Research Report

An Analysis of Intercultural Negotiations between the East and West

Cohen South
N8884102
Jan Gruenhagen
1632 words

Executive Summary:
This report provides an analysis and evaluation of an intercultural negotiation between USA’s Brown Casual Shoes and China’s Chung Sun Manufacturing, provides a literature review of a prominent theory from the field and suggests recommendation to improve the process of intercultural communication between these two countries and companies.

As the Case Study was identified as subpar negotiation, all issues from the Case Study were allocated into Intercultural, Verbal and Nonverbal.

Following this, Hofstede’s Cultural Model was introduced in the literature review and critically analysed. This model included five dimensions:

1. Uncertainty Avoidance
2. Power Distance
3. Masculinity vs. Femininity
4. Individualism vs. Collectivism
5. Short Term vs. Long Term

Some strengths of the model included a large sample size, indexes for all nations and easily formulated hypotheses. Alternatively, some limitations were an alleged sample misrepresentation, not adequately analysing people on an individual level and a time lapse since dimension formulation.

Major issues from the negotiations were then further investigated and included:

Rushing the negotiations and failing to form an adequate relationship
Causing offence by giving a gift to the Chinese representative
Not respecting the hierarchy of the Chinse culture
Failing to hire an interpreter for the negotiations
Touching the Chinese associates inappropriately

Recommendations suggested preventing further intercultural issues and fixing current issues as noted above included:

Hiring an interpreter and cultural adviser
Translating all written materials into Chinese
Creating transparency within the negotiations process by asking for a joint strategy

1 Introduction
Intercultural

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