英语专业毕业论文文化差异对国际商务谈判的影响.pdf

本科毕业论文本科毕业论文 （二一二届） 题目：Impacts of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiations 文化差异对国际商务谈判的影响 学院：浙江越秀外国语学院英语学院 专业：英语 班级： 学号： 学生姓名： 指导教师： 完成日期：2012 年 5 月 25 日 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文摘要 I 摘要摘要 随着我国加入世贸组织，中西国家之间经济贸易飞速发展，双方商务交往活动 越来越频繁，国际商务谈判的重要性也日渐显现。然而，由于中西方之间存在着巨 大的文化差异，中西方谈判者之间很可能出现文化冲突以及不必要的误解。因此， 为了准确把握未来谈判桌上的优势与主导，顺利的开展商务活动，要想成功的走向 国际市场，各国商务谈判者了解中西文化的差异显得十分必要。各方在商务谈判中 必须增强对文化差异的敏感性，承认文化差异，还有必要研究最能体现文化价值观 和思维定势的谈判为突破口，详细的了解谈判对象的文化背景与习惯并且超越文化 的局限，并在此基础上扬长避短，尊重不同文化下商人的不同行为，减少因不尊重 对方而造成的不必要的冲突，应建立相互合作的气氛，制定出合适的谈判策略。本 文重点讨论了中西国家之间的文化差异及其对商务谈判的影响并提出了化解文化 冲突的几点建议，使中西方贸易谈判能顺利进行。 关键词：关键词：文化差异；国际商务谈判；文化差异的影响 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文Abstract II Abstract With Chinas accession to the World Trade Organization and the rapid development of economic trade between China and western countries, the business contacts of different countries become more and more frequent; the importance of business negotiations gets obvious gradually. However, the huge cultural differences between China and western countries may give rise to potential cultural conflicts and unnecessary misunderstandings. Therefore, in order to take hold accurately the advantages and domination on the negotiating tables in the future, carry out business activities smoothly and walk into international market successfully, it is imperative that negotiators not only need to learn the cultural factors and acknowledge cultural differences in international business negotiations, but also have necessity to research the negotiations that can most reflect cultural values and thinking sets as the breakthrough, understanding negotiators cultural backgrounds, customs and the limitation beyond culture in detail. Then, people need to foster strengths and circumvent weaknesses on the basis of understanding others, respect businessmens different behaviors with different cultures, reduce unnecessary conflicts caused by the lack of respect for each other, people are supposed to establish an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and formulate a rational negotiation strategy. The thesis emphasizes the importance of taking cultural sensitivities into consideration during business negotiations to make proper negotiation tactics. In view of such a situation, this thesis makes an effort to highlight the impacts of cultural differences on international business negotiations and puts forward several suggestions in reconciling cultural differences in order to make the negotiations develop smoothly. Keywords:culturaldifferences;internationalbusinessnegotiations; impacts of cultural differences 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文 III Table of Contents 摘要摘要.I Abstract.II 1 Introduction.1 2 The Relationship between International Business Negotiation and Culture.1 3 Cultural Differences in International Business Negotiations.2 3.1 Differences of verbal and non-verbal behaviors.2 3.2 Differences of values. 3 3.2.1 Objectivity.3 3.2.2 Equality.4 3.2.3 Timing.4 3.3 Differences of thinking patterns.5 3.4 Differences of awareness.5 3.4.1Awareness of decision.6 3.4.2Awareness of human. 6 3.4.3Awareness of interests.6 3.5 Differences of custom.6 3.6 Differences of national complex and mandarin complex. 7 4 Impacts of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiations.8 4.1 Impacts of cultural differences on negotiating teams. 8 4.2 Impacts of cultural differences on negotiating styles.9 4.3 Impacts of cultural differences on negotiating structures.9 5 Methods to Overcome the Cross-cultural Barriers. 10 5.1 Doing good preparation for negotiations.10 5.2 Enhancing cross-cultural awareness of negotiations. 10 5.3 Overcoming cultural bias.11 5.4 Being a keen insight into the customs of negotiators.11 5.5 Maintaining neutrality on the cultural issues.11 5.6 Overcoming the communication obstacles.11 6 Conclusion. 12 7 Bibliography.13 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文 1 1 Introduction With the accelerated development of economic globalization, the economic cooperation activities all over the word become more and more universal, and the importance of international business trades are getting obvious gradually. International business communication and cooperation have been all-around spread out. International business negotiations are also much more frequent and closer than before. The differences between Chinese and Western cultures are bound to become the factor which is most difficult to control. International business negotiation has become an important link in international business activities. It is not only an economic exchange and cooperation, as well as the communication among cultures. Cross-culture is the biggest characteristic of international business negotiations. Because of cross-culture, quite a lot of negotiations fail. With Chinas accession to the WTO, there are more and more problems need to be faced by enterprises, business negotiations relate to the success of business activities and the survival and development of enterprises. Thus, the cross-cultural obstacles in business negotiations are getting more and more attention. Therefore, paying attention to cultural differences is a critical factor in international business negotiations. It is of significance that understanding the cultural backgrounds of the parties, because it helps to avoid the conflicts brought by cultural differences. It is necessary for us to understand correctly the cultural backgrounds and their differences of countries and regions. Based on that, we are supposed to foster strengths and circumvent weaknesses, and then develop the negotiating tactics in order to prevent the emergence or intensification of conflicts and win the success of the negotiations. 