1. Culture Communication Conflict
conflict: perceived or real incompatibility or disagreement over goals, values, expectations...
Expressed strugglePerceived incompatible goalsPerceived scarce rewardsInterdependenceInevitability

2. What is conflict?

3. Conflict Types Affective conflict Conflict of opinions
Conflict of interest
Value conflict
Cognitive conflict
Goal conflict
Affective - feelings and emotions are incompatible (romantic feelings for a close friend are not reciprocated)
Interest - incompatible preferences, competing interests, for a course of action or plan to pursue
How important in context when faced with conflict?
Value - different ideologies (parenting styles) How does context influence conflict? 1. actual situation, 2. larger societal issue
Cognitive - thought processes or perception are in conflict Conflict management may depend on the particular context or situation.
Goal - disagree about a preferred outcome or end state

4. Is conflict good or bad?
Handout (2 sides/nemawashi)

5. How do we learn how to deal with conflict?
family - default style. try hard to reject that style.
But also depends on context.

6. How is intercultural conflict different from other kinds of conflict?

7. IC Conflict Characteristics
Ambiguity
Language Issues
Contradictory Conflict Styles
What if it’s on the road?
Ambiguous - unsure of how to handle the conflict or unsure if conflict is viewed the same way by the other person.
resort to our default style of handling conflict.
Contradictory - different approaches to handling conflict

8. What’s the best way to handle conflict?
video
Which conflict type?

9. Approaches to Conflict
Direct
Indirect
individualism/collectivism
silence vs talking
high context/low context
Emotionally Expressive
Restrained
How might these approaches reflect different cultural values?

10. IC Conflict Styles
Discussion
Engagement
Accommodating
Dynamic

11. Emotionally Restrained Emotionally Expressive
Direct
Discussion style
Engagement style
INTERCULTURAL CONFLICT STYLE MODEL
CAUTIONS ABOUT STEREOTYPING - conflict resolution styles can be found in any one cultural group
Accommodating style
Dynamic style
Indirect
Emotionally Restrained
Emotionally Expressive

12. Polarization Integration Compromise Polarization Avoidance
Self (concern about own outcomes)
Polarization
Avoidance
Other (concern about other’s culture)

13. Managing Conflict PRODUCTIVE DESTRUCTIVE
Try to identify the specific problem
Make sweeping generalizations and have negative attitudes
Focus on the original issue
Escalate the conflict from the original issues; anything is open for reexamination
Direct the discussion toward cooperative problem solving
Try to seize power and use threats, coercion, and deception
Value leadership that stresses mutually satisfactory outcomes
Polarize behind single-minded and militant leadership

14. Cooperative Atmosphere Competitive Atmosphere
Managing Conflict
Cooperative Atmosphere
perceived similarity
trust
flexibility
open communication
Competitive Atmosphere
coercion
deception
suspicion
rigidity
poor communication
Key is to establish atmosphere in the beginning stages of the relationship

15. How does understanding conflict on an individual level help us to understand conflict on a larger scale?
social, economic, historical, political forces
Think “Social Movements”