1、 Chapter 8Cross-Cultural Business NegotiationChapter 08Cross-Cultural Business NegotiationA friendship founded on business is better than business founded on friendship.John Davison RockefellerContents Background Information2 Section A Text Study 4 Humor5 Situational Dialogue 7 Words and Expressions
2、1Section B Text Study6 Lead-in3 Exercises8Section A Forewarned Is ForearmedChapter 08 Cross-Cultural Business NegotiationWords and Expressions 1.inconsistent:adj.not capable of being made consistent or harmonious 不一致的 Such behavior is inconsistent with her high-minded principles.这样的行为与她情操高尚的原则是矛盾的。2
3、.arbitration:n.(law)the hearing and determination of a dispute by an impartial referee agreed to by both parties(often used to settle disputes between labor and management)仲裁 The arbitration clauses have to be included in contract.需要在合同中写上关于纠纷仲裁的条款。backbackWords and Expressions 3.tax haven:a country
4、 or place which has a low rate of tax so that people choose to live there or register companies there in order to avoid paying higher tax in their own countries 避税国(或场所)，避税安乐窝(指对外国投资者有吸引力的税率甚低的国家或地区)Delaware is a tax haven,so many large American companies are registered there.特拉华州是避税天堂,许多美国的大型公司都在那里
5、注册。4.ideology:n.an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation 意识形态 These questions have nothing to do with party or ideology.这些问题其实和党派和意识形态毫无关系。backbackWords and Expressions5.individualism:n.a belief in the importance of the individual and the virtue of self-reliance and person
6、al independence 个人主义 The possession of a gun is the ultimate test of individualism.(允许)持有枪械是对个人主义的终极考验。6.masculinity:n.the qualities which are considered to be typical of men 男性气质 The old ideas of masculinity do not work for most men.对于大多数男人来说，关于男子气概的老套观点现在已不再适用了。7.benevolence:n.an inclination to do
7、 kind or charitable acts 仁慈 A maidens carefree heart cherishes ardent benevolence.悠悠少女心，殷殷慈悲意。backbackWords and Expressions 8.marketing mix:the combination of marketing activities it uses in order to promote a particular product or service 营销组合 Selling and advertising are only part of a larger marke
8、ting mix.销售和广告只是市场营销组合中的一小部分。backbackBackground Information 1.Culture shock“Culture shock”is used to describe the emotional rollercoaster that someone experiences when living in a new country.Anyone that has worked and lived in a foreign country will experience culture shock of some sort.Culture sho
9、ck affects anyone from business personnel and their families,to EFL teachers to sports stars.Recognizing culture shock is an important way of being able to deal with it.Dealing with it helps minimize the risk of becoming disillusioned with a new country and the possibility of deciding that a quick“r
10、eturn home”is the only solution.backbackBackground Information Experts agree that culture shock has stages and all agree that once people get beyond the initial and most difficult stages,life in a new country becomes a lot better.Outlined below is an example of the stages people go through with cult
11、ure shock:backbackBackground InformationStage 1 Excitement The individual experiences a holiday or“honeymoon”period with their new surroundings.They feel very positive about the culture;are overwhelmed with impressions;find the new culture exotic and are fascinated;are passive,meaning they have litt
12、le experience of the culture.backbackBackground Information Stage 2 Withdrawal The individual now has some more face-to-face experience of the culture and starts to find things different,strange and frustrating.They find the behavior of the people unusual and unpredictable;begin to dislike the cultu
13、re and react negatively to the behavior;feel anxious;start to withdraw;begin to criticize,mock or show animosity to the people.backbackBackground Information Stage 3 Adjustment The individual now has a routine,feels more settled and is more confident in dealing with the new culture.They understand a
14、nd accept the behavior of the people;feel less isolated;regains their sense of humor.backbackBackground Information Stage 4 Enthusiasm The individual now feels“at home”.They enjoy being in the culture;function well in the culture;prefer certain cultural traits of the new culture rather than their ow
15、n;adopt certain behaviors from the new culture.backbackBackground Information 2.Coping with culture Negotiating in the international environment is a huge challenge for any negotiator.How do we cope with the cultural differences?What approach is more efficient and proper when dealing with Japanese,A
16、mericans or Germans?There are some very helpful guidelines we can apply.backbackBackground Information Learn the other sides culture It is very important to know the commonest basic components of our counterpartys culture.Its a sign of respect and a way to build trust and credibility as well as adva
17、ntage that can help us to choose the right strategies and tactics during the negotiation.Of course,its impossible to learn another culture in detail when we learn at short notice that a foreign delegation is visiting in two weeks time.The best we can do is to try to identify principal influences tha
