Negotiation Across China

China has become a major topic of conversation in §academic, business and negotiation literature in §recent times, as has the concept of guanxi §behaviour. However, we know little about how guanxi §in non-Eastern cultures, feel about this idea. For §this reason, three research questions were developed §in the Literature Review. The research methodology §is qualitative, based on the interpretivism paradigm §using a phenomenology research design. The findings §were also triangulated using the focus group §interviews. §§The research data analysis is based on the Stevick-§Colaizzi-Jeen method by Moustakas (1994). The §results show that guanxi itself is a quality built §on relationships, favours, dependence, competency, §experience and adaptation rather than inter-§organisation relationships. Furthermore, the study §of guanxi needs to be done by examining both §internal factors and external factors which §influence the negotiation of an enterprise. §Finally, guanxi strategies aim to improve: (1) §guanxi quality; (2) negotiation performance; (3) §competitive position; and (4) competitive advantage §for win-win negotiation purposes.