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fauxels. (2019, November 5). Photo Of People Leaning On Wooden Table [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-leaning-on-wooden-table-3184325/

Conflict Management across Different Cultures

“In today’s globalized business environment, diverse beliefs, behaviors, and viewpoints are more prevalent than ever before. It’s clear that good conflict-resolution practices are key to transforming disagreements into healthy creative friction, but we all know that settling disputes is rarely easy. Cultural diversity further complicates matters. It can even end up causing more conflict, since different cultures often have different approaches to conflict-resolution. While you shouldn’t want a conflict-free workplace, you must guard against conflict that can spiral into team-damaging issues that tarnish relationships, decrease morale, and hamper productivity.” (Dubberke, 2018)

As can be seen, it is more important than ever to know how to handle these conflict situations. But with so many different and diverse cultures around the world it is not an easy task to do so. Creating business relationships with bussinesses from countries with different cultures may require more preparation than with ones from the same country. Knowing what to expect from and how to handle the conflicts that may arise from the interactions with people from these cultures should be one of the highest priorities when looking at business. And so, to kickstart this research, we present the following well known framework for differentiating between cultures by Van der Zee & Hofhuis (2018):

Hofstede’s cultural dimensions cited by Van der Zee & Hofhuis

"The best-known framework for differentiating between cultures is that by Hofstede. It divides conflict styles between four cultural dimensions: individualism/collectivism, power distance, masculinity/femininity, and uncertainty avoidance." (Van der Zee & Hofhuis, 2018)

Individualism/collectivism

"Most studies on cultural differences in conflict styles have been related to the dimension individualism/collectivism, which Hofstede claims to be the core component of cultural variability. Individualist cultures emphasize the importance of the individual, while collectivist cultures emphasize the importance of groups and relationships with others. When relating this dimension to conflict, the main proposition is that in individualist cultures, there is a stronger focus on the dimension «concern for self,» whereas collectivist cultures place more emphasis on the dimension «concern for others,» thus influencing the preferred negotiation strategies of individuals." (Van der Zee & Hofhuis, 2018)

Power distance

"Refers to the degree to which members of a culture tend to accept the notion that power is distributed unequally. High power distance societies are characterized by an acceptance of hierarchy, whereas in low power distance societies, there is a stronger tendency to question authority." (Van der Zee & Hofhuis, 2018)

Masculinity/Femininity

"Refers to the degree of role division between genders. In masculine countries there is a preference for men and women to behave in accordance with traditional gender roles, whereas in feminine cultures this preference is less pronounced." (Van der Zee & Hofhuis, 2018)

Uncertainty avoidance

"Refers to the degree to which individuals tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity in life. Within cultures that are said to be highly uncertainty avoidant, security and predictability are valued more strongly, and social interactions tend to be governed by formal rules and guidelines." (Van der Zee & Hofhuis, 2018)

Secrets of cross-cultural communication

The following video is an example that shows how the perception of a conflict varies across different cultures. Practices that are used in some cultures can have a significant impact on the perception, by other cultures, of the existing conflict.

So, in conclusion...

While we have shown you one way to differentiate between cultures, it is very important that your research doesn't stop here. When a business opportunity with another culture arises, make it your mission to research and understand that culture, generalizing and categorizing can help in these instances, but understanding the nuances of each culture is what will give you the edge you need to come out of these interactions with a solid and positive business relationship.

All done? Let's do some exercises!

References

Dubberke, S. (2018, December 7). Conflict Resolution for Working Across Cultures. Culturewizard. https://www.rw-3.com/blog/conflict-resolution-for-working-across-cultures

fauxels. (2019, November 5). Photo Of People Leaning On Wooden Table [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-leaning-on-wooden-table-3184325/

Kellogg School of Management. (2015, July 31). Secrets of cross-cultural communication [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kujUs_6qeUI

Van der Zee, K. I., & Hofhuis, J. (2018). Conflict management styles across cultures. The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication [Internet]. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1-9.

Supplementary Materials

Exercises