Thesis (M. Psych. Org.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Guanxi literally means a �special personal relationship� in Chinese social and business life. It is commonly considered a cultural barrier for many foreign entrants in China due to its exclusiveness, complexity and dynamics. This research study aims to understand the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. Specific questions addressed in this study are: (a) What are the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural relationships in marketing? (b) How do business actors manage these constraints and dilemmas? (c) What new insights can be developed in order to improve Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships? These questions are important because most theoretical understandings of business relationships are developed in Western contexts. Furthermore, the emergence of China as a major global trading nation gives weight to these questions. A case study strategy is adopted with a focus on Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships. This study follows the International/Industrial Marketing & Purchasing Group (IMP)�s research tradition that views relationship building as the consequence of interaction among networks of actors. The research methodology is both qualitative and interpretive. A hermeneutical approach under the constructivist paradigm is adopted to interpret empirical findings from interviews with 58 Chinese and Western business managers. Analysis was conducted in three hermeneutical stages. Each stage progressed and revealed new sources of understanding. The first stage provided a contextual understanding of Chinese-Western intercultural business relationship by identifying �three circles� of relationship development activity based on behavioural norms, respectively the insider (guanxi) circle, an emerging intercultural circle and an outsider circle. This allowed me to develop a bridging perspective of guanxi ties in the emerging intercultural �middle� circle. The second stage revealed three types of guanxi dilemmas for outsiders. The second stage also disclosed seven kinds of perceived risk derived from Confucian ideology. The third stage developed a new concept of guanxi gatekeeper. These guanxi gatekeepers play vital roles in managing outsiders� dilemmas and the risks perceived by insiders in developing intercultural (interpersonal) relationships. They engage two gatekeeping processes: reciprocal gatekeeping and symbolic gatekeeping. It is my conclusion that the gatekeeping view of guanxi processes provides an improved understanding of relationship development in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. This study contributes to the marketing literature by identifying a new interpersonal network perspective and also the network position of guanxi gatekeeper in emerging Chinese-Western intercultural business networks. Thus, indirectly connected actors are seen to work independently but also interdependently through the involvement of gatekeepers. This study has an important strategic implication for Western entrants in China: Western firms and managers can avoid la guanxi (forcing direct relationships with innermost guanxi insiders) and instead operate through the facilitation of a middle force - guanxi gatekeepers.

This thesis is concerned with cross-cultural consulting. The research examines how a multinational consulting team worked with a multinational client. The consultants were from Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, USA and Australia and the client was a multinational oil company located on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The study employs the narrative theory of Ricoeur together with the research findings on culture of Hofstede, Trompenaars, Hall, Kluckhorn and Strodtbeck. The study relies on a comparison of national cultural characteristics as they were enacted duringthe conduct of a consulting project. The research emphasises the roles of the consultants, the consulting process and the consulting outcomes.

Guanxi literally means a �special personal relationship� in Chinese social and business life. It is commonly considered a cultural barrier for many foreign entrants in China due to its exclusiveness, complexity and dynamics. This research study aims to understand the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. Specific questions addressed in this study are: (a) What are the constraints and dilemmas in Chinese-Western intercultural relationships in marketing? (b) How do business actors manage these constraints and dilemmas? (c) What new insights can be developed in order to improve Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships? These questions are important because most theoretical understandings of business relationships are developed in Western contexts. Furthermore, the emergence of China as a major global trading nation gives weight to these questions. A case study strategy is adopted with a focus on Chinese-Western intercultural marketing relationships. This study follows the International/Industrial Marketing & Purchasing Group (IMP)�s research tradition that views relationship building as the consequence of interaction among networks of actors. The research methodology is both qualitative and interpretive. A hermeneutical approach under the constructivist paradigm is adopted to interpret empirical findings from interviews with 58 Chinese and Western business managers. Analysis was conducted in three hermeneutical stages. Each stage progressed and revealed new sources of understanding. The first stage provided a contextual understanding of Chinese-Western intercultural business relationship by identifying �three circles� of relationship development activity based on behavioural norms, respectively the insider (guanxi) circle, an emerging intercultural circle and an outsider circle. This allowed me to develop a bridging perspective of guanxi ties in the emerging intercultural �middle� circle. The second stage revealed three types of guanxi dilemmas for outsiders. The second stage also disclosed seven kinds of perceived risk derived from Confucian ideology. The third stage developed a new concept of guanxi gatekeeper. These guanxi gatekeepers play vital roles in managing outsiders� dilemmas and the risks perceived by insiders in developing intercultural (interpersonal) relationships. They engage two gatekeeping processes: reciprocal gatekeeping and symbolic gatekeeping. It is my conclusion that the gatekeeping view of guanxi processes provides an improved understanding of relationship development in Chinese-Western intercultural business contexts. This study contributes to the marketing literature by identifying a new interpersonal network perspective and also the network position of guanxi gatekeeper in emerging Chinese-Western intercultural business networks. Thus, indirectly connected actors are seen to work independently but also interdependently through the involvement of gatekeepers. This study has an important strategic implication for Western entrants in China: Western firms and managers can avoid la guanxi (forcing direct relationships with innermost guanxi insiders) and instead operate through the facilitation of a middle force - guanxi gatekeepers.

