationship-building in business deals. Jerry, a sports agent, tries to persuade Rod, a professional football player, to sign with him by promising to ‘show him the money.’ The negotiation is characterized by emotional appeals, personal connection, and assertive, results-oriented language. Unlike more structured, logic-driven approaches, the scene underscores the importance of charisma and personality in American-style negotiation.
Good Bye Lenin !
In the film Good Bye Lenin! (2003), set in East Berlin before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the protagonist’s mother, a staunch supporter of the socialist regime, views Western capitalist practices with disdain, including price bargaining. The film highlights her discomfort with the perceived commercialism and transactional nature of post-reunification Germany, contrasting it with the perceived fairness and transparency of fixed pricing under socialism.
Gordon Gekko
In the classic film Wall Street (1987), Gordon Gekko’s character embodies the American negotiating ethos with the infamous phrase ‘Greed is good.’ His approach to business is unapologetically transactional, with aggressive negotiation tactics depicted as a sign of strength and success. Similarly, in ‘The Godfather’ (1972), Don Vito Corleone’s strategic deal-making showcases the cultural expectation of negotiating for the best possible outcome, regardless of the moral implications.
Don Corleone
In The Godfather (1972), Don Vito Corleone’s strategic deal-making showcases the cultural expectation of negotiating for the best possible outcome, regardless of the moral implications.
dark, ruthless
In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939), the Joad family arrives in California during the Great Depression, seeking work. They encounter a contractor who offers them substandard wages, knowing they are desperate. The contractor leverages the Joads’ desperation to dictate the terms of employment, setting up a classic power imbalance. Despite the unfair terms, the Joads have no leverage to negotiate, highlighting the stark economic realities of the time. The focus on exploiting power dynamics, leveraging scarcity, and driving a hard bargain without regard for fairness reflects the darker, more ruthless side of American negotiation culture.
Safe is the new risky
Most people are looking for job security. Not understanding that jobs are in the best interest of the company not the employees. Everyone knows about the 40-40-40 Plan, Working 40 hours a week for someone else, for 40 years of your life, to retire off of 40% of what you struggled to live off of. That’s not freedom, its a cycle that needs to be broken.