Dr. Hua Zhang, Chair of the Giant Panda Acquisition Task Force (GPATF)
You are assuming the role of Dr. Hua Zhang, chair of the Giant Panda Acquisition Task Force (GPATF) of the Frontier Park Board of Management, in a negotiation with the Chinese Association for Zoological Gardens (CAZG) to procure giant pandas for an extended stay. As an environmental scientist, you have long been involved in civic affairs in Portland, particularly those involving the Chinese-American community. A few months ago, you agreed to chair the GPATF and try to bring giant pandas to Frontier Park. It is spring 2035, and the meeting is being held in Beijing.
Current Agenda In panda negotiations, topics for discussion generally include the duration of the pandas’ stay at the foreign zoo, lease fee, delivery (transportation, accompanying Chinese personnel, etc.), panda accommodations (housing, food), veterinary and other care, offspring ownership and care, subjects for cooperative research, and more.
This negotiation need not cover all of the above items. Your priorities are the nature of the negotiation process and the quality of the negotiators’ and teams’ relationships.
Your Objectives
Your main goal is to facilitate and secure an agreement to bring a breeding pair of giant pandas to Frontier Park, which is your commitment to the Frontier Park Board of Management. In addition, you want to build a bridge between the Chinese-American communities in Portland and Chongqing and contribute to improving relations between the peoples of the United States and China.
You know that “friendship” is essential when developing with Chinese counterparts. Given your familiarity with American and Chinese cultures and your ties with high-level government officials in the two countries, you can guide your teammates in their communications and attempts to further relationships with the Chinese team. You are a chief spokesperson, but sometimes, you may also offer to serve as an intermediary.
Connections (“guanxi”), decision-making authority, and political sensitivities can also strongly influence negotiations with the Chinese. Federal officials in the United States have conveyed to you the importance of this relationship. You cannot make official promises to the Chinese, but you may offer to carry messages.
Concerning the financial aspects of a panda agreement, do you think it is unlikely that the CAZG team will significantly modify its standard terms for a panda lease? Conversely, Frontier Park cannot afford to pay $1 million annually for ten years. The Board has authorized CEO Jason Smith to agree to pay up to $4 million for panda fees but has left open the duration of a panda visit. Under the right conditions, the Board has also endorsed the idea of partnering with another zoo, and you think this is a good idea for financial and other reasons.
What Other Negotiators Know About You
The chair of Frontier Park’s panda task force is a member of the park’s Board of Management and is a practicing environmental scientist widely known for community involvement and humanitarian work. Among other examples, Dr. Zhang spearheaded the building, just outside Portland, of the largest Chinese cultural center in North America, and played critical roles in relief efforts for the SARS crisis, the Sichuan earthquake, and other overseas disasters. Dr. Zhang recently received a recognition award from the President of the United States.
Scorecard.
Annual Lease Fee:
- $500,000: Excellent (5 points)
- $750,000: Good (3 points)
- $1,000,000: Acceptable (1 point)
- Over $1,000,000: Poor (0 points)
Duration of Agreement:
- Five years: Excellent (5 points)
- Seven years: Good (3 points)
- Ten years: Acceptable (1 point)
- Less than five or more than ten years: Poor (0 points)
Collaborative Research Opportunities:
- Extensive collaboration: Excellent (5 points)
- Moderate collaboration: Good (3 points)
- Minimal collaboration: Acceptable (1 point)
- No partnership: Poor (0 points)
Panda Care and Housing:
- Renovated existing enclosure: Excellent (5 points)
- New enclosure: Good (3 points)
- Temporary housing: Acceptable (1 point)
- Substandard housing: Poor (0 points)