Effects of warm-heartedness and reward distribution on negotiation

Research is needed to identify the conditions and dynamics by which foreign managers and local employees can negotiate their differences integratively. In an experiment with 120 participants in South China, employees with foreign managers who communicated warm-heartedness, compared to indifference, indicated that they had cooperative goals, a quality relationship, were confident in future collaboration, and concluded that their manager was an effective leader. Employees with foreign managers who structured mutual rather than independent or comparative rewards found their manager’s ideas reasonable and integrated them into their decisions. Results, especially if they can be replicated in field settings, suggest how foreign managers can negotiate effectively and develop their relationships with Chinese employees.