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Managing Business Relationships in New Zealand and China

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  • Yunxia Zhu

    (University of Queensland Business School)

Abstract

This paper investigates communication strategies for building business relationships from a semantic perspective (culture-specific interpretation of meanings). The research method is based on discourse analysis of interviews with the New Zealand and Chinese managers. This study suggests that using a semantic perspective provides in-depth analysis of the managers’ discourse of target cultures, which complements the prevalent approach of using cultural dimensions. New Zealand and Chinese managers prefer different sets of semantic frames for constructing business relationships. Furthermore, Chinese business managers tend to use interpersonal strategies to initiate a business relationship while New Zealand managers employ inter-group strategies. Both cultures, however, employed interpersonal communication strategies in the maintaining stage.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunxia Zhu, 2009. "Managing Business Relationships in New Zealand and China," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 225-248, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:49:y:2009:i:2:d:10.1007_s11575-008-0137-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-008-0137-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yunxia Zhu & Alison M. Konrad & Hao Jiao, 2016. "Violation and activation of gender expectations: Do Chinese managerial women face a narrow band of acceptable career guanxi strategies?," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 53-86, March.
    2. Nadeem, Sadia & Raza, Mishal & Kayani, Neelab & Aziz, Amna & Nayab, Dure, 2018. "Examining cross-cultural compatibility of high performance work practices," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 563-583.

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