Article Analysis

1. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
Prof. Enrique Martínez-Calimano, DBA
ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY
FIRST ASSIGNMENT
CARLOS ROM-GORIS
MARCH 15, 2012

2. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
First Assignment: Analyze & Comment
on a Journal Article
 Chinese Negotiators’ Subjective Variations in
Intercultural Negotiations
 Warden, C. A. & Chen, J.F., Journal of Business Ethics (2009)
88:529–537 Springer 2009; DOI 10.1007/s10551-009-0300-0

3. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Previous Experience:
 Summer 1976 – Kelvinator PR
 Korean Businessmen
 First time in PR
 Conferring amongst themselves
 Counter offers being presented
 Eventually, US caught-up: “Huddle Technique”

4. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Article Abstract:
 “Chinese negotiators are known to have a negotiation emphasis that differs from their
Western counterparts, especially in issues of face and conflict. These values,
however, are not monolithic, and can change depending on the negotiation
circumstance. This research examines how negotiation tactics changes when Chinese
negotiators are faced with counterparts from near and distant cultures. “ (Page 529)
 Online conjoint simulation
 351 respondents in Taiwan
 Test subjective perceptions of counterparts from the USA and Japan.
 Chinese exhibited increased cultural accommodation to their counterparts as distance
increased.
 Willing to allow far away counterparts to sacrifice self-interest and allow them to save
face.
 Confucian roots and principles of mutual support, co-existence and cooperation.

5. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Cultural dimensions contrasted between American and
Chinese cultures (Hofstede, 2005)
 Four (4) independent attribute levels
 Power distance (PDI)
 Masculinity (MAS)
 Long-term Orientation (LTO)
 Culture
 Six (6) dependent variables and survey questions
 Face (3)
 Avoiding
 Dominating
 Integrating

6. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Proposition 1:
Chinese respondents will show crosscultural
accommodation to American negotiators.
 Proposition 2:
Chinese respondents will show the
same amount of ethnic affirmation to Japanese and
Chinese negotiators.
 Proposition 3:
Chinese respondents will show a higher tendency towards
integrating with high status negotiators than low status
negotiators.

7. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Proposition 4:
Chinese male respondents will show an equal tendency to
adopt interdependent negotiation
tactics with men and women.
 Proposition 5:
Chinese female respondents will show an equal tendency
to adopt interdependent negotiation tactics with men and
women.
 Proposition 6:
Chinese respondents will show a stronger tendency to
adopt interdependent negotiation tactics with a negotiator
who shows a higher Long-Term Orientation.

8. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Methodology:
 Adopted the constructs of self-face and other-face in Chinese
negotiation.
 Conjoint analysis: each variable ranked on level of influence
 Capability to combine unrelated and non-continuous variables.
 Respondents: a described negotiation process.
 The computer-based survey with the specifics of the negotiation
(manipulating the attribute levels), presenting one negotiation case
at a time with the dependent variables’ questions.
 Screen: picture randomly generated & written description of the
independent variables’ attribute levels:
 Managerial rank (PDI)
 Gender (MAS)
 Closing offer (LTO), and
 Nationality.

9. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Results:
 435 respondents
 351 correctly answered
 Respondents: 18 to 65 years old, with an average of 28.5.
 Mandarin Chinese.
 Negotiators from a Chinese culture exhibit more cultural
accommodation for a distant culture (American) than a near culture
(Japanese) paying more attention to sacrificing self-interest
(interdependent-face) and saving face for the other side (other face).

10. Communication & Intercultural Negotiation
INBU 7140
 Discussion & Commentary:
 Well-written article.
 Well-researched from a theoretical standpoint.
 Over 30 references
 Well run survey but more variables (independent attributes) than necessary:
 Nationality
 Gender
 Managerial Rank
 Closing Offer
 Clearly expressed results.
 Nonetheless, a complicated set-up and difficult to understand (for the reader)
the first time around.
 Great for training processes and applicable at both ends of the ocean:
 China (including Taiwan, obviously)
 Japan
 USA