Key Factors for Successful International Business Negotiation 成功的国际商务谈判的关键因素.doc

广东外语外贸大学商务英语本科毕业论文(2009 届)论文题目 key factors for successful （英文） international business negotiation 论文题目 成功的国际谈判的关键因素(中文） 专 业学院 继教（公开）学院商务英语准考证号 班级自考030302206109作者姓名指导老师 * 完稿时间 2009.11.03.成绩 key factors for successful international business negotiation abstract ： with the rapid growth of chinese economy, especially after entering the wto, china export enterprises will face more and more business negotiations occasions. in a negotiation, both sides attempt to minimize conflicts and maximize gains .understanding factors relevant to the process will allow negotiations to be more successful. for the purpose of getting win-win negotiations, this paper focuses on the study of important factors to successful negotiations: preparation before negotiations, communication skill, language arts, and cross-culture communication, etc.key words: business negotiation; communication skill; language arts, preparations; cross-culture 成功的国际商务谈判的关键因素 摘要: 随着中国经济的发展，尤其是进入wto以后，中国出口企业将面临越来越多的商务谈场合。在一个谈判中，双方都试图减少冲突，达到利益的最大化。了解与谈判进程相关的因素会使谈判变得更加成功。 本着得到双赢的谈判结果，本文着重于对成功谈判的重要因素进行研究： 谈判前的准备，沟通技巧，语言艺术，及跨文化交流关键词： 商务谈判 ，沟通技巧，语言艺术， 准备，跨文化 contents1. international business negotiations11.1 the definition11.2 negotiations type11.3. the features of the international business negotiation12the negotiation processing22.1 the pre-negotiation stage32.2 the actual negotiation stage32.3 the post-negotiation stage33. the key factors to successful international business negotiation33.1 preparation before negotiation33.1.1 preparing a negotiation agenda33.1.2 team organization43.1.3 negotiation plan63.1.3.1 draft a negotiation plan63.1.3.2 review the plan63.1.3.3 fully know about the background of other sides63.1.3.4 know your goals - and their goals74. communication skill74.1 becoming an active listener74.2 questioning94.4.1 humor104.4.2euphemism104.4.2.1 courtesy strategy105. cross-culture negotiations106. conclusion12iiikey factors for successful international business negotiationguangdong university of foreign studies 2009 tutor: professor zhang xuejin1. international business negotiations 1.1 definition an international business negotiation is defined as the deliberate interaction of two or more social units (at least one of them a business entity), originating from different nations, that are attempting to define or redefine their interdependence in a business matter. (weiss s.e. 270) this includes company-company, company-government, and solely interpersonal interactions over business matters such as sales, licensing, joint ventures, and acquisitions 1.2 negotiations type in business, the goal of negotiating parties should always be for mutual gain. this type of n-win negotiation is often called collaborative negotiating. the opposite of collaborative negotiating is called competitive negotiating. the goal of competitive negotiating is for one party to win and the other to lose. dishonest practices, such as lying, manipulation, intimidation, and bribery are often used in this type of negotiation.take opponents views/needs into careful consideration: not only do you want to win this negotiation; you want your opponent to win as well, so that he or she will negotiate with you again in the future.1.3. the features of the international business negotiationsalacuses theory points out that there are six distinctive features of international business negotiation, and which as a set distinguish international business negotiations from domestic negotiations. (salacuse, j. w. 221 )the first is that in international negotiations the parties must deal with the laws, policies and political authorities of more than one nation. these laws and policies may be inconsistent, or even directly opposed. a second factor unique to international business is the presence of different currencies. different currencies give rise to two problems. since the relative value of different currencies varies over time, the actual value of the prices or payments set by contract may vary, and result in unexpected losses or gains. another problem is that each government generally seeks to control the flow of domestic and foreign currencies across their national boundaries. and so business deals will often depend upon the willingness of governments to make currency available. unexpected changes in such governmental currency policies can have dramatic effects on international business deals.the third is the participation of governmental authorities. governments often play a much larger role in foreign business especially for state-owned enterprises the presence of often extensive government bureaucracies can make international negotiation processes more rigid and difficult. sovereign immunity can introduce legal complications into contracts. state-owned enterprises may have different goals from private companies. whereas private firms are usually primarily concerned with profits, state entities may be willing to sacrifice some profitability for social or political ends such as greater employment.fourth, international ventures are vulnerable to sudden and drastic changes in their circumstances. events such as war or revolution, changes in government, or currency devaluation have an impact on international businesses which is much greater than the impact that the usual domestic changes have on national businesses. these risks are need to be consider in the negotiation , it can try to protect against these risks by foreign investment insurance, and by force majeure clauses which allow for contract cancellation