Company and Representatives’ Objectives
The company’s mission statement is “From Regional Star to Global Leader.” Its overarching objective is to become the sole leader in the paper business on a global scale (Nohria et al., 2009). Yang Jianguo, Alain Deronde, Yves Saurac, Antoine Lambert, and Elise Bernier have also set different objectives for themselves.
Yang Jianguo’s objective is to bring innovation to the company by introducing new technology and developing new products. In addition, he wishes to cultivate an atmosphere throughout the company that encourages employees to collaborate and assist one another in times of need.
Alain Deronde’s objective is to ensure that the company remains competitive in the market by implementing strategic decisions into effect and sustaining a solid financial base. Furthermore, he aims to put much effort into ensuring that everyone in the firm has a drive for creativity and innovation.
Yves Saurac’s objectives are ensuring that the company will keep achieving a good track record over the long term by devising strategic objectives, effectively supervising the company operations and ensuring that they are performed ethically transparently.
The objective of Antoine Lambert is to ensure that the company will remain to have a solid client base and will be able to sustain its standing as a competitive player in the market by introducing new goods and services.
Elise Bernier aims to ensure that the company continues to make a profit by developing innovative business strategies that raise revenues while concurrently lowering costs. She also aims to ensure that the company can meet the needs and expectations of its customer base.
Cultural and Social Values Using Hofstede’s Cultural Framework
From the perspective of Hofstede’s model, the French and Chinese representatives displayed two distinct cultural values: individualism and power distance. Both of these beliefs strongly focus on a person’s right to exercise control in their own life (Vitolla et al., 2019). The French representatives emphasized individualism, which refers to the idea that every person is liable for their behaviors and choices. Individualism is a cultural dimension that refers to the extent to which people in a culture prioritize their individual goals and needs over those of the group.
In an individualistic culture like France, people tend to value self-expression, autonomy, and individual achievement. On the other hand, the Chinese representatives emphasized power distance, which is the extent to which a society has a hierarchy which is followed. The Chinese display a high-power distance which means that there is a strong emphasis on hierarchical structures and social order. These two concepts are fundamental values guiding French and Chinese societies, respectively.
Avoidance of ambiguity and an understanding of the value of collectivism were two important societal principles the French and Chinese representatives demonstrated. The French representatives focused on uncertainty avoidance. This principle emphasizes the importance of minimizing ambiguity and uncertainty in communication, decision-making, and other aspects of life. This is often achieved through clear and precise language and a preference for explicit rather than implicit communication.
On the other hand, the Chinese representatives affirmed collectivism, the notion that individuals must collaborate to achieve the group’s objectives. This principle emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation among individuals to achieve the objectives of the group. In a collectivist society, individual goals and interests are often subordinated to the goals and interests of the group, and there is a strong emphasis on social harmony.
Switzerland possesses cultural views similar to those represented by the French and the Chinese. However, the French and Chinese representatives have lower scores than Switzerland’s in uncertainty avoidance and the collectivism category. According to World Business Culture (2020), the score for Switzerland is significantly higher than any other country. This indicates that Swiss people are more likely to collaborate to achieve group goals rather than relying solely on their efforts to do so and to try to minimize the degree of ambiguity in their lives.
Verbal Communication
Two examples of verbal communication demonstrated in the case study are using questions and metaphors. As Jianguo is questioning the French team in order to gain a better understanding of their position, the French team is employing comparisons in order to communicate their point more clearly. With respect to verbal communication, Jianguo and the French team have distinct approaches, especially regarding the degree to which they are straightforward.
Jianguo took a more direct approach, whereas the French side used a more indirect on. The French team utilizes analogies to stress their argument, whereas the Jianguo team employs queries to collect further information. This shows the discrepancy in the communication patterns of the two groups, as the French group makes comparisons to exemplify their point.
When comparing the communication approaches of Jianguo and the French team, it is notable that they are quite similar to how Swiss people communicate verbally. The Swiss are often recognized for their preference for indirect communication, and they commonly use metaphors and comparisons to express their opinions clearly (Ferry-Meystre & O’Regan, 2022).
Moreover, in contrast to the French team, Swiss individuals typically engage in more professional interactions and may use more respectful language. These differences may stem from cultural variations in communication styles and social norms as people from different cultures often adopt different communication approaches.
Non-Verbal Communication
Two examples of nonverbal communication that are demonstrated in the scenario are the use of facial expressions and body language. The French team uses facial expressions like smiling or raising eyebrows to signal that they agree or disagree. In contrast, Jianguo uses body language better, like pushing forward to emphasize his position. When compared to the French representatives, Jianguo uses facial gestures significantly more.
