文化因素与商务谈判论文

【摘要】随着经济全球化的趋势、国际商务活动的日益频繁，越来越显示出对多元文化理解的必要性和跨文化谈判能力的重要性。商务谈判中的文化因素引起了人们越来越多的关注。无庸置疑，在跨文化的商务谈判中，除了基本的谈判技巧、理解不同地区的文化因素、认识文化差异外，还要采取相应的策略和不断调整自己的谈判风格，这样将对成功的商务谈判起到至关重要的作用。

【关键词】文化；因素；商务谈判

I.Introduction

WiththeemergenceofeconomicglobalizationandChina’sentryintoWTO,internationalbusinessbecomesincreasinglyintercultural.Asinternationalbusinessrelationsgrow,sodoesthefrequencyofbusinessnegotiationsamongpeoplefromdifferentcountriesandcultures.Andthatcancreateconsiderablechallengesforbusinessrepresentativesunfamiliarwiththeculturesofdifferentgroups.Sotheinterculturalapproachtointernationalbusinessnegotiationhasattractedincreasingacademicattention.Negotiationscaneasilybreakdownbecauseofalackofunderstandingoftheculturalcomponentinthenegotiationprocess.

Therefore,tothesuccessfulnegotiations,thetwosidesmustfirstunderstandtheculturaldifferences.Negotiatorswhotakethetimetounderstandtheapproachthattheotherpartiesarelikelytouseandtoadapttheirownstylestothatonearelikelytobemoreeffectivenegotiators.Thusinaninterculturalnegotiation,inadditiontothebasicnegotiationskills,itisimportanttounderstandtheculturaldifferences,andtomodifythenegotiationstyleaccordingly.

Thispaperfocusonthefourdimensionsofcultureanddifferentnegotiatingstylestoillustratetheimportanceoftheculturefactorsinbusinessnegotiation.

II.NegotiationandCulture

Theverydefinitionofnegotiation,initsmodernsense,canvaryfromculturetoculture.Whatanegotiationisdesignedtoaccomplishisseendifferentlybydifferentgroupsofpeople.Beforeoneevencomestothetable,suchdifferencesinthemeaningorpurposeofthenegotiationaffectthenegotiation,ashowonedefinestheprocessofnegotiatingisculturallydetermined.Someculturesseeitonlyasanopportunitytobargain,othersastheestablishmentofalifetimerelationshipthatgoesbeyondtheoccasionalmeeting,stillothersasanopportunitytodemonstratetheircapacityforeloquenceanddebate.Somedonotseenegotiationasaprocessatall.Forinstance,AmericansandEuropeanstendtoseenegotiationsasacompetitiveprocess;theChineseandtheJapaneseseeitasacollaborativeendeavor.

Sotherearemanymorechallengesinaninterculturalenvironmentthaninamono-culturalsetting.Interculturalnegotiationsarenegotiationwherethenegotiatingpartiesbelongtodifferentculturesanddonotsharethesamewaysofthinking,feeling,andbehavior.Thenegotiationprocessisgenerallymorecomplexbecauseculturalnormsmayundermineeffectivecommunication.

III.SomeCultureFactorsinBusinessNegotiation

Languagegoesbeyondthespokenword,encompassingnonverbalactionsandbehaviorsthatrevealhiddencluestoculture.Inthenegotiationprocess,interpersonalcommunicationisthekeyactivitythattakesplaceattheverbal,nonverbal,situationalcontextuallevel,andatotalcommunicationsystemcanassistthenegotiatortobridgethegapbetweenutteranceandfeltmeaning.Threekeytopics---time,space,bodylanguage---offerastartingpointfromwhichnegotiatorscanbegintoacquiretheunderstandingnecessarytodobusinessinforeigncountries.

Time

Twodifferentorientationstotimeexistacrosstheworld:monochronicandpolychronic.Monochronicapproachestotimearelinear,sequentialandinvolvefocusingononethingatatime.TheseapproachesaremostcommonintheEuropean-influencedculturesoftheUnitedStates,Germany,Switzerland,andtheScandinavia.Japanesepeoplealsotendtowardthisendofthetimecontinuum.Polychronicorientationstotimeinvolveworkingonseveralactivitiessimultaneously.Thetimeittakestocompleteaninteractioniselastic,andmoreimportantthananyschedule.ThisorientationismostcommoninMediterraneanandLatinculturesincludingFrance,Italy,Greece,andMexico,aswellassomeEasternandAfricancultures.

