Abstract: Compliment is a speech act which is important to make contributes to business negotiation between China and America. This thesis makes a contrastive study on compliments used in business negotiation between China and America, on the aspect of compliment topics, compliment formulas and compliment responses to find out the characteristics and differences. The thesis also finds reasons for these differences form aspects of belief and religion, thought pattern and value oration. Hopefully by making compliments more properly, both Chinese and American negotiators can strengthen their negotiating abilities in order to achieve desirable goals in negotiations.

Key words: compliments; business negotiations; differences; reasons

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-1

2.1 Overview of Compliment

2.1.1 Definition of Compliment

2.1.2 Functions of Compliment

2.2 Overseas and Domestic Research Status

3. Comparative Analysis on Compliments in Business Negotiation between China and America-3

3.1 Differences in Compliment Topics

3.1.1 Different Topic Focus 

3.1.2 Different Topic Purpose

3.2 Differences in Compliment Formulas

3.2.1 Explicit Compliments

3.2.2 Implicit Compliments

3.3 Differences in Compliment Responses

3.3.1 Different Rules of Responses

3.3.2 Different Types of Responses

4. Reasons for Compliment Differences between Two Countries-9

4.1 Belief and Religion Difference

4.2 Thought Pattern Difference

4.3 Value Orientation Difference

5. Conclusions-11

Bibliography-12

Acknowledgements-13