For example, when the French team suggests they should work together, Jianguo bends forward and nods to indicate that he likes the concept. At the same time, the French team smiles and raises their brows to show how excited they are about the opportunity to collaborate. This illustrates the comparison between the nonverbal signals utilized by the two teams, with Jianguo’s team being much more assertive than the French team, who are more reserved.
A comparison may be made to Switzerland in that the nonverbal communication signs that Jianguo and the French team deploy are highly similar to those utilized in Switzerland. While attempting to interact with one another, Swiss people are believed to employ more descriptive body language and use a broader range of facial expressions and gestures than those from other countries (Berthele, 2021). On the other hand, it is relatively uncommon for people from Switzerland to have expressions on their faces that are more reserved, and their body language may not be as direct as Jianguo’s.
Cultural Negotiation Styles
Throughout the conversation, the French and the Chinese displayed a trend of cultural behavior that might be characterized as trying to integrate to a greater level. Both groups shared this pattern. Thus, the predominant cultural tendency of the French and Chinese was to utilize an integrative style. The main objective of the French team was to come up with solutions that were advantageous to both sides and areas of mutual understanding to reach a final agreement.
On the other hand, the Chinese team focused on finding an alternative to broaden the scope of the discussions and reach an agreement that was in both parties’ best interests. Overall, both the French and Chinese teams demonstrated a commitment to working together to find common ground to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, which is characteristic of an integrative negotiation style.
The most common cultural approaches to negotiating between French and Chinese are similar to those in Switzerland culture. Berthele (2021) argues that, when negotiating, Swiss people often use an integrative strategy, which involves looking for areas of agreement and making concessions to achieve a favorable conclusion. However, it is essential to note that compared to the French and Chinese representatives in the case study, Swiss people may be more willing to negotiate and compromise.
Differences in Negotiation Tactics and Bargaining Behaviors
The French and Chinese representatives each utilized unique strategies throughout the negotiation process. The French team preferred to act more moderately and concentrated on the long-term objectives of the negotiations, compared to the Chinese side, which had the tendency to be more assertive and concentrated on the short-term targets of the negotiations (Nohria et al., 2009). The French team also had the propensity to utilize more creative solutions to agree with, compared to the Chinese team, who leaned toward more straightforward or direct methods. This was one way the French team distinguished itself from the Chinese team.
The French and the Chinese utilize bargaining techniques and negotiating practices identical to Switzerland. Similar parallels can also be noticed in Swiss people’s approaches to negotiating and bargaining. The Swiss people have a reputation for being patient and focused on the negotiations’ longer-term goals, which tend to be more important to them (World Business Culture, 2020). In addition, Swiss people are known to adopt more creative approaches in bargaining and negotiation.
Leadership Competencies
Some of the leadership competencies and characteristics that Jianguo, Deronde, Saurac, Lambert, and Bernier would need for a successful negotiation include effective communication, interpersonal interaction, and problem-solving skills. For all five leaders to be effective during the conversations, they must all be competent in transmitting their views, aims, and perspectives to one another.
According to Kanki (2019), this requires the ability to listen, clarify things uncomplicatedly, and employ clear language when the circumstance calls for it. Additionally, the leaders must be capable of successfully interacting with the other parties that are taking part in the negotiations in order for them to be successful. Effective interpersonal interactions entail empathizing with others, building trusting relationships, and maintaining composure even when facing challenging circumstances.
Lastly, each of the leaders is responsible for identifying and assessing issues and then conceptualizing and implementing workable solutions into action. Problem-solving requires not only the ability to think critically and effectively, but also the ability to work collaboratively with others. Effective problem-solving often involves teamwork and the ability to work through conflicts and differences in opinion.
References
Berthele, R. (2021). The selective celebration of linguistic diversity: Evidence from the Swiss language policy discourse. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 42(2), 125-136. Web.
Ferry-Meystre, M., & O’Regan, J. P. (2022). Swiss multilingualism and Global English: Bourdieusian capitals in contestation. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 1-15. Web.
Kanki, B. G. (2019). Communication and crew resource management. In Crew resource management (pp. 103-137). Academic Press.
Nohria, N., Tsang, K., Javidan, M., & Champy, J. (2009). From regional star to global leader. Harvard Business Review, 87(1), 33-39.
Vitolla, F., Raimo, N., Rubino, M., & Garzoni, A. (2019). The impact of national culture on integrated reporting quality. A stakeholder theory approach. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(8), 1558-1571. Web.
World Business Culture. (2020). Swiss Communication Styles | World Business Culture. Web.