The statements of the three interviewees are summarized and grouped into the 14 categories prescribed by the interview guide. (see Table 3) Topic: Thomas Karst Jørgensen Laurence Dawes 1. Approach If you don't have Through a Danish LEGO has established someone thatknows company, a Hong-Kong office to the language, market, recommended Steve set up a relationship people and demand, (Chinese) as an agent. with many suppliers. it's hard to find the right partners. 2. Goal Danish team: Building Danish team: Danish team: Deal a relationship, seeking business focused, however acceptance in order to relationship. protecting the be able to do Chinese agent: Both business relationship. business. long-term business Chinese team: Chinese team: relationship and Maximizing profit, Relationship, the only contract. long-term way do business. Chinese factory: very consideration for the much deal-focused. relationship. "They didn't seem very interested in having us as customers." 3. Relationship Wining and dining is Some time spent Lunch in a flashy building and customs important. outside the office. restaurant (only once), "The Chinese seem to where business was conversations. talk about everything talked. else but business when out eating, they have a lot of humor." 4. Time and space In Denmark everybody An agenda that any Formal meetings with is to go get to Dane would think is agenda and strict work immediately. the right way was too timeline. In China it takes time strict for the Chinese. Two or three hours on from the arrival to Took one thing at a issues and then actually getting to time and took a lot factory tours. business. longer than expected. "Should have been there more time." 5. Negotiation style " If you are not part of Felt disrespect. The Chinese the network, you don't The agent pretended always go for the most have an easy life, to he had never heard expensive option. put it this way." things that had LEGO keeps in touch They use tactics that already been agreed with several suppliers are abandoned in on and it would take to keep them Europe, such as additional time to sort competitive. They go deliberately it out. They don't early to be able to procrastinating to give mention themselves if negotiate them down. you hard time and get there is something
The statements of the three interviewees are summarized and grouped into the 14 categories prescribed by the interview guide. (see Table 3) Topic: Thomas Karst Jørgensen Laurence Dawes 1. Approach If you don't have someone thatknows the language, market, people and demand, it's hard to find the right partners. Through a Danish company, recommended Steve (Chinese) as an agent. LEGO has established a Hong-Kong office to set up a relationship with many suppliers. 2. Goal Danish team: Building a relationship, seeking acceptance in order to be able to do business. Chinese team: Relationship, the only way do business. Danish team: business relationship. Chinese agent: Both long-term business relationship and contract. Chinese factory: very much deal-focused. "They didn't seem very interested in having us as customers." Danish team: Deal focused, however protecting the business relationship. Chinese team: Maximizing profit, long-term consideration for the relationship. 3. Relationship building and customs Wining and dining is important. conversations. Some time spent outside the office. "The Chinese seem to talk about everything else but business when out eating, they have a lot of humor." Lunch in a flashy restaurant (only once), where business was talked. 4. Time and space In Denmark everybody is to go get to work immediately. In China it takes time from the arrival to actually getting to business. An agenda that any Dane would think is the right way was too strict for the Chinese. Took one thing at a time and took a lot longer than expected. "Should have been there more time." Formal meetings with agenda and strict timeline. Two or three hours on issues and then factory tours. 5. Negotiation style " If you are not part of the network, you don't have an easy life, to put it this way." They use tactics that are abandoned in Europe, such as deliberately procrastinating to give you hard time and get Felt disrespect. The agent pretended he had never heard things that had already been agreed on and it would take additional time to sort it out. They don't mention themselves if there is something The Chinese always go for the most expensive option. LEGO keeps in touch with several suppliers to keep them competitive. They go early to be able to negotiate them down.
Vasil_Rusinov_Bachelor_Thesis.docx