2 The Relationship between International Business Negotiation and Culture International business negotiation refers to one behavior and process that business parties in different countries and regions reach consensus through information exchanges and consultations. It has the characteristic of cross-culture. In international business negotiations, negotiators are usually from different nations and regions, and they belong to different religions and culture backgrounds. They are great different in communication ways, thinking patterns, customs and values concept, which gives international business negotiations the color of cross-cultural communication in the invisible environment. It means that it is very important to understand different cultures of different countries and be familiar with culture differences of business activities. If both parties have the huge differencesonculturalbackgroundsandthinkingpatterns,itwillcausethat communication cannot be undertaken effectively. Many negotiators often do not pay enough attention to the impacts of cultural differences on the outcome of negotiations. Even if some negotiators have noticed the difference of the opposite parties, they think it 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文 2 is not important, which will inevitably affect the negotiation process and results and ultimately hinder the international business activities and economic exchanges. Therefore, the impacts of cultural differences on international business negotiations should not be overlooked. The core of cross-cultural negotiation is to overcome the obstacles of cultural differences. The United States sociologist David Popenoe gives culture an abstract definition: Culture is the values and meaning systems owned by a group or community. Culture contains the concrete of those values and meanings in the physical form, and people learn the culture of their society through observation and acceptation of other members education. “Culture is mental software; it is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another” (Geert Hofsted, 1994). The formation of all national cultures goes through a long historical period, and once forms, it involves in the aspects of peoples speaking, behavior and thinking. With the influence of geographical conditions, political systems and economic development, the culture has a big difference between China and Western countries. In the broader context, culture includes language, customs, and the outcomes of the art and law; it also includes the intangible elements such as thinking patterns and values. Everyone dips in their respective cultural environment for a long time; they will subconsciously take their own cultural standard to judge other peoples actions and opinions when they in a strange cultural environment, thus the cultural barriers are formed. 3 Cultural Differences in International Business Negotiations 3.1 Differences of verbal and non-verbal behaviors The language used by a nation has a close relationship with culture. In international communication, intercultural differences restrict the language of use. Edward Hall, professor of anthropology, divides culture in different society into high-context culture and low-context culture based on the direct degree of language expression. In high-context culture society, the ethnic people have the same cultural background; language is only a part of information transmission, non-verbal communication occupies a large number of proportions. In international business negotiations, Chinese negotiators in high-context culture always express opinions in a subtle and indirect way, they are rarely reject or refute directly, and they regard harmonious as the prerequisite to realize the value, they pursuit permanent friendship and long-term collaboration. On the contrary, western culture belongs to the low-context culture. Western people are enthusiastic and frank, they like using precise and clear language to express their intention. In addition, western people focus on debate with great passion, their language is confrontational and flat. China belongs to high-context culture in which non-verbal communication and indirect expressions are important to convey and understand information such as using body language, eye contact, appearance, tone, location, distance, and environment for 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文 3 communication. So understanding the meaning of the words is necessary. Chinese people seem modest; they dont like debate or confrontation; and they always use silence instead of saying “No”, because they think silence is a way to show politeness and respect for each other. Chinese people are very patient when they negotiating, it is so-called “oriental patience”. Compared with the functions of verbal communication, non-verbal communication conveys information more truly, expresses emotion more accurately. It plays a decisive role in daily communication. For Chinese people, smile can not only be used to