under certain conditions. international business negotiators also encounter very different ideologies. in particular, different countries may have very different ideas about private investment, profit and individual rights. effective negotiators will be aware of ideological differences. they will present their proposals in ways that are ideologically acceptable to the other party, or that are at least ideologically neural.finally, cultural differences are an important factor in international negotiations. in addition to language differences, different cultures have differing values, perceptions and philosophies. as a result, certain ideas may have very different connotations in different cultures. (何英&郑敏, 10-11)some cultures prefer to start from agreement on general principles, while other prefers to address each issue individually. some cultures prefer to negotiate by building up from an initial minimum proposal; other prefer to build-down from a more comprehensive opening proposal. cultural differences also show up in the preferred pacing of negotiations and in decision-making styles. however, those individual negotiators do not always conform to cultural stereotypes. 2the negotiation process generally, the process of negotiation consists of three different negotiation stages including the pre-, actual negotiation, and post- stages. (肖云南&全英, 8-9 ) 2.1 the pre-negotiation stage the pre-negotiation stage, which involves the preparation and planning, is the most important step in negotiation. it sets the foundation for the negotiation process. it consists of interactions, such as building trust and relationships, and the task-related behaviors which focus on the preferences related to various alternatives. in brief, the first stage of negotiation emphasizes getting to know each other, identifying the issues, and preparing for the negotiation process. 2.2 the actual negotiation stage the negotiation stage involves a face-to-face interaction, methods of persuasion, and the use of tactics. at this stage negotiators explore the differences in preferences and expectations related to developing an agreement.2.3 the post-negotiation stage the post-negotiation stage relates to concessions, compromises, evaluating the agreement, and following-up.these stages are often done concurrently. the negotiation process is a dynamic process, involving a variety of factors related to potential negotiation outcomes.3. the key factors to successful international business negotiation 3.1 preparation before negotiation the effective flow of the negotiation process can determine the success of a negotiation. no doubt that a full preparation is the most important factor to effective negotiation. neither experience, bargaining skill, nor persuasion on the part of the negotiator can compensate for the absence of preparation. 3.1.1 preparing a negotiation agendaone of the most difficult tasks during a negotiation is to confine the discussion to what is important while avoiding irrelevant subjects. one of the best ways to promote productive and efficient discussion is to establish an agenda for both sides to follow. timing. whenever practical, you should prepare a draft agenda for contractor review prior to the start of contract negotiations. this makes the contractor have a rough idea for the negotiation subjects and provides the contractor an opportunity to recommend changes at same time. some negotiators prefer to wait until the start of negotiations to present the agenda. this may delay the start of meaningful negotiations while the agenda is being addressed. negotiations may be further affected if the contractor is not prepared to discuss key issues identified in the agenda. the negotiation agenda should include the following items: topics to be addressed and the order in which they will be considered; a general time schedule for the negotiation sessions; location of the negotiation session. names and titles of both team members, including office symbols and phone numbers when appropriate3.1.2 team organization most international negotiations are generally performed by a team. some will be at the table, while others may be stationed at home base. normally, it is only use the smallest team practical to efficiently formulate and attain the negotiation objectives. we will want to arrange and organize our ability to communicate, pass documents and set up an appropriate hierarchical structure. identify all the logistic needs beforehand. carefully consider the structure of the team, so thatonly the relevant players are involved. team members should understand their responsibilities fully, and any tasks assigned to them. whether it be logistics for the team, communication, research, travel, etc. the table below identifies common roles in negotiations and potential team members to fill those roles. note that the roles and potential team members are identical to those identified for face-to-face exchanges. however, you should also note that actual team membership on the two teams may be substantially different. (see table 1) table 1negotiation team selectionteam rolepotential team memberteam leader contracting officer contract specialisttechnical analystengineer technical specialist project or requirements manager end user commodity specialist inventory manager transportation manager property manager logistics manager pricing analyst auditor cost/price analyst business terms analystlegal counsel administrative contracting officer administration specialist team leader: in contract negotiations, the ultimate team leader is the contracting