Process ambiguities in Sino-Danish business negotiations

Abstract

The article analyses the role played by process ambiguities in Sino-Danish business negotiations. Process ambiguities refer to perceived expectational inconsistency concerning (i) appropriate forms of behaviour; (ii) attributional judgements; and (iii) structuring of the negotiation process. These ambiguities stem from differences in negotiation scripts across Chinese and Danish cultures. The essential argument being advanced here is that it is the effective and/or the ineffective management of process ambiguities that shapes the evolution of the negotiating dynamic between Danish and Chinese business people. An inductive model of Sino-Danish business negotiations is developed that is based on 24 interviews conducted with Danish expatriate managers in China and 4 interviews with Chinese working in Danish companies. Implications for research and practice are discussed.