Space

Spaceorientationsdifferacrosscultures.Theyhavetodowithterritory,divisionsbetweenprivateandpublic,comfortablepersonaldistance,comfortorlackofcomfortwithphysicaltouchandcontact,andexpectationsaboutwhereandhowcontactwilltakeplace.Forexample,anAmericanetiquettemanualadvisesthisaboutpersonalspace:“Whenyoumeetsomeone,don’tstandtooclose.Anuncomfortableclosenessisveryannoyingtotheotherperson,sokeepyourphysicaldistance,orhe’llhavetokeepbackingofffromyou.Aminimumoftwofeetawayfromtheotherpersonwilldoit.”

Therearelargedifferencesinspatialpreferencesaccordingtogender,age,generation,socioeconomicclass,andcontext.Thesedifferencesvarybygroup,butshouldbeconsideredinanyexplorationofspaceasavariableinnegotiations.

BodyLanguage

BodyLanguagecanbetellingasitcanhelponedeterminetheexactmeaningofwhattheothersideissayingandalsocanhelpyougetyourownmessageacross.Likesanddislikes,tensions,andassessinganargumentareshownbynumeroussignssuchasblushing,contractionoffacialmuscles,giggling,strainedlaughterorsimplysilence.Whereverapartynegotiates,thenegotiatormustwatchandobservetheotherparty.People,whenseated,leanforwardiftheylikewhatyouaresayingorareinterestedinlistening.Theysitbackwithcrossedarmsiftheydonotlikethemessage.Nervousnesscanmanifestitselfthroughnonverbalbehavior,andblinkingcanberelatedtofeelingofguiltorfear.

IV.FourDimensionsofCulture

Anyanalysisofcultureisincompletewithoutthebasicrecognitionofculturaldifferences.Ithasbeenarguedthatdifferencesamongculturescanbeexplainedaccordingtofourdimensionsofculture.

Individualism-Collectivism

Inindividualisticculturesthefocusofone’sbehaviorcanbeunashamedlyself-centered.Theindividualcanmakeobjections,statehisfeelingsandbeopenlyjudgmental.Successorfailureislefttotheindividualanddoesnotcausethesamedegreeofshameamongthegroup.Inindividualisticcultures,peopletendtoputtasksbeforerelationshipsandtovalueindependencehighly.Peopleintheseculturesareexpectedtotakecareofthemselvesandtovaluetheneedsoftheindividualoverthoseofthegroups,community,orsociety.Individualisticculturespreferlinearlogicandtendtovalueopenconflict.

Membersfromindividualisticsocietiesexpecttheotherside’snegotiatorstohavetheabilitytomakedecisionsunilaterally.

Collectivistnegotiatorstendtoassumethatdetailscanbeworkedoutifthenegotiatorscanagreeongeneralities.Collectivistsocietiesshowmoreconcernfortheneedsoftheotherpartyandfocusmoreongroupgoalsthanindividualisticsocieties.Membersofcollectivistsocietieschafewhenmembersfromindividualisticsocietiespromotetheirownpositionsandideasduringnegotiations.

PowerDifferential

Theideaofpowerdifferentialdescribesthedegreeofdeferenceandacceptanceofunequalpowerbetweenpeople.Cultureswherethereisacomfortwithhighpowerdifferentialarethosewheresomepeopleareconsideredsuperiortoothersbecauseoftheirsocialstatus,gender,race,age,education,birthright,personalachievements,familybackgroundorotherfactors.Cultureswithlowpowerdifferentialtendtoassumeequalityamongpeople,andfocusmoreonearnedstatusthanascribedstatus.Generallyspeaking,themoreunequallywealthisdistributed,thebiggerwillbethepowerdifferentialinanynationalsetting.NationalcultureswithahighpowerdifferentialincludeArabiancountries,Malaysia,thePhilippines,Mexico,Indonesia,andIndia.Negotiatorsfromthesecountriestendtobecomfortablewith:hierarchicalstructures;clearauthorityfigures;therighttousepowerwithdiscretion.CountrieswithalowpowerdifferentialincludeU.S.,Austria,Denmark,Israel,NewZealand,Ireland,Sweden,Norway,Finland,Switzerland,Britain,andGermany.Negotiatorsfromthesecountriestendtobecomfortablewith:democraticstructuresandflatorganizationalhierarchies;sharedauthority;therighttousepoweronlyinlimitedcircumstancesandforlegitimatepurposes.