For this Assignment, you are to read the following case study, and then answer the questions below. Each question is worth the same number of points. In your response, be sure to include facts from the case to support your answer.
Title: International Negotiations
Overview: This case study involves an American professional woman named Becca, who is responsible for leading the supply chain function for a global corporation. This includes purchasing and negotiating contracts needed for materials and equipment required to manufacture their products throughout the world. She is the lead negotiator in their Strategic Team for business contracts and is responsible for negotiations with suppliers in China. The other members of the Strategic Team in Asia are four men from China.
Objectives:
Discuss the importance of understanding cultural and social norms when working in a global
Explain the importance and value of learning and embracing local business customs as a business
Explain the significance of demonstrating professional behavior as an American employed in a foreign
Keywords: cultural norms, business norms, local customs, sexism
Scenario: Becca is a Senior Procurement Manager for a publicly held North American automotive manufacturer, named Gautten. She began her career as a Buyer and worked her way up to Senior Procurement Manager. In the role of a Buyer, Becca has been responsible for conducting regional contract negotiations with suppliers in North America. Becca has spent significant time traveling globally on behalf of Gautten and has completed a Cultural Acceptance class. She has served in her current role for approximately three years.
Becca now has responsibility for global negotiations and Gauttens Asian Strategic Team consisting of four Buyers reporting directly to her. For the negotiations in China, Becca and the Strategic Team have defined specific objectives that are aligned to Gauttens global goals.
Becca has been assigned the responsibility of negotiating a multimillion-dollar contract for her organization with a strategic Chinese supplier. She is well versed in negotiating tactics, aware of the ultimate contract objective requirements, and maintains high ethical standards in conducting negotiations. Becca is not new to international negotiations, but has limited professional experience with Chinese business practices and the strategy associated with contract negotiations. In preparing for the negotiation with this customer, she has documented the must haves, negotiable giveaways, and the agenda for the trip.
The negotiations are taking place at the Beijing Maryaught Hotel in a large conference room rented by Gautten. Several suppliers have been invited to participate, during specific time intervals, to negotiate with Becca and the Strategic Team.
As the first supplier team from BestMetals enters the room, Becca notes that all the representatives are male except for one young woman, named Lijuan, who is their interpreter.
Becca invites them in. The Chinese supplier team members take positions on one side of the conference room table, while Gauttens team sits on the opposite side. The session begins with Becca welcoming the BestMetals representatives, introducing her team, and allowing BestMetals to introduce their representatives. It is quickly observed that BestMetals representatives are somewhat confused. Lijuan asks who is empowered to make the decision on the award of business and whether the Senior Officer from Gautten will be present. Lijuan directed her questions specifically to one male associate on Gauttens team. Becca proceeded to once again explain her role and the agenda for the meeting. The representatives from BestMetals continued to talk among themselves, and Lijuan again asks if Beccas boss would be joining the negotiations. Clearly the BestMetals representatives did not realize Becca was the highest ranking member and was empowered to lead the negotiation.
Lijuan politely requested tea for her associates and suggested that all take a moment to have some general open discussion. Becca was embarrassed when she realized that she had proceeded immediately into the business discussion without allowing time for tea and the formal discussion that would let the BestMetals team get to know Becca and their Strategic Team. Becca did not mean to be rude, and soon recalled a peer mentioning the importance of relationship building with the Chinese. She knew she had started the meeting off incorrectly and quickly tried to reestablish the proper setting for the negotiation. She brought in tea and sat directly across from the highest ranking BestMetals associate. She did not discuss business, but instead talked about her flight to their country, asked about the supplier teams experiences traveling to the United States, and discussed current events in China. As the BestMetals associates relaxed, Becca and her team could see the change in body language an