18、t the foreign culture may have on making the deal.backbackBackground Information Dont stereotype Making assumptions can create distrust and barriers that expose both your and the other sides needs,positions and goals.The way we view other people tends to be reserved and cautious.We usually expect pe
19、ople to take advantage of a situation,and during the negotiations the other side probably thinks the same way,especially when there is a lack of trust between counterparts.Instead of generalizing,we should make an effort to treat everyone as individuals.backbackBackground Information Find ways to br
20、idge the culture gap Apart from adopting the other sides culture to adjust to the situation and environment,we can also try to persuade the other side to use elements of our own culture.In some situations,it is also possible to use a combination of both cultures,for example,regarding joint venture b
21、usinesses.Another possible solution is to adopt a third culture,which can be a strong base for personal relationships.When there is a difficulty in finding common ground,focusing on common professional cultures may be the initiation of business relations.backbackBackground Information 3.Relationship
22、s and communication in different nations The following deals with some specific considerations that you should build into your planning when negotiation with people from cultures you may not have dealt with before.In this case,there is a risk of making generalizations and discussing stereotypes that
23、 may be unfair and inaccurate.However,be assured that we intend no insult to any culture or tradition whatsoever.backbackBackground Information Relationships in ChinaThe Chinese dont like doing business with companies they dont know,so working through an intermediary is crucial.This could be an indi
24、vidual or an organization that can make a formal introduction and vouch for the reliability of your company.Before arriving in China send materials(written in Chinese)that describe your company,its history,and literature about your products and services.The Chinese often use intermediaries to ask qu
25、estions that they would prefer not to make directly.Business relationships are built formally after the Chinese get to know you.Be very patient.It takes a considerable amount of time and is bound up with enormous bureaucracy.backbackBackground InformationThe Chinese see foreigners as representatives
26、 of their company rather than as individuals.Rank is extremely important in business relationships and you must keep rank differences in mind when communicating.Gender bias is nonexistent in business.Never lose sight of the fact that communication is official,especially in dealing with someone of hi
27、gher rank.Treating them too informally,especially in front of their peers,may well ruin a potential deal.The Chinese prefer face-to-face meetings rather than written or telephonic communication.Meals and social events are not the place for business discussions.There is a demarcation between business
28、 and socializing in China,so try to be careful not to intertwine the two.backbackBackground Information Relationships in Japan The Japanese prefer to do business on the basis of personal relationships.In general,being introduced or recommended by someone who already has a good relationship with the
29、company is extremely helpful as it allows the Japanese to know how to place you in a hierarchy relative to themselves.One way to build and maintain relationships is with greetings/seasonal cards.It is important to be a good correspondent as the Japanese hold this in high esteem.backbackBackground In
30、formationRelationships in Saudi ArabiaYou will need a Saudi sponsor to enter the country.The sponsor acts as an intermediary and arranges appointments with appropriate individuals.Saudis do not require as much personal space as most Western cultures.As such,they will stand close to you while convers
31、ing and you may feel as if your personal space has been violated.Saudis prefer to work with people they know and trust and will spend a great deal of time on the getting-to-know-you part of relationship building.You must be patient.Since Saudis will most likely judge you on appearance,dress and pres
32、ent yourself well.backbackBackground Information Relationships in the USA Americans are direct.They value logic and linear thinking and expect people to speak clearly and in a straightforward manner.To them if you dont“tell it how it is,”you simply waste time,and time is money.If you are from a cult
33、ure that is subtler in communication style,try not to be insulted by the directness.Try to get to your point more quickly and dont be afraid to be more direct and honest than you are used to.Americans will use the telephone to conduct business that would require a face-to-face meeting in most other
