商务跨文化交际案例分析

中国矿业大学2011～2012学年第1学期

2009级英语专业《跨文化商务交际》考试

班级商务09-6 姓名马金丽学号12095113 分数_________

1.(1) .the importance of learning about unfamiliar cultures.

Culture is diversity around the world and culture teaches values, then values underlie attitudes and sharp behaviors. Therefore, having a good knowledge of foreign unfamiliar cultures is necessary for intercultural business communication. As multinational company needs to know different cultural values and the reasons why people think as they do and value what they do, then the way companies and people act will be comprehensible and even predicated, and companies will avoid business losses and failure. In this case analyze, Joe V an West, President of Appliances Unlimited in Mexico, he didn't have a deep understanding of Mexico local cultures but directly to manage the company. If he did not learn the Mexico cultures ahead of time, he would not well understand the different market demands and the local company's actual operation rules.

(2).The differences of Time sense, Measured or kept.

From the production issues we can see that the Mexico Company has different time sense with American multinational company. For Mexico, which belongs to the polychromic culture, time is an open-ended resource that is not to be constrained and events always take as long as they need to take. While for American company, which is the monochromic culture and time is liner sense. People are expected to arrive at work or accomplish tasks on time and work for a certain number of hours at certain activities. Therefore, when the Mexico Company had five times delivered the parts late enough to affect production schedules for the washing machines the American company concern over it.

(3).Uncertainty avoided or tolerated.

People who are uncomfortable with uncertainty tend to stay with their employers and follow established procedures at work. For uncertainty avoided culture, they

concern more about the possible situations and want more guidelines to deal with uncertainty. Like Van West reacts to production issue with great levels of anxiety and want to check the factory floor by him. As for work unrest, it caused also by the uncertainty avoided. When employees worry about unemployment due to the update of new equipments then they attempt to make work strike. On the other hand, Hernandez, the vice president and other company leaders toward the issues with tolerate attitudes. They thought issues were not a big deal and just take it easy. When production and workers unrest occurred, they didn't pay much attention to problems and identified the subordinates as anxious for no good reason –simply extra concerns.

(4). Group membership: Temporary or Permanent

The group membership in this company is temporary, that is employees did not dedicate as the long-time employees. If they lost interest on the work or their individual interests are not fulfilled, they would easily move to another job, which directly affect employees 'professional dedication and obligation to their company. (5). Power distance.

Mexico is high power distance culture. In these hierarchical cultures where the approach to authority is by mediated, low-level employees rarely have any communication with high-level employees. Communication tends to be mostly downward, occasionally lateral. Messages are often directive and informative. Sending a message from the many at the bottom upward to one of the few at the top is difficult because there are many restrictions, so employees could not express their rights and suggestions to high-level leaders. What's more, employees could not participate in the decision-making process. In this case, when employees proposed issues to leaders, they ignored their aspirations and did not allow workers to participate in the decision-making process.

2. As mentioned in previous chapter, Getting to know foreign culture is very important, especially for intercultural business communication. As a foreign subsidiary president, the most important thing for him is to learn about the Mexico local culture. Only if so, he would fully to grasp and insight into the rules of Mexico business cultures and handle the business issues skillfully. But how does he to learn

about the foreign culture and response to the unfamiliar foreign culture? He can do it by means of different approach, such as: asking questions for the native Mexican about cultures or learn from the media, like local newspaper, television programs and books introducing cultures. Also, he can think and knowing by experience himself or by concept. When faced with unfamiliar foreign cultures and some culture shock. Van West should learn to make a adjustment to react to Mexico culture and gradually integrate himself to the local cultures rather than insists on his own culture and values to manage the Mexico subsidiary.

3. Mexico culture emphasis on power distance and hierarchical culture. These cultures expect and favor inequality and subordinates must obey their superior. The power distance between boss and subordinate is large, so if the boss has make orders or issued work instructions to subordinates, they must make every effort to fulfill them rather than argue with boss even against the commands. In the case that as president of Mexico Company, Van West should learn about the Mexico local cultures and follow them. Therefore, when he found Vice president Lacks of enough responsibilities and obligations to treat his work, as boss, he should directly point it and urge him to change work attitude rather tolerate him.

4. (1). the relationship between individual and group.

In high-context culture, individuals think of the self primary as an element in a network with others, which in low-context culture, individuals think of self as a single unit of society. Collectivism values the group above the individual, and as individuals have a responsibility to the group that supersedes individual needs or rights. Harmony among the interdependent group is the key, and it takes priority above other values. The reluctance to be singled out, even for praise can present obstacles to boss who is dealing with the labor issue. As V an West, he should motivate employees by establishing long-term employment relationship, employees feel them are valuable and have a sense of belonging to the company and employees would be willing to dedicate themselves to company. What's more, as boss should listen to the voice of workers and guarantee their rights.

(2).As superior, he should properly decentralized hierarchical power. There is no obvious hierarchy classification between boss and employees. Employees should be permitted to express their suggestions and preserve personal benefits. As boss should take serious attitude to treat workers 'demands and establish interdependent relationship. When making decisions, low-level labors should have the rights to participate in the process.

