This thesis mainly studies the influences of cultural difference on international business negotiation. In the beginning, it gives the definition of the cultural difference, and then analyzes the causes of the cultural difference. It continues to discuss the impacts of cultural difference on international business negotiation from five aspects. At last, the thesis provides some useful recommendations for negotiators.
2. Literature Review
Through research integrated theory with practice, American scholar Lewicki, president of Max M. Fisher College of Business, and Saunders, president of Queen’s University have written a book called International Business Negotiation (Lewicki & Saunders,2008) together. In this book, they develop an international perspective to analyze the negotiation approaches and strategies. This book is mainly pided into five parts, the basic elements of negotiation, the main process of negotiation, intercultural negotiation, differences solutions and the best practice of negotiation. It gives a conclusion of rational knowledge to some related problems of negotiation. It focuses on some knowledge about negotiation psychology and solutions to conflicts during negotiation. It is a complete independent learning tool for people who want to feel the art of negotiation. It has been selected as textbook for many business colleges around the world. However, they put more emphasis on theory than on practice. They do not provide any real models nor introduce many useful practice experiences to readers.
American professor Varner and Beamer write a book called Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace (Varner & Beamer ,2010) addresses the issues of culture and communication within the context of international business. The text provides examples of how cultural values and practices impact business communication. The authors explore the relationships among the cultural environments and the structure of the business communication. They examine how international negotiators communicate, and concentrate on the underlying cultural reasons for behavior. This approach helps readers develop an ability to work successfully within an environment of cultural persity both at home and abroad. This book is mainly about the communication across cultures but not mention the resolution of negotiation conflict. I think the preparation for the might happen conflicts should also be paid attention.
Chinese scholars like Wang Weibo and Che Lijuan, whose book called Intercultural Communication in Business (Wang Weibo & Che Lijuan ,2013), starting from the basic theory of intercultural communication. Then it elaborates the theory frame of intercultural communication and describes some business etiquette and negotiation skills in different counties from the surface to the spot. The book also selects some typical business culture cases for better understanding. It is an understandable book because it only describes some differences of intercultural business on surface instead of focusing on the influences caused by cultural differences. 源:自'751.·论,文;网·www.751com.cn/
3. Cultural Difference
3.1 Definition of Cultural Difference
To culture, scholars have never been able to agree on a simple definition. Many scholars have their own explanations. Professor Hofstede provided a cultural dimensions theory to differentiate cultures in five aspects: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Inpidualism and Collectivism, Masculinity and Femininity, Long-term Orientation and Short-term Orientation (Hofstede, 1980).
It is even harder to give an exact definition to cultural difference than culture. In a board sense, culture difference contains the differences of the material and spiritual civilization that the whole human society creates. For the purpose of studying cultural difference in international business negotiation, it refers to the differences of knowledge, beliefs, laws, morals, customs, and habits by inpiduals to generate social behavior.