The role of cultural differences in the dynamic of a relationship. The case of Italian and Chinese companies

Intercultural differences have been identified as one of the main reasons of failure in business relationships with Chinese companies. Objective of this work-in-progress (wip) paper is to deepen the understanding of the business relationship process among Italian and Chinese companies to ultimately define the do’s and don’ts Italian companies should follow to establish long lasting relationships with Chinese ones. This understanding is related to communication, interaction and management aspects of the business relationship. This wip paper is made of two parts, a first one related to the theoretical approach, where we explain culture, communication and negotiation. A second part is related to the empirical research.