Question

How to manage intercultural conflicts at workplace?

Answer 1

People bring with them different sets of culturally constructed perspectives toward appropriate behavior. With this in mind, it is no surprise that conflict and disputes exist when communicating across cultures. Further, it should be no surprise that within the context of conflict, people have different sets of perceptions about appropriate ways to handle that conflict. This article begins with an exploration of background components that influence intercultural conflict escalation. We then turn to an examination of key conflict process factors, such as conflict styles across cultures and considerations of face. We then offer some insights to managing intercultural conflict flexibly.

The definition of conflict is an expressed struggle between interdependent parties with incompatible goals or unmet emotional needs. In an intercultural context, conflict is the explicit or implicit emotional struggle or frustrations between people from different cultures over perceived incompatible goals, norms, values, face concerns, scarce resources, and/or communication outcomes. How we manage conflict matters much more than whether or not we engage in it in the first place. It is this management of conflict that shapes the outcome. Engaging in conflict with an inflexible approach generally leads into a polarized situation.
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