In the context of globalization, models of businesses and management tend to be similar across the globe. Import-export is increasing everyday; for business purpose, people are flying from western to eastern countries and eastern to western countries all the time. However, some cross cultural differences will exist in the globalized business scenario, particularly between countries or regions with strong and fundamental culture divergences, such as France and China. In this context, only open minded and adapting business people will be successful. In negotiation, these two values, open mindedness and adaptation, are not enough to build good relationship for the future or to get the deal done, which are the main targets of a negotiation. A good understanding of the cultural characteristics and background which makes foreign negotiators thinks and reacts differently, is the most relevant approach in order to be successful in negotiation.
Therefore, firstly, we will define the China profile, in order to get an overview of the internal environment of this new world power and to understand the characteristics of a negotiation in this environmental context. In the second part we will observe the characteristics of France to understand its environment.
[...] Even though Chinese negotiators no longer live in the country side, most of them grew up outside the cities and tend to keep those values. Indeed, Chinese philosopher Fung Yu-lan explains in his works that “Chinese sages historically distinguished between the "root" (agriculture) and the "branch" (commerce). Social and economic theories and policies tended to favourite the root and slight the branch”. The second aspect is morality based on the writings of Confucius, which educated the Chinese about social harmony. [...]
[...] He lived 500 years before Jesus Christ. Confucius is considered as the first educator of China through the Confucianism, a political and social doctrine. In the manners of Chinese negotiators, we may observe this influence in the way they behave. Chinese negotiators have obligations placed upon their host and placed upon their visitors. Confucius said: “Values of the Chinese society is that they have to behave in a certain manner and also that the subject has the obligation to do the role that is relegated”. [...]
[...] Chinese proverb Source: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chinese_proverbs da bu xiang “Without a fight you do not know each other” French should use which means connection, in order to facilitate the negotiation and to be well informed and represented. might be an agent or a partner with good relationships with the ministry of foreign trade which is in charge of overseas economic affairs and international cooperation. In China negotiators are well prepared in terms of acknowledgment on the company which they are dealing with and also about the international supply of the product under negotiation. [...]
[...] (Global Marketing strategy pdf.) Behavioural contradictions between French and Chinese negotiators Behaviour characteristics Source: Ecobank Ghana Director's testimony The negotiation approach is extremely different between French and Chinese negotiators. If we ask the question: What is negotiation for you? French will generally say, it is a process driven with defined goal-deal to reach a contract, whereas Chinese will state that it is an exchange of information, dialogue with no clear conclusion. A goal for the French in negotiation is not perceived in the same way by the Chinese, they believe that a goal is based on certain values: means discussion, honour or face. [...]
[...] Oliver (1996) described negotiation as "negotiators jointly searching a multidimensional space and then agreeing to a single point in the space." Negotiation applies knowledge from the fields of communications, sales, marketing, psychology, sociology, politics, and conflict resolution”. http://www.answers.com/topic/negotiation Firstly, we will analyze the Behavioural contradictions between the French and Chinese in terms of behaviour characteristics and tactics implemented in a negotiation context. Secondly, we will analyze the hierarchical power distance of China compared to France in order to understand the importance of it in the negotiation process. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
