Negotiation in China: How Universal?

As a US entertainment company seeks to build a theme park in China, what negotiating skills may help the two sides reach an agreement?
Shang-Jin Wei, Zhigang Tao  | Fall 2011
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The Ciber Case Series

After failing to receive the Chinese government's permission in 2005 to build a theme park, the US entertainment company Universal Studios is ready to negotiate again, encouraged by Disney's building of Shanghai Disneyland and China's burgeoning middle class. Understanding different cultural approaches to negotiating is often key to successfully reaching an agreement, as well as gaining knowledge about local markets, political issues and other socio-economic factors. In this role-play exercise, students are assigned one of three roles, after studying differences in Chinese and US negotiating tactics and the theme park market in China.

Case ID: 100310

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