国际商务谈判 Chapter 11 Different Business Cultures and Negotiations.ppt

11.3.8　Japanese Letters of Introduction are essential for doing business here. As in much of Asia, having connections in Japan is the only way to get through the front door, unless one represents an internationally recognized brand name. Individualism is not a characteristic of Japanese negotiators; they rarely come to the table in groups smaller than three. The person doing the most talking for the Japanese side will most probably not be the person in charge of the negotiations. The Japanese will not discuss points that are not part of the prearranged agenda. Small talks will be kept to a minimum and inquires into personal lives will rarely be made or accepted. Japanese negotiators are famous for their ambiguous responses to proposals. They view vagueness as a form of protection from “loss of face” in case things go sour. To maintain surface harmony and prevent loss of face, Japanese rely on codes of behavior such as the ritual of the meishi or business cards. Japanese negotiators dress and behave formally and are more comfortable with visitors who do likewise. Many Japanese companies still make decisions by consensus. This is a time consuming process, another reason to bring patience to the negotiating table. So quick answers to any question or problem are almost impossible. The Japanese maintain harmony at all costs and will smile the most when they′re the least comfortable at the negotiating table; if the proposal is unacceptable, “no” is not told in a direct manner. Postponements and requests for further research should be understood as a prelude to failure. 11.3.9　Korean ? Koreans often make emotional pleas part of their negotiating style. They are also not beyond painting themselves as poor, humble peasants, even though they have one of the higher GDPs per capita in Asia. In reality, the Koreans only respect hardline, strong opponents. Avoid opening the negotiating with a joke or humorous anecdote. This would show lack of respect for the top