Contents

Acknowledgments

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

  1.1 Introduction to Identity Construction-1

  1.2 Reasons for the Study-1

  1.3 Significance of the Study-2

  1.4 Structure of This Thesis-2

Chapter Two Previous Studies on Business English Negotiation-3

  2.1 Negotiating Behavior-3

  2.2 Negotiating Strategies-3

  2.3 Negotiation Between America and China-3

  2.4 Negotiating Outcomes-4

Chapter Three Identity Construction in Business English Negotiation-5

  3.1 Introduction to the Adaption Theory-5

  3.2 Constructed Buyers’ Identities-5

    3.2.1 Close Friends-5

    3.2.2 Old partners-7

    3.2.3 Representatives-8

    3.2.4 Competitors-9

  3.3 Motivation of Identity Construction-10

Chapter Four Conclusions-13

  4.1 Findings-13

  4.2 Limitations-13

References-14

Abstract

There are many researches on the business English negotiation, including studying the negotiating behavior, the negotiating strategies, the negotiation between America and China and the negotiating outcomes. However, previous researches lie in lacking the study on the identities of the negotiating parties.

The thesis will study the identities constructed by the buyers in the business English negotiation based on the adaption theory. It finds that the buyers mainly construct the identities of the close friends, the old partners, the representatives and the competitors in order to pursue the great profits, which are the results of adapting to the different negotiating periods, and the negotiating parties.

The study is very important for the buyers to promote the success of the negotiation and pursue the great profits by guiding them to construct proper identities according to different occasions. At the same time, the thesis in some degree can deepen the study on the identities constructed by the buyers in the business English negotiation, which is helpful to teach the business English.

Key words:  business English negotiation  buyers  identity construction  adaptive analysis