LEI 3006 DL

Coursework front sheet (for essay)

Assessment 2 PS1 - essay

Student name: Kwok Yiu Man Raymond
Essay title: Negotiation Behaviors in China and UK
Tutor: Lidia Douglas
Grade Awarded:
A
Very Good

B
Good

C
Sound

D
Some
serious
weaknesses

F+
Marginal Fail

F
Fail/ Unsatisfactory

Knowledge and understanding

of subject material/ topic task
in selecting and ordering
content
Evidence of research and
critical appraisal in selecting
and ordering content
Depth of analysis of material
and quality of arguments and
conclusions
Organization of ideas /
structure and coherence in
text
Accuracy of language and
range of lexis
Correct use of Harvard system
of referencing both in text and
in a bibliography

Comments:

Negotiation behaviors in China and UK

Introduction
Negotiation is a basic and main activity to human, we will undertake this
activity in everyday, such as parents and children, husband and wife,
employers and employees, sellers and buyers. Some of the negotiation in
here, the stakes are not high and sometimes we dont need to plan the
process and outcome. However, in the business relationships, the stakes
are much higher and we have to prepare and negotiation more carefully.
Moreover, companies or parties do negotiation because they want to get a
better deal instead of just simply accepting or reject that other parties or
companies is offering.
The definition of negotiation is it involves two or more parties enter a
negotiation that they want somethings from each and other, there are few
point of negotiation, this process will continue few times and go through a
series stages, it may set up with mutual satisfaction, for example,
contract or deals, the main goal of negotiation is to become a win-win
situation, however if the negotiation go bad, it may become a lose-lose
situation or a win-lose situation. In addition, behaviors will affect the
negotiation, a right behaviors will make the negotiation go better and
smoother, however, and a wrong behaviors will make the negotiation go
worst or even break the negotiation. So, behaviors is very important
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during a negotiation.
In the following, I will discuss the negotiation behaviors and cross cultures
in the UK and China in different ways, for example, cross cultural,
language, ways to address people, topics can be talk about, location for
negotiation etc. I will also link my topic to cross cultural theory, e.g.
trompenaars etc. On the other hand, I will divide the paragraph into four
parts. Introduction, negotiation behaviors in the China, Negotiation
behaviors in the UK and conclusion.

Negotiation behaviors in the China

China, a developing country and it developing with a very high speed,
which means it have tons of business dealing every day and there are
tons of negotiation doing every day. Lot of foreign companies want to
enter this massive market, because it can be massive profitable, however
there are not many can really enter the China market successfully,
because the foreign companies dont know the cultural of China or even
ignored the cultural while they have negotiation with the Chinese.
There is one quite important issues that will affect the atmosphere in a
face to face negotiation is a nonverbal communication. In business
negotiation, language can be a barrier. Nonverbal communication includes
a nod of agreement, body movement, hand gestures, eye contact etc.
In Chinese cultural, especially business, Chinese people tend to greet to
other one with a bow instead of handshake. Handshake is not often use in
Asia cultural, because Chinese people usually avoid touching the other one
if they dont know each other, so they prefer a bow instead of a
handshake, however they are still some Chinese people like to greet
people with a handshake, but you need to remember not to be too over,
Chinese people will think that is too aggressive. So if a foreign companies
try to have negotiation with Chinese, they should put this in their mind,
because I think the most common mistake in body language is a
handshake.
In the Chinese cultural, a prolonged and direct eye contact will be
misunderstand as staring. Stare at someone will make the other one
become too intense or even hostile, sometimes it may also mean that
they arent not totally tuned in to a situation.
On the other hand, giving gift, in China, giving gift do not carry any
negative meaning in the china when doing business, Giving a gift usually
mean some celebrations, thanks for help or a sweetener for the future
favors.
Furthermore, if you need to make a meeting, you should made it early or
advance, avoiding book a meeting in the Chinese traditional festival or
holidays, for example the Chinese New Year. Chinese people are very care
about this thing. In Chinese New Year, Chinese people need to gather as a
family and put the business aside. Ensure book a meeting between March
to June, September to November.
Punctuality are also very important while do business in china, make sure
you are early and late arrival will be seen as insult. In the beginning of the
meeting or negotiation, there should be some brief little talk and be
careful your topic not related family, politics or religion.
In addition, I will use the trompenaars seven dimensions to analysis the
Chinese cultural in the business, the seven dimensions include
universalism vs. particularism, individualism vs. collectivism, neutral vs.
emotional, specific vs. diffuse, achievement vs. ascription, sequential vs.
synchronic and internal vs. external control.
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I think China is belong to particularism, people trust that each

circumstance and every relationship, Chinese people also dictates the
rules that they live by, their response might change due to what is
happening at that moment or who is involved. Chinese people always give
the autonomy to make their own choices, they respect other needs and
very flexible in how you make decisions. As I mention before, they also
use to take time to build a solid relationships because they can have a
better understanding on their needs
China is belong to the group of Communitarianism, Chinese people believe
that a group is much more important instead of individual, a group of
people can always provide help and need, a group will always come before
individual.
China is belong to Diffuse, Chinese people always believe that a good
relationships are very helpful to meeting business objectives, they will
always spending their time outside with the clients and colleagues. While
Chinese people doing business, they put more focus and afford to build a
good relationship instead of business objectives, Chinese people also like
to discuss business on social occasions and they like to have personal
discussions while work, but remember dont talk about intimate family,
politics and religion.
China belongs to emotional, which means how people express their
emotions, people look for ways to express their feelings and emotions, in
these cultural, it is welcome and acceptable to show your emotion. They
are used to build trust and rapport, as I mentioned before, they would like
to build a solid relationship with their business partner because they want
to have long term trade or business each other, and they also like to use
emotion to communicate their target. They always have a positive body
language and a positive attitude.
Ascription, Chinese people always use titles to clarify people status in the
organization, it is also showing respect to the other in the authority, on
the other hand, dont try to show up people or dont let the authority
avoid you from performing well in your role.
Synchronous, Chinese may look the past, present and the future, they will
often have to work on several projects at the same time and views plan or
commitments. They are very flexible in approach work, they also wish to
allow people become flexible on the projects or tasks if possible.
Outer direction, which means how people will relate to the environment,
the other direction also meaning an external locus of control. Chinese
people will provide the right resource or right needs to staff to do their
work effectively. They also manage conflict quietly and quickly and give
encouragement to people to take the responsibility on their work.

