cooperative【经济类文献翻译】国际商务谈判
外文文献翻译
International Business Negotiations
Pervez Ghauri & Jean-Claude Usunier
When two people communicate, they rarely talk about precisely the same subject, for effective meaning is flavored by each person’s own cognitive world and cultural conditioning. Negotiation is the process by which at least two parties try to reach an agreement on matters of mutual interest. The negotiation process proceeds as an interplay of perception, information processing, and reaction, all of which turn on images of reality (accurate or not), on implicit assumptions regarding the issue being negotiated, and on an underlying matrix of conventional wisdom, beliefs, and social expectations. Negotiations involve two dimensions: a matter of substance and the process. The latter is rarely a matter of relevance when negotiations are conducted within the same cultural setting. Only when d
ealing with someone from another country with a different cultural background does process usually become a critical barrier to substance; in such settings process first needs to be established before substantive negotiations can commence. This becomes more apparent when the negotiation process is international, when cultural differences must be bridged.
When negotiating internationally, this translates into anticipating culturally related ideas that are most likely to be understood by a person of a given culture. Discussions are frequently impeded because the two sides seem to be pursuing different paths of logic; in any cross cultural context, the potential for misunderstanding and talking past each other is great. Negotiating internationally almost certainly means having to cope with new and inconsistent information, usually accompanied by new behavior, social environments, and even sights and smells. The greater the cultural differences, the more likely barriers to communication and misunderstandings become. When one takes the seemingly simple process of negotiations into a cross-cultural context, it becomes even more complex and complications tend to grow exponentially. It is naive indeed to venture into international ne
gotiation with the belief that “after all, people are pretty much alike everywhere and behave much as we do.” Even if they wear the same clothes you do, speak English as well as (or even better than) you, and prefer many of the comforts and attributes of American life (food, hotels, sports), it would be foolish to view a
member of another culture as a brother in spirit. That negotiation style you use so effectively at home can be ineffective and inappropriate when dealing with people from another cultural background; in fact its use can often result in more harm than gain. Heightened sensitivity, more attention to detail, and perhaps even changes in basic behavioral patterns are required when working in another culture.
Members of one culture may focus on different aspects of an agreement (e.g., legal, financial) than may members of another culture (personal, relationships). The implementation of a business agreement may be stressed in one culture, while the range and prevention of practical problems may be emphasized in another culture. In some cultures, the attention of people is directed more toward the specific details of the agreem
ent (documenting the agreement), while other cultures may focus on how the promises can be kept (process and implementation). Americans negotiate a contract; the Japanese negotiate a personal relationship. Culture forces people to view and value differently the many social interactions inherent in fashioning any agreement. Negotiations can easily break down because of a lack of understanding of the cultural component of the negotiation process. Negotiators who take the time to understand the approach that the other parties are likely to use and to adapt their own styles to that one are likely to be more effective negotiators.
American and Russian people are not similar; their ethical attitudes do not coincide: they evaluate behavior differently. What an American may consider normative, positive behavior (negotiating and reaching a compromise with an enemy), a Russian perceives as showing cowardice, weakness, and unworthiness; the word “deal”has a strong negative connotation, even today in contemporary Russia. Similarly, for Russians, compromise has negative connotation; principles are supposed to be inviolable and compromise is a matter of integrity (The Russians are not alone here: a Mexican will not c
ompromise as a matter of honor, dignity, and integrity; likewise, an Arab fears loss of manliness if he compromises.) A negotiation is treated as a whole without concessions. At the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) talks, the Americans thought they had an agreement (meaning conclusive commitment), while the Russians said it was an understanding (meaning an expression of mutual viewpoint or attitude). When the Americans thought they had an understanding, the Russians said it was a procedural matter, meaning they had agreed to a process for conducting the negotiation. Different cultural systems can produce divergent negotiating styles--styles shaped by each nation’s culture, geography, history, and political system. Unless you see the world through the other’s eyes (no
matter how similar they appear to you), you may not be seeing or hearing the same. No one can usually avoid bringing along his or her own cultural assumptions, images, and prejudices or other attitudinal baggage into any negotiating situation. The way one succeeds in cross cultural negotiations is by fully understanding others, using that understanding to one’s own advantage to realize what each party wants from the negotiat
ions, and to turn the negotiations into a win-win situation for both sides. A few potential problems often encountered during a cross-cultural negotiation include ( Frank, 1992):
Insufficient understanding of different ways of thinking.
Insufficient attention to the necessity to save face.
Insufficient knowledge of the host country--including history, culture, government, status of business, image of foreigners.

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