案例分析二；

1. Underlying cultural issues

1)Intercultural negotiation factors- Expectations for negotiation outcomes. Different

cultures prefer to outcomes and for the Health Snacks Co mpany it aims at expanding into the Japanese Market, while the Tonka Food wants make use of the cooperate opportunity to gain access to new technology. Which is cooperative culture that emphasis the advantages gained by both parts and achieve win-win culture.

(2) Channels of Business Message

In low-context culture, such as American prefer to the internal channel to communicate and delivery business message, Such as E-mails and Faxes which are efficient and convenient for business communication. But when the problems remained, Health Snacks have to solve them head-on.

(3) Team Members of the negotiation and motivation.

Negotiators frequently choose because they are high-status members of organization or members with special skills. Mr. Carter as Heath Snacks president and also well informed about the history of Joint Venture, so he has the seniority to represent company to negotiate with Japanese. Also two engineers were sent to participate in for their expertise.

(4) Long-term Orientation

The Health Snacks Company had registered several patents for extending shelf life while maintaining quality and owned subsidiaries around the world. They find oriented towards the future, like saving and persistence and focus on constantly expand their production to Japanese Market.

(5) Differences in Negotiating Style and Time and Efficiency.

The Japanese Negotiators spent a long time on the technical specifications of the equipment because they wanted to know how it was made and gained accurate information by asking as many as questions . Japanese part didn't have intense time and efficiency sense and they deliberately pull off time and never achieved agreements. But American expected much faster pace to negotiate and directly to the point to achieve final agreement.

(6). Members' Decision-making Authority.

In Japanese culture, the senior member of the group may not appear at all but he will direct his team members to proceed in a certain way and the final decision-making is determined by authority.

(7). Achieved Status and Ascribed Status.

Health Snacks belong to the Achieved Status which refers to gaining status through performance. It assumes individuals and organizations earn and lose status every day. Tonka Foods emphasizes on ascribed status, which gain status through seniority and right rather than daily performance.

(8) .Seniority valued and Gender inequality.

In Japanese culture, status and promotion determined by means of seniority value rather by their personal practical performance and it also existing gender ineq uality, that is males and females have unequal status in the company promotion system. (9). High context and low context cultures.

When American directly opposed promotes Mr. Ota to the candidate and give adequate evidence to support it, the Japanese president react to with indirect and ambiguity attitudes without giving American convincing reasons.

(10). Individualism and collectivism.

Individualism emphasizes individual independence, uniqueness, stressed self perfect and self, achieving, collectivism emphasize the collective consciousness, team cooperation, personal interests in the collective interests.

2. (1) Culture is diversity around the world and culture teaches values, then values underlie attitudes and sharp behaviors. However, culture is shared and coherent and it

can be learnt. Therefore, having a good knowledge of foreign unfamiliar cultures is necessary for intercultural business communication. For both sides, they should change attitudes towards foreign culture and try to understanding and learn about cultural differences. Faced with culture shock is natural, the right way is to accept and accommodate the differences rather take exclusive attitudes to complain other foreign cultures.

(2). Balance the relations between individualism and collectivism. For America part, the interests of the individuals prevail over those of the group and self-determination and self- fulfillment becomes people's highest priority. The relationship between employers and employees is based on mutual benefit and hiring is based on skills. But for Japanese part, value collectivism more, they are strongly affiliated with their extend family and organization, and loyalty is highly respected in this culture. So when individualism and collectivism have collided with each other, it would be surely causing a series of business problems. In this case, both sides should right balance and handle the personal and collective interests. Different cultural values directly result in the ways to deal with business communication. So both sides should understand it and make a concession for mutual behaviors

(3) Understanding the differences between high context and low context culture. American prefers to express information explicit and to the point while Japanese are tend to be vagueness and ambiguity to convey meaning, which will easily lead both sides feel uncomfortable. Therefore, first of all, they must understanding the cultural shock and properly make a concession to adjust one's own culture values to adapt other cultures and consider mutual common interests rather than complain others. (4) Intercultural Negotiation differences. Both sides have obvious special negotiation styles and cause the problems are inevitable. For both sides, On the one hand negotiations basis on self style, on the other they must respect the mutual value of the different ideas. Japanese should consider American Pay attentio n to efficiency and achieved status, so when they negotiate with American, try to improve efficiency, and making decisions don not so hesitate. For American, they also need to tolerate the cultural differences.

3. Having a good knowledge of foreign unfamiliar cultures is necessary for intercultural business communication. For both sides, they should change attitudes towards foreign culture and try to understanding and learn about cultural differences. Faced with culture shock is natural, the right way is to accept and accommodate the differences rather take exclusive attitudes to complain other foreign cultures.

(1) Respect and take each other's position

A good negotiator in negotiations, even if the purpose is to promote their own product, which is in negotiations to reduce express ego point of view.

(2) Reduce feelings opposition, expand the positive optimistic

In negotiations, negotiators should reduce emotional opposition and negative effects but expand positive sides.

(3) In international business negotiations, people must strengthen cultural consciousness, to realize different culture background negotiators have different demands, motivation and faith differences, to learn and respect each other culture. To overcome culture prejudices.

4. It depends on how they treat each other's cultural differences. Cultural diversity leading to cultural shock is inevitable but culture is relational, learned and adaptive. If both sides can well understanding culture differences and adapt them, which would be beneficial to intercultural business communication. However, if they take hostile and exclusive attitude to treat external cultures, it would be useless to save the Joint Venture.