Cultural Differences in International Trade Negotiation国际贸易谈判中的文化差异

英语094-潘阳-2009015227CulturalDifferencesinInternationalTradeNegotiation1.IntroductionInthisageoftheglobaleconomy,thenumberofcompaniesoperatinginternationallyisgrowingconstantly.Theworldisopeningupforforeignfirmsandnewdestinationsinthecompany’businessesareincreasing.Becauseofhighcompetitionthecompaniesoperatingabroadarefacedwithamuchlargertaskthenbefore.Negotiatingacrossculturesisaninevitablepartofdoingbusinessforfirmsdesiringtocompeteinternationally.Culturaldifferencesmaycausemanyproblems;consequently,culturalcompetitiveadvantagesareputtopriorityoftheinternationalnegotiationbehavior.2.InternationaltradenegotiationThe21stcenturyglobalmarketplaceoffersmanyrulesthatgovernthebehaviorandweareabletoopportunitiesforinternationalbusinessexpansion.Thecommunicationwithoutgivingmuchthoughttotheseglobalmarketmeansthatmanycompaniesnowhaverules.Ifwecommunicatewithpeoplefromdifferentofficers,affiliates,supplies,staffandcustomersinculturalbackgroundsaccordingtoourownculturalwiderangeofcountriesandcultures,thusitisrules;wealwaysencounteravarietyofunavoidableforbusinesspeopletocommunicatewithmisunderstandings.Thisisaphenomenoncausedbypeoplefromdifferentcultures.However,theculturalconflictwhichisbecominguniversalanddifferencesinlanguage,food,dress,attitudetowardunavoidable.Actually,culturalconflictisverycommonthing,workhabit,socialbehaviorfromdifferentinmultinationalcompanies.2.1Thebasicprinciplesofnegotiation2.1.1EqualityprincipleEqualityistheprerequisiteofinternationalbusinesstonegotiatesmoothlyandtoachievesuccess.Thenegotiationbetweenenterprisesconsultationactivitiesreflectstherelationshipbetweentheenterprisesandcountries.Theirinternationaltradeandeconomiccooperationaffairsshouldbebasedonthemutuallyrespectfortheirownrightsandnationaldignityinequalway.Negotiatorsshouldbeequalinstatus,rightsandobligations,andkeepingpromisesofthecontractofbothparties.2.1.2SincerecooperationIninternationalbusinessnegotiations,equalityisthepremiseofmutualbenefit,andmutualbenefitisthepurposeofequality.Theequalityandmutualbenefitistheprincipleofequalityandmutualbenefit,theorganicunityofclosecontactofthetwoaspects.Internationalbusinessnegotiationscan'tendwithwinorlose,buttotaketheinterestsofallpartiesintoconsideration.Meethisneeds.Ininternationalnegotiations,wecanobtainwhatweneedfromoppositesidethroughconsultationandmeanwhilewecancaterforwhathim.Theinterestsofallpartiesrequirescompleteconsistent,animportantrequirementofmutualbenefitisseekingcommongroundwhileputtingasidedifferences.Weshouldseekcommoninterestsinnegotiation,andproperlysolveandtrytoignorethesmalldifferences.Thisistheimportantconditionofbusinessnegotiationstobesuccessful.2.2TheinfluenceofinternationaltradenegotiationWithdifferentpositionandgoalofbothparties,sotheirnegotiationprocesswillbefullofsharpcomplicatedconflictofinterestandrepeatedbargain.Negotiatorsshouldadopteffectivestrategiesaccordinglytodealwiththeconflictandcontradictionofbothpartiesandtoamutuallyacceptablefairandreasonableagreement.Theagreementisnotonlydirectlyrelatedtotheinterestsofthetwoparties,butalsowithlegallybindingonit.Eachpartyshouldbecautiousaboutthedeal.Ifthetalksfailbecauseoferrors,youwilllosethechancetoclinchadeal.Ifourstaffsacceptedtheunreasonableconditionsorunlawfulclausesbecauseoftheirnervousness,carefulnessorotherreasons,theymayeasilyleadtosomemistakesandhiddentroublestobothsides.Thiswillnotonlymakeussufferformtheeconomicundeservedlosses,butalsomaycausedifficultiestotheperformance,andaffectrelationshipoftwoparties.Tosumup,itdemonstratesthatbusinessnegotiationisaveryimportantlink.Togetthatworkdoneandproperlyhandlevariousproblemsinbusinessnegotiationshastheextremelyvitalsignificance.3.CulturaldifferencesCulturecancausemanyofourbusinesstobefrustratingorevenunsuccessful.TheyhaveCultureisthedepositofknowledge,experience,alreadyextendedtheirbusinessintoseveralregionsbeliefs,rules,actions,attitudes,meetings,hierarchies,overseas.Peoplealwaysbelievethattheircultureistheonlyshouldpayattentiontopromotethecross-culturaltrueculture.Theywilldiscriminatepeoplewhosebusinesscommunicationandgetenoughpreparationculturalnormsaredifferentfromtheirownvaluesbeforetakeinternationalbusinessnegotiationtosolveandbehaviors.Whenwecommunicatewithmemberstheculturalandcontinentaldifferencesofdifferentofourownculture,wehaveinternalizedtheculturalpeoplewithdifferentnations.3.1TheperformanceofculturedifferencesObstaclesthefirmneverfacedbeforearebecomingcrucialintheeverydayworkwhengoinginternational.Cultureisoneofobstaclesandcanaffecttheentirecooperation.Culturecaninfluencethebusinessindifferentways.Languageproblems,Languagereflectsthecharacteristicofarace,notonlycontainthisnation'shistoryandculturalbackground,butalsothenationalviewoflife,life-styleandthewayofthinking.Tounderstandlanguagewemustunderstandcultureandlanguage.Religionproblems,Religionisproducedbytheprocessofthedevelopmentofhumansocietytoacertaindegree,differentreligionshavedifferentculturalorientationanddiscipline,thusaffectingthewaythatpeopleknow,normsandvalues.Valueproblems,Valuesarepeople'sevaluationstandardtoobjectivethings.Valuesareessentialstartingpointsofpeopletodecidedpeople’sviewsandactions,whichwillinfluencehowpeopleunderstandthequestion.Withdifferentvalues,peoplewillhavedifferentopinionsandcometodifferentconclusionstothesamethings.3.2HowtotreatculturaldifferenceNegotiatorshouldmakementalpreparationtoculturaldifferences.Anegotiatorshouldbeequippedwithnegotiationconsciousnessofcross-culture,whichrequiresnegotiatorstoavoidofweighingotherpeople'spsychologicaltendencywithhisownvaluescale,andtheycan'texplainandjudgedifferentcultureswithhisownstandard.Negotiatorsarerequiredtounderstand,acceptandrespectfordifferentculturesandcustoms,andadapthisnegotiationstyleandstrategytodifferentcultureininternationalnegotiation.Onlyfullyawareofdifferentculturesandcustoms,wecantakeeffectivemeasuresaimingatthedifference.Negotiatorshouldanalysiscarefullybeforenegotiation.Theanalysispreparationforthenegotiationasksnegotiatortoknowasmuchaspossibleaboutculturaldifferences.Toimprovetheefficiencyofthenegotiationsnegotiatorsshouldunderstandtheculturaldifferencesbackgroundofbusinesspartners.Theworkincludesanalysistonegotiatormembersandtonegotiationsbackground.Takefullknowledgeofopponents'negotiationstyles.Negotiatingstyleisnegotiators'behaviorsfromdifferentculturalbackgroundintheprocessofnegotiation,theirbehaviorandwaysofcontrollingthenegotiatingprocessarevaried.Differentculturesandcustomsofthedifferentnegotiatorswillnotonlyaffecttheirbehaviors,butalsoaffectstheirthinkingandvalues.Tounderstanddifferentnegotiationstylesofdifferentcountriesandnations,therefore,countsalottoachieveexpectedeffectinnegotiation.Allinall,tounderstandnegotiationstylesofthenegotiationopponentsishelpfultoadopteffectivestrategiesaccordingtotheirdirectionsandtheprogresses.4.ConclusionCulturaldifferencesarealwaysoneofthemainobstaclestoovercomeinourbusinessnegotiationswiththewest.We,therefore,shouldlearntoappreciate,tolerance,respectforothercultures,andtoavoidthemistakes