Business negotiation

Author: Jiang San Gong, Zhang Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Negotiation and Business Negotiation
People's understanding of things in negotiation and business negotiation is generally from the basic concepts, then understanding its meaning, which is the thinking process of recognizing all things. The definition of negotiation is very simple but its meaning is very broad.
I. Definition of Negotiation
Negotiation is divided into broad and narrow definitions. Broad negotiation includes informal consultations, discussions, negotiations, and discussions in non-formal settings; narrow negotiation is conducted in formal settings. Simply put, negotiation is a process where parties negotiate and consult to meet their respective needs and maintain their respective interests. It can also be said that negotiation is a way to solve problems, maintain relationships, and establish cooperative relationships. According to the explanation in China's Ci Hai, the term "qia" means "harmony, friendliness, and consultation"; "tan" means "mutual dialogue or speech"; and "pan" means "judgment." Thus, "tan" implies "process," and "pan" implies "result." Due to the wide range of issues involved in negotiation and its rich content, people can interpret negotiation from different perspectives. To date, the academic community has had different interpretations and definitions of negotiation. With the development of the times, people will have new insights and understandings of negotiation.
(1) Main Views on the Definition of Negotiation by Foreign Scholars
Gerard I. Nelkenberg, president of the American Negotiation Association, once gave a broad definition of negotiation in his book Harvard Negotiation: "Negotiation is like using information and power to influence others' behavior in a tight net." He also wrote in his book The Art of Negotiation: "Every desire that needs to be satisfied and every need that seeks to be fulfilled is at least a potential cause that triggers people to engage in the negotiation process. As long as people exchange opinions to change their relationships and negotiate agreements to reach a consensus, they are negotiating."
Christophe Dupond, a French negotiation scholar, defined negotiation from the perspective of social relationships in his book Negotiation Behavior, Theory, and Application: "Negotiation is an activity that places two or more roles face-to-face. The roles are in opposition due to their differences but also interdependent. They choose practical attitudes to seek an agreement to resolve their differences and create, maintain, and develop some kind of relationship between them (even if it is temporary)."
C. Wayne Barlow and G. P. Eisen, American negotiation consultants, pointed out in their co-authored book Negotiation Skills: "Negotiation is a skill used in exchanging opinions when both parties are committed to persuading the other to accept their demands. The ultimate goal is to reach an agreement that is beneficial to both parties."
Professors from Harvard Business School proposed in their textbook: "Negotiation is a communication and coordination activity where parties with vested interests negotiate and consult to reach a consensus."①
British negotiation expert Bill Scott believes: "Trade negotiation is a form of face-to-face meeting between two parties. The two parties involved in it are us and you."②
(2) Main Views on the Definition of Negotiation by Chinese Scholars
Li Pin Yuan, the compiler of Modern Business Negotiation, defines negotiation as: "Participants