author：Wen Huisource：News CenterTime：2023-10-25 10:50:00
“People from different cultural backgrounds have different ways of expressing their opinions in business negotiations.” On the morning of October 24th, Professor Michael Gates from the Sai?d Business School at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom was invited to WZBC to deliver an academic lecture titled “Application of Cross-Cultural Management in Business Negotiations”. President Zhao Bo and Vice President and Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of International Studies Tang Ruo attended the event. Vice President and Dean of China Academy of Financial Research at Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, Zhang Xiaohong, presided over the lecture, with simultaneous interpretation provided by Cao Jiang, Dean of the School of International Studies.
Professor Gates pointed out that different cultural backgrounds shape different personality traits, and effective responses are needed in business negotiations. Using examples from countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, India, and China, he vividly explained how people from different countries exhibit different ways of speaking, body language, and psychological states in the face of the same event due to cultural differences. For instance, Germans tend to be direct, and Americans are even more direct, while Chinese people tend to be more indirect and implicit in their communication.
Professor Gates proposed that culture is like an iceberg, hiding information that is difficult to discover. In cross-cultural management, information related to food, clothing, and other visible aspects is above the “iceberg” and easily seen by everyone, while body language, values, and behavioral habits are hidden beneath the “iceberg” and are not easily noticeable. Additionally, communication with people of different personality traits follows a set of “golden rules”. For example, when dealing with extroverted individuals, one should pay attention to listening and be sensitive to their feelings and emotions, whereas when interacting with introverted individuals, it is important to adhere to rules and establish trust. Therefore, in business negotiations, it is crucial to understand oneself and others and determine the appropriate negotiation methods based on different cultural backgrounds.
During the lecture, Professor Gates interacted frequently with the audience and answered questions about game theory, cross-cultural communication skills and so on. The teachers and students in the audience expressed that Professor Gates’ insights into cross-cultural management were novel and inspiring. They believed that his lecture would help further enhance their cross-cultural communication skills.
As one of the series of academic lectures under WZBC Forum, Professor Gates’ lecture was jointly organized by our college and China Academy of Financial Research at Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, and was broadcast simultaneously online and offline. The main venue was located in the Academic Lecture Hall of Boya Building on the South Campus. In addition to the on-site teachers and students, faculty and students from our college and the graduate students from China Academy of Financial Research at Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics participated online through Tencent Meeting.
Professor Gates is internationally recognized as a teacher and writer in the field of cross-cultural management. He has provided cross-cultural training for companies and international organizations such as Nokia, the World Bank, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, the United Nations, and the European Union in more than 40 countries and regions. In 1997, he introduced and implemented the world’s first online cross-cultural assessment and cultural data resource called “Culture Active”.
After the lecture, Professor Gates visited the WZBC Dream Factory, the New Business Experimental Teaching Center, as well as the Institute of Smart Economic Industries and the Institute of Smart Accounting Industries. He praised WZBC’s unique approach and experience in integrating industry, academia, and research.
(Translator: Wang Tianzhen)
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