This article deals with international negotiations in multinational enterprises (MNEs), in particular the HQ-subsidiary negotiations. The theoretical part of the intercultural negotiation framework (Ott, 2011) highlights the potential for MNE negotiation analysis. An empirical investigation into Japanese MNE negotiations strengthens the theory. Different time perceptions and strategies influence HQ-subsidiary negotiations. The outcome of the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) shows that an integrative approach needs a higher offer with a margin of at least 20% to cover for relationship building, patience and trust.