As business director for a private university, Hsuan Park was in charge of negotiating the rent of a dormitory during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Although he had lived most of his life in the United States, Park used a negotiation style often employed by high context cultures such as his native Korea.

A national news organization wanted the 23-room house for three weeks and offered $30,000. Park didn’t respond. The news organization then offered $45,000. Park didn’t respond. Totally exasperated, the US news organization made their final and absolute offer of $60,000, which Park accepted.

He later told a colleague, “Initially, I didn’t respond because I was considering their offer, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. After they upped the offer so quickly, I waited to see what their final price might be.”