The former Russian leader interpreted Kennnedy’s confession of error over the Bay of Pigs fiasco as the testimony of the American president’s frank naivety and lack of character, ignoring that admission of a mistake or a misjudgment is positively perceived in the United States. Indeed, U.S. ethics value frankness and honesty. History lessons for assessing character and credibility in international business negotiations.
When people do not share the same codes, this may create problems for establishing credibility/trust.
The misinterpretation by the Soviet leader Khrushchev of the credibility of the American president, John F. Kennedy, was one of the main reasons for the seriousness of the Cuban missile crisis at the beginning of the 1960s. Kennedy and Khrushchev had held talks in Vienna, after the unsuccessful invasion by U.S. soldiers resulting in defeat at the Bay of Pigs.
During their meeting, the young President Kennedy recognized that this attack had been a military and political mistake, which he regretted. Khrushchev saw this confession of error as a testimony of Kennedy’s frank naivety and lack of character. He therefore inferred that it was possible to gain advantage by installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, which would have been targeted at the United States.
This led the world to the brink of nuclear war between the superpowers. The events which followed showed that Khrushchev had been wrong in evaluating Kennedy’s credibility. Ultimately, Kennedy showed great firmness and negotiation skill.
Khrushchev’s mistake may be explained by differences in cultural coding of credibility. Whereas in the United States, reaching a high position while still young is positively perceived, Soviet people associate age with the ability to carry responsibilities. Moreover, the admission of a mistake or a misjudgment is also positively perceived in the United States. U.S. ethics value frankness and honesty. There is the belief that individuals may improve their behavior and decisions by taking into account the lessons of experience.
On the other hand, in the Soviet Union, admission of errors was rare. It generally implied the very weak position of people subjected to the enforced confessions of the Stalinist trials.
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