officer responsible for the contract action. the contracting officer has ultimate responsibility for the negotiation, because only the contracting officer has the authority to reach final contracts.principal negotiator. the principal negotiator is the person who represents your sides during contract negotiations and does most of the bargaining. the team leader is normally the principal negotiator because the team leader has the broadest perspective of key negotiation issues. however, the team leader may designate others to fill the role of principal negotiator. another individual may be designated as the principal negotiator because of that persons particular expertise in analysis and negotiation. for example, a price analyst may be designated to serve as the principal negotiator when the price analyst is the most informed and capable negotiator. of course, the team leader is still responsible for the results of the negotiation. to take advantage of varying kinds of expertise, different principal negotiators can be used to bargain different issues. for example, an engineer might negotiate technical issues while a price analyst negotiates indirect cost rates. when using this approach the team leader must be particularly vigilant to assure that the various negotiators share information and work toward the same objectives. other team members. individuals should only be selected for team membership when they can add to the efficiency and effectiveness of team efforts to formulate and attain negotiation objectives. 3.1.3 negotiation plan3.1.3.1 draft a negotiation plan contents may vary based on agency and contracting activity requirements, but the plan should include basic information such as the following: background (e.g., contract, contractor, and negotiation situation); major and minor negotiation issues and objectives (both price and non-price); negotiation priorities and positions on key issues (including minimum, objective, and maximum positions on price); and negotiation approach. 3.1.3.2 review the plan review the negotiation plan with key negotiation team members. present the plan to the team. encourage input from others on the team to identify weaknesses and alternatives. normally, you should give special attention to input from those with more experience in negotiations with the same contractor. revise the plan as necessary. define the role each team member will play in putting the plan into action. ensure positions and the overall plan are fair and reasonable. 3.1.3.3 fully knowing the background of other sides it is crucial we gain as much understanding about the business background and personalities of the other side. we will need to know and understand the countrys political climate, economy, culture andlaws. the local or regional business climate, where the primary business is to be conducted, is important,as istheir international standing with their neighboring countries. the more information we have on hand, the more we are able to consider and overcome any obstacles that might suddenly materialize out of nowhere3.1.3.4 know your goals - and their goalsboth we and our counterpart are engaging in this negotiation because each side has a reason to do so. what are these reasons? what are eachsides relative strengths in comparison to each other? these reasons are the basis and underlying foundation to each sides position. they are important because they will be the driving force behind the negotiation strategy. knowing and understanding each sides goals and objectives, affordsboth partiesa better opportunity to explore creative solutions. 4. communication skill negotiation is an effectual way of coordinating relationships and settling disputes. international negotiation actually is a communication, in which both sides and parties state their conditions, views. the skillful communication skill will help the successful of negotiation 4.1 becoming an active listener listening is one of the most important skills you can have. how well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others. clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. by becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence. whats more, youll avoid conflict and misunderstandings all necessary for workplace success. the way to become a better listener is to practice “active listening”. this is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, to try and understand the total message being sent. in order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. you cannot allow yourself to become distracted by what else may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that youll make when the other person stops speaking. nor can you allow yourself to lose focus on what the other person is saying. all of these barriers contribute to a lack of listening and understanding. to enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. to understand the importance of this, ask yourself if youve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. you wonder if your message is getting across, or if its even worthwhile to continue speaking. it feels like talking to a brick wall and its something you want to avoid. acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple “uh huh.” you arent necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. you should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. while nodding and “uh huhing” says youre interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well. there are four key elements of active listening. they all help you ensure that you hear the othe