Abstract:With the development of globalization and rapid growth of Chinese economy, the trade between America and China is on a rise. In 2011, China has surpassed Japan and grown to be the second economy in the world, second only to America, the main engine of the world economy. With the development of the two countries’ economy, there will definitely be more business negotiations between China and America. It is of great importance to study the Sino-America business negotiation. 

There are many factors that would influence a business negotiation, such as politics, economy, technology and so on. As one of the major factors, cultural differences play a decisive role in cross-cultural negotiations. This thesis uses such classic theories on cross-cultural negotiation as Weiss’s twelve variables of negotiations as theoretical foundation and some cases of Sino-US negotiation as a help to gain an insight into the clashes in Sino-America business negotiation mainly from the cross-cultural perspective. To understand the different negotiating styles in terms of the negotiating strategies and the ways of communication, the author tries to find the cultural roots to promote the understanding of the negotiating parties. At last, the author gives some suggestions on how to deal with Sino-US business negotiation better. 

Keywords: cross-cultural; negotiation; cultural differences; clashes

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-1

Chapter 2 Literature Review-3

2.1 The Definition of Culture-3

2.2 The Definition of Negotiation-3

2.3 Cross-Cultural Negotiation Theories-4

2.3.1 Ting-Toomey’s Face-Negotiation Theory-4

2.3.2 Weiss’s Twelve Variables of International Negotiation-4

2.4 Summary-4

Chapter 3 Differences in Sino-US Business Negotiation-7

3.1 Time Sensitivity-7

3.2 Style of Communication-7

3.3 Emphasis on Relationship-8

3.4 Form of Agreement-9

Chapter 4 Cultural Factors Influencing Business Negotiation-11

4.1 Relationship-Orientation versus Outcome-Orientation-11

4.2 High-Context Communication versus Low-Context Communication-12

Chapter 5 Conclusion-15

References-17

Acknowledgements-18

Appendix-19

Case 1-19

Case 2-20