Establish Correct Concept on International Business Negotiation

張靜慧

【Abstract】It is essential to establish a correct concept on the international business negotiation， which is a cooperative enterprise；common interests must be sought；negotiation is a behavioral process， not a game；in a good negotiation， everybody wins something.

【Key words】Cooperative； behavioral process； common interests； mutual gain

【摘要】建立正確的國際商務談判觀念是至關重要的，國際商務談判是一個相互合作的過程，在談判中，雙方必須尋求共同利益；談判是一個行為過程，而不是一個游戲，良好的談判可以實現雙贏。

【關鍵詞】合作 行為過程 共同利益 共同獲利

With the rapid growth of the Chinese economy， especially after entering the WTO， many of Chinese import and export corporations face more and more business negotiations. During a negotiation， both sides hope to obtain the maximum benefit with minimum conflict of interest. To achieve this goal， negotiators should establish correct concept on the international negotiation.

1. Not a Game， Nor a War

Negotiation has often been compared to a game .A game has definite rules and a known set of values.However， rules of this sort are not available in the unbounded dynamic life process of negotiation.

To look upon negotiation as a game to be played is to enter into the bargaining in a purely competitive spirit. Even if he could persuade an opponent to “play” such a negotiating game， he would run the risk of being the absolute loser rather than the winner.In post-World War II Japan， some businessmen required that their employees study military strategy and tactics as a guide to successful business operations. How many of these employers realized that comparing business with war was only a metaphor？How many saw that the goal of a successful business deal is not a defeated competitor？

Negotiation， then， is not a game， nor is a war. Its goal is not a defeated competitor. A negotiator ignores this point at his own peril.

2. Cooperative Egotism

Think of negotiation as a cooperative enterprise. If both parties enter the situation on a cooperative basis， there is a strong likelihood that they will be persuaded to strive for goals that can be shared equally.

Many negotiations conducted in a highly competitive manner have ended in what seemed to be a complete victory for one side. The alleged winner was in possession of everything he wanted and the loser had suffered a humiliating defeat. However， such a “settlement” will rarely stay settled. Unless the terms arrived at have been advantageous in some way to the “loser”， he will soon seek means of changing the settlement. The dissatisfied party， or even a third party， may begin a lawsuit to set aside or reorganize the unfavorable settlement. An overwhelmingly one –sided settlement breeds trouble and in the end will only prove to be a great waste of time and effort. It contains the seed of its own destruction.

3. Reaching a Life Balance

Few negotiations proceed smoothly. Sometimes one party managed to secure close to 100 percent of the pie— when he was bargaining from a position of strength. At other times he has been forced to negotiate with almost all the strength massed on the opposite side of the table， he has been able to get only a small piece of the pie， In such a case， one has to be content with salvaging as much as possible from the situation. One should simply understand that it is better to have 10 percent of a good thing than 100 percent of nothing.

4. Meeting the Uncontrollable and Unexpected Situation

Sometimes， when an opponent seems “on the run， ” there is a temptation to push him as hard as possible. But one extra push may be the one straw that breaks the camels back.

Simply stated， one of the first lessons the negotiator must learn is when to stop. Its that little extra “one for the road” that can kill you. There is a critical point in negotiation beyond which the reaction， like that of an atomic pile， can become uncontrolled and destructive.

So the negotiators aim should never be “just one more.” He must sense when he is approaching the critical point. All parties to a negotiation should come out with some needs satisfied. This cannot happen when one of the parties is demolished.

Successful negotiations are not sensational. No strikes， lawsuits， or war occur. Both parties feel that they have gained something. Even if one side has to give up a great deal， the overall picture is one of mutual gain.

To sum up thus far：negotiation is a cooperative enterprise；common interest must be sought；negotiation is a behavioral process， not a game；in a good negotiation， everyone wins something.

References：

[1]Building Wealth：New Rules for International Companies Written By Lester C.Thurow.

[2]John Kotter and James Heskett，Culture and Performance，Free Press，1992：35-50.