Thesis (Master of Business (Organisation dynamics)) - Swinburne University of Technology, Division of Business, Humanities and Social Science, Graduate School of Business, 2000. / Submitted for the degree of Master of Business (Organisation dynamics), Swinburne University of Technology, Division of Business, Humanities and Social Science, Graduate School of Business, 2000. Typescript. Bibliography: p. 263-268.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 18, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Business rules shape the behaviour of a business and guide the behaviour of employees when conducting business. Therefore, business rules explain what is allowed and not allowed. It is argued that all organisations have business rules and engage in some form of relationship whether through competition or cooperation with other companies. In today’s business environment, organisations are embedded in relationships with other actors in order to gain access to resources that are needed. Therefore, each organisation’s business rules define their strategies and actions. The type of business rule behaviour which is applied by organisations encourages them to grow by taking market share from rivals or creating new markets. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the rules of business behaviour on perceptions of the competitive banking environment in Uganda and its potential impact on certain outcomes. In this study, a quantitative research approach was adopted, as the study sought to investigate the relationships between variables. This study collected data through the use of a structured self-administered survey questionnaire which was distributed to 233 branches of banks in Uganda, totaling 700 bank employees. The survey yielded 529 usable questionnaires which were analyzed, using several statistical analysis techniques. A hypothetical model and measuring instrument of perceptions of the rules of business behaviour in the competitive banking environment within Uganda was developed. Six null-hypotheses were subjected to statistical analysis. The influence of three independent variables, namely, confrontational business behaviour, co-operational business behaviour and typologies of competition on the intermediate variable, perceptions of the competitive banking environment in Uganda were tested. The impact of these variables on three independent outcome variables, namely, organisational performance and customer loyalty and retention were also tested The empirical findings revealed that the rules of business behaviour have a significant relationship with perceptions of the competitive banking environment in Uganda. These results showed that confrontational behaviour as a rule of business behaviour can be classified as being direct or indirect. The study further revealed that banks should consider competitors as co-partners and not only as aggressors, indicating that co-operational business behaviour is statistically significantly related to perceptions of the competitive business environment in Uganda. The three typologies of competition, namely, defy attack, defense and debase attack are also positively related to perceptions of the competitive business environment in Uganda. The empirical results of the study also indicated that perceptions of the competitive banking environment have a positive relationship with outcomes such as organisational performance, customer retention and customer loyalty. This study contributed to the literature and body of knowledge regarding the impact of rules of business behaviour in the competitive banking environment in Uganda. This study could also assist banks, employees and customers alike to understand the different rules of business behaviour that exist and what strategies banks can employ to improve their position in the market. This study could also be replicated by other banks in other developing countries so as to ensure successful competition and the cooperation of banks as they engage in their activities in the banking industry.

This study aims to explore communication deviances and strategies in the negotiation discourse of Malaysian-Australian business encounters, from both a linguistic and nonlinguistic perspective. Specifically, it sees miscommunications/deviances as factors that may hinder the business communication process and prevent the negotiators from achieving their objectives. The study also focuses on strategies, or those discourse skills which promote successful business negotiation. The research method is based on the analysis of discourse generated from initial 'perception' interviews, business meetings, and post-meeting 'follow-up' interviews. The research involved a cross-section of Malaysian and Australian business people from various industries; such as tourism, information technology, hospitality and financial services. The initial 'perception' interviews were intended to gather data on the prior experiences of Malaysian and Australian businesspeople, both in terms of the reported difficulties and strengths in their business interactions and dealings in Western Australia. In the second stage of the analysis, the deviances which signalled miscommunication in the negotiation were identified in the recorded meeting data. Also identified were the strategies which were used by the negotiators to increase the likelihood that their goals will be achieved. The objective of the research was then to interpret why these strategies were being used, and their influence on the negotiation process. From the data a pattern emerged in the way that deviance occurred, and the way that strategies were being performed. This has made it possible to group deviance and strategies and present the findings thematically. Altogether, five themes identified, these were: Management of topics, Building rapport; Ethical business conduct; Building recognition; Styles in business practice. The study has shown that business communication discourse reflects the embedded culture of its speakers. Topic management was also found to play an important role in the business meetings as it enabled the participants to more effectively lead their discussion towards its intended goal. Both the deviance and strategies have been managed by the business negotiators in the way they select the appropriate topic categories in order to effectively maintain the discussion throughout the meeting.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 1999. / Spine title: Sino-foreign negotiation. Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographical references (p. 572-574).