express the feelings of joy, but also used to conceal the emotion of uneasy, awkward and angry. Whats more, it is used to render atmosphere and change the conversation. For western people, smile is mainly an expression of happiness; it is rarely used to express other emotions. Deadlock and conflict inevitably occur in business negotiations, Chinese smile helps to mitigate the awkward atmosphere and avoid quarrels. In the west, silence means agreement, while it has the contrary meaning of saying “No” in China. Negotiators are required to express clearly in business negotiations to save negotiating time. Silence often leads to misunderstanding, which is not conducive for negotiations. When talking, westerners seem to have a impromptu speech, they believe that if someone does not understand what they say, he/she will interrupt the dialogue during the conversation. But in China, it is rare to see interruption. Business negotiation in the spirit of the principle of equality, both two parties have the right to offer perspectives. Gesture language means expressing by the movements of hands and fingers; it is the core of Kinesics and the earliest communication tool in the human evolution. Westerners have much more body movements than Chinese people, they used to expressing their attitudes and evaluation through gestures. They use hands, arms and exaggerated facial expressions, but these are habits rather than indicating strong feelings. Reasonably using gestures in business negotiations can make the other understand the content of negotiations; it is the complementary of the negotiations. 3.2 Differences of values 3.2.1 Objectivity Objectivity in business negotiations reflects the distinction between human and things.Westernersespecially Americanshavestrongobjectivity,forexamples, Americans make decisions according to the ironclad facts, Americans dont play favoritism, and they think the most important thing is economic and performance rather than people, Americans always say “business is business”. Thus, Americans in international business negotiations stress the distinction of human and things and are interested in substantive issues. Conversely, in other parts of the world, the view of distinguishing human and things is seen as impossible. For instance, in the oriental and Latin American cultures, nepotism is important and economic development tends to be achieved in the area of family control. Therefore, negotiators from those countries not 浙江越秀外国语学院毕业论文 4 only participate in the negotiations as individuals, but also the results often affect individuals. Personal conduct has close relationship with issues and becomes inseparable. 3.2.2 Equality Western society has undergone a bourgeois revolution of equal liberties and equality consciousness is deeply into humans mind. In international business activities, countries such as Britain and the United States adhere to the egalitarian values and uphold the principle of fair and reasonable. They think that both parties should be profitable in the trade. Westerners use concrete ways particularly fond of speaking with data in introducing situations. Americans focus on the practical benefits, but they generally do not ask an exorbitant price, so their quotations and conditions are more objective. In trade relations, American sellers regard buyers as of equal status, and they are more fair than the Japanese on the division of profits. Many United States Managers believe that the fairness of the profits division seems to be much more important than the profits. While eastern people influenced by obsession of hierarchy deeply, the equality consciousness is inferior to westerners in international business activities. Japanese are good at making big cakes, but they dont know how to allot the cake and always divide the cake with unfairness. In Japan, the customers are seen as God, sellers are often obedient to buyers needs and desires. Therefore, the profit allocation is more conducive to the buyers. At present, Chinas market economy system has been initially established, and the concepts of Chinese enterprise managers often have some certain characteristics during the early Western market economies. Chinese in business negotiations tend to be “single-win”. When it comes to economic benefits, Chinese consider their own interests rather than concerning about others. While the market economy system in developed countries is quite mature, negotiators in western countries make greater use of “win-win” strategy which can basically consider the real interests of both sides. 3.2.3 Timing Different cultural backgrounds show different timings. Edward Hall divided it into two types: Monochronic and Polychronic, the former emphasizes doing one thing at a time and speed, the latter emphasizes doing many things at a time, and people have a relaxed timetable and the extension of feedback. Westerners abide by the one-way linear time habits, so they regard time as a straight line which can be cut into section by section, and they emphasize the timetable and detailed schedules. They are very strict about punctuality, and the plans are highly restrictive, which creates a vigorous and resolute commercial style of British and American businessmen. They will shorten the negotiation time in all aspects and strive to make every negotiation be quicker. Chinese people are in favor of Polychronic, they used to worki