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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Business negotiation in Vietnam : relationship development between North American and Vietnamese negotiators Chanay-Savoyen, Frederic

Abstract

This thesis studies some of the major factors affecting relationship development between Vietnamese and North American business people, including: the different status of foreigners, the economic needs of the Vietnamese, the unsettled environment, the different conception of working relationships and the importance of face. The focus of the empirical research is the relationship development between Vietnamese and North American negotiators. A review of the Vietnamese culture and the pertinent literature led to the formulation and thesis of three hypotheses with respect to: the most important issue for the Vietnamese negotiator, the type of relationship wanted by the Vietnamese negotiator, and the impact of status differential on the relationship. Two principal research methods were used to test these hypotheses. First, a questionnaire was distributed to business people attending business classes at the University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Second, a series of interviews was conducted with Vietnamese and North American business people living and working in Vietnam. The findings confirm that the Vietnamese emphasize the development of good working relationships with their negotiating counterparts. It should be noted, however, that the concept of a good working relationship is conceived differently than in North America. The second hypothesis is partially supported by the data; the Vietnamese negotiators seem to attach more importance to the evaluation of the trust of their partners, rather than to competitive or cooperative objectives. This is because the Vietnamese negotiators want to make sure they will not be in a situation in which they might lose face. This appears to be the main relationship objective of the Vietnamese negotiators. No conclusive evidence has been found to endorse the third hypothesis. Although status differential affects the behavior of Vietnamese negotiators, it does not affect the way they develop relationships with their North American partners. Possibly, the special status of North American business people, and the similar basis of all business interactions, have led the Vietnamese to have specific relationship objectives when negotiating with North Americans, whatever their status might be.

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