Negotiation behaviors in UK
The United Kingdom business environment is one of the most
sophisticated in the world, because of this, it is an attractive proposition
for all size of businesses. The United Kingdom comprises Great Britain,
including England, Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland.
The culture of England in business have a big difference with China,
English people greet people with a frim and quite strong handshake, a
strong and frim handshake can show them confidence and sincerity. On
the other hand, make sure that dont make a weak headshake before you
have negotiation or greeting your business partner, because that will
transfer a negative message, for example, lack of conviction, lack of
states etc. As I know, even women in England will use a strong handshake
to establish degree of authority and credibility.
Eye contact is one of the most important things while doing negotiation,
In the English culture while doing business or negotiation, a strong and
direct eye contact will give out a message that you are feeling confidence
and sincerity. But sometimes the speaker may break the eye contact,
because they need to think of a correct word to express, recording
memory etc. and this perfectly normal.
Beside, gift-giving contain a negative meaning in the UK, when you really
need to thanks your business partner, try to do other things instead of
gift-giving.
Furthermore, about the negotiation styles in the UK, as I know, the
English business people often use imposing deadlines or pressure tactics
are the ways of closing deals. In addition, I would also like to discuss
about how the meeting are conducted, when all the people in the meeting
are same level, there will be a free flow for opinions and ideas. If there is
a senior in the meeting, the senior will be the one who speak the most. In
a normal meeting, the meeting will be formal and usually have a clearly
purpose, it may also include an agenda. If anyone need to make a
presentation, make sure that you dont making exaggerated claims and
also ensure that you have enough materials to support your ideas, appear
professional and a great throughout, British people doing business rely on
facts instead of emotions, while you make decisions, maintain an eye
contact and leave two or three feet of personal space, that will be great if
you send a letter to sum up what was decided and what will be taken on
the next step.
On the other hand, the business dress, men should wear dark colored with
a conservative business, for example, black, dark blue, dark grey etc.
women should wear a business suit or a conservative dress.
Now, I will use trompenaars seven dimensions to analysis the negotiation
behaviors and the British culture in business. Compare with China, British
are totally different. I will show it in the following.
Britain mostly belong to universalism, people think the law, rules,
obligations and values are much more important. They often deal fairly
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with parties based on these kind of rules instead of relationships. They

usually provide a clear procedures, process and instruction, they also use
to help people to understand how they work ties into their beliefs or
values.
Britain belong to individualism, they prefer personal freedom and
achievement, which means they allow people to become creative and they
will learn from the mistake and they give people to make their own
decisions and use initiative.
Britain are mostly like specific, British people usually work separate, that
believe that good relationships are important, however they also believe
that people can work together without a good relationship. While they
negotiate with people, they usually be direct and straight to the point,
focusing on people wish and objectives and some companies will also
allow the staff to work at home, lives separate.
British people act more like neutral instead of emotional, they usually
manage their emotions effectively, they also will care about the body
language is there convey any meaning.
British people belongs to the group of achievement, which means their
value your performance, no matter who you are instead of values who you
are, how big is your title or how high is your position are. They usually
recognize and reward those have good performance.
Sequential time would be most suitable to describe Britain people, they
value on punctuality staying on the schedule and planning. They believe
time is money, they just focus on one project or activity at the same time
and they usually set a clear deadlines.
Internal direction, which means they will be open about any disagreement
or conflict and let people to engage in constructive conflict.

Conclusion
After I finish this project assignment, I finally recognized that the
importance of the cross cultural awareness, the difference between the UK
and China are really big. Everyone who want to be a successful business
man, the first step is to well-known your business partner, you know their
cultural, you know their habit, know what they care about. In simple
word, try to become one of them and I think this have a great start of the
business.

Bibliography
1. Cross Cultural Negotiations | articles | cultural services. 2015. Cross
Cultural Negotiations | articles | cultural services. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/crosscultural-negotiation.html. [Accessed 23 July 2015].
2. The Seven Dimensions of Culture - from MindTools.com. 2015. The
Seven Dimensions of Culture - from MindTools.com. [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/sevendimensions.htm. [Accessed 23 July 2015].
3. Doing Business in the UK | etiquette. 2015. Doing Business in the UK
| etiquette. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-uk.html.
[Accessed 23 July 2015].
4. The 3 biggest reasons foreign companies fail in China. 2015. The 3
biggest reasons foreign companies fail in China. [ONLINE] Available
at:https://www.techinasia.com/3-biggest-reasons-foreign-companiesfail-china/. [Accessed 23 July 2015].
5. Hall's Cross-Cultural Theory Wiki. 2015. Hall's Cross-Cultural Theory
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%27s_Cross-Cultural_Theory_Wiki. [Accessed 23 July 2015].