The increase in international business and in foreign investment has created a need for executives with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication. Americans, however, have not been well trained in either area and, consequently, have not enjoyed the same level of success in negotiation in an international arena as have their foreign counterparts. Negotiating is the process of communicating back and forth for the purpose of reaching an agreement. It involves persuasion and compromise, but in order to participate in either one, the negotiators must understand the ways in which people are persuaded and how compromise is reached within the culture of the negotiation. In many international business negotiations abroad, Americans are perceived as wealthy and impersonal. It often appears to the foreign negotiator that the American represents a large multi-million-dollar corporation that can afford to pay the price without bargaining further. The American negotiator’s role becomes that of an impersonal supplier of information and cash. In studies of American negotiators abroad, several traits have been identified that may serve to confirm this stereotypical perception, while undermining the negotiator’s position. Two traits in particular that cause cross-cultural misunderstanding are directness and impatience on the part of the American negotiator. Furthermore, American negotiators often insist on realizing short-term goals. Foreign negotiators, on the other hand, may value the relationship established between negotiators and may be willing to invest time in it for long-term benefits. In order to solidify the relationship, they may opt for indirect interactions without regard for the time involved in getting to know the other negotiator. Clearly, perceptions and differences in values affect the outcomes of negotiations and the success of negotiators. For Americans to play a more effective role in international business negotiations, they must put forth more effort to improve cross-cultural understanding. [共5题](1)What kind of manager is needed in present international business and foreign investment? [本题2分]A. The man who represents a large multi-million-dollar corporation. B. The man with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication. C. The man who is wealthy and impersonal. D. The man who can negotiate with his foreign counterparts.
The increase in international business and in foreign investment has created a need for executives with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication. Americans, however, have not been well trained in either area and, consequently, have not enjoyed the same level of success in negotiation in an international arena as have their foreign counterparts. Negotiating is the process of communicating back and forth for the purpose of reaching an agreement. It involves persuasion and compromise, but in order to participate in either one, the negotiators must understand the ways in which people are persuaded and how compromise is reached within the culture of the negotiation. In many international business negotiations abroad, Americans are perceived as wealthy and impersonal. It often appears to the foreign negotiator that the American represents a large multi-million-dollar corporation that can afford to pay the price without bargaining further. The American negotiator’s role becomes that of an impersonal supplier of information and cash. In studies of American negotiators abroad, several traits have been identified that may serve to confirm this stereotypical perception, while undermining the negotiator’s position. Two traits in particular that cause cross-cultural misunderstanding are directness and impatience on the part of the American negotiator. Furthermore, American negotiators often insist on realizing short-term goals. Foreign negotiators, on the other hand, may value the relationship established between negotiators and may be willing to invest time in it for long-term benefits. In order to solidify the relationship, they may opt for indirect interactions without regard for the time involved in getting to know the other negotiator. Clearly, perceptions and differences in values affect the outcomes of negotiations and the success of negotiators. For Americans to play a more effective role in international business negotiations, they must put forth more effort to improve cross-cultural understanding. [共5题]
(1)What kind of manager is needed in present international business and foreign investment? [本题2分]
A. The man who represents a large multi-million-dollar corporation.B. The man with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication.
C. The man who is wealthy and impersonal.
D. The man who can negotiate with his foreign counterparts.
题目解答
答案
B
(2)According to the passage, international business negotiation involves . [本题2分]
(A) short-term goals
(B) long-term benefits
(C) information and cash
(D) persuasion and compromise
你选择的答案:未选择 [错误]
D
(3)In the foreign negotiators’ eyes their American counterparts are . [本题2分]
(A) impersonal suppliers of information and cash
(B) skillful in negotiation
(C) good at establishing relationship between negotiators
(D) indirect and impatient
你选择的答案:未选择 [错误]
A
(4)Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage? [本题2分]
(A) Foreign negotiators are willing to invest time in relationship between negotiators.
(B) American negotiator’s directness and impatience cause cross-cultural misunderstanding.
(C) Americans has played a more effective role in international business negotiations.
(D) Foreign negotiators think that American can afford to pay the price without bargaining
你选择的答案:未选择 [错误]
C
(5)What is the topic of this passage? [本题2分]
(A) The differences between American negotiators and foreign negotiators
(B) Negotiation skills
(C) International business and cross-cultural communication
(D) Cross-cultural understanding
你选择的答案:未选择 [错误]
C
参考答案: [第一单元]; 第5小题:C 本题考查对全文主题的把握。文章不是单纯讲商业谈判,也不是单讲跨文化问题,而是针对国际商务谈判中的跨文化理解问题,故选C。
解析
文章提到,随着国际商务和外国投资的增加,需要具备外语知识和跨文化沟通技能的管理人员。然而,美国人在这两个方面训练不足,因此在国际谈判中不如他们的外国同行成功。
步骤 2:分析选项
A. 代表大型多百万美元公司的人员。
B. 具备外语知识和跨文化沟通技能的人员。
C. 富有且冷漠的人员。
D. 能与外国同行谈判的人员。
步骤 3:选择正确答案
根据文章内容,需要具备外语知识和跨文化沟通技能的管理人员,因此选项B是正确的。