34、countries.They do not insist upon seeing or getting to know the people with whom they do business.backbackBackground InformationRelationships in CanadaIt is difficult to specify any national trait in terms of communication in Canada due to its regionalism and cultural diversity.However,there are som
35、e basic communication styles that are fairly standard across the country.For example,businesspeople are generally polite,easy-going and somewhat informal.In general,communication is moderately indirect perhaps reflecting an amalgamation of both North American and British tendencies.Although most Can
36、adians can disagree openly when necessary,they prefer to do so with tact and diplomacy.Their communication style is essentially pragmatic and relies on common sense.If you come from a culture where communication is very direct,you may wish to soften your demeanor and tone so as not to appear threate
37、ning.backbackBackground Information Relationships in Brazil Brazilians need to know who they are doing business with before they can work effectively.Brazilians prefer face-to-face meetings to written communication as it allows them to know the person with whom they are doing business.The individual
38、 they deal with is more important than the company.Since this is a group culture,it is important that you do not do anything to embarrass a Brazilian.Criticizing an individual cause that person to lose face in front of the others in the meeting.backbackBackground Information The person making the cr
39、iticism also loses face,as he or she has disobeyed the unwritten rule.Communication is often informal and does not rely on strict rules of protocol.Anyone who feels they have something to say will generally add their opinion.It is considered acceptable to interrupt someone who is speaking.Face-to-fa
40、ce,oral communication is preferred over written communication.At the same time,when it comes to business agreements,Brazilians insist on drawing up detailed legal contracts.backbackBackground Information Relationships in the UK The British can be quite formal and sometimes prefer to work with people
41、 and companies they know or who are known to their associates.The younger generation,however,is very different;they do not need long-standing personal relationships before they do business with people and do not require an intermediary to make business introductions.Nonetheless,networking and relati
42、onship building are often keys to long-term business success.Most British look for long-term relationships with people they do business with and will be cautious if you appear to be going after a quick deal.backbackBackground Information Relationships in Australia Australians are very matter of fact
43、 when it comes to business,so they do not need long-standing personal relationships before they do business with people.Australians are very direct in the way they communicate.There is often an element of humor,often self-deprecating,in their speech.Aussies often use colorful language that would be
44、unthinkable in other countries.backbackBackground Information Relationships in South Africa South Africans are transactional and do not need to establish long-standing personal relationships before conducting business.If your company is not known in South Africa,a more formal introduction may help y
45、ou gain access to decision-makers and not be shunted off by gatekeepers.Networking and relationship building are crucial for long-term business success.Relationships are built in the office.Most businessmen are looking for long-term business relationships.backbackBackground InformationAlthough the c
46、ountry leans towards egalitarianism,businesspeople respect senior executives and those who have attained their position through hard work and perseverance.There are major differences in communication styles depending upon the individuals cultural heritage.For the most part,South Africans want to mai
47、ntain harmonious working relationships,so they avoid confrontations.They often use metaphors and sports analogies to demonstrate a point.Most South Africans,regardless of ethnicity,prefer face-to-face meetings to more impersonal communication mediums such as email,letter,or telephone.backbackLead-in
48、 The following contract negotiation took place between a Chinese team and a Western team,each of which had 15 members.The Chinese team was led by a senior official at vice-ministerial level,and the western team leader was a senior lawyer,experienced in negotiating contracts in both his own country a
49、nd in China.Since Chinese chief negotiator was a high-ranking official,while he was negotiating with the western team he was also negotiating many other contracts,so he was absent from the first round of negotiation in the morning.It was found that the junior staff in the Chinese team would not make
50、 a decision unless their leader approved it,which made the western team confused.Later that afternoon,the chief negotiator came back,the progress was rapid.It took only a few hours to complete the agenda.backbackLead-in 1.How do you understand the practice of Chinese team?Can you explain why the wes
