5.1. WHAT IS CONFLICT?
Conflict is a real or perceived incompatibility of goals, values, norms, expectations, process, or outcomes between two or more interdependent individuals or groups over content, identity, relational, or procedural issues. Conflict occurs at multiple levels, sometimes simultaneously–interpersonal, social, functional, organizational, national, and international.
While some intercultural conflict is rooted in deep-seated and centuries-old hatred, such as the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most can be traced to cultural miscommunication or ignorance. The Three Culture Model discussed in Chapter 1 provides one visual representation of the kinds of cultures that are embedded in global corporations—personal, national, and corporate. Using that model to diagnose which cultural elements are at play in a given conflict situation can be helpful.
The term "conflict" is translated in some cultures into euphemisms such as "problems," "differences of opinion," or "challenges," as is often used in the United States. Key concepts of conflict include:[]
A conflict is a serious disagreement and argument about something perceived to be important by at least one of the parties involved.
A confrontation is a direct challenge by A against B when A perceives B as the source of his or her conflict.
Conflict avoidance is refusing both overt recognition of a conflict and engagement in any active action toward its resolution.
Conflict management is a reaction to a conflict situation without necessarily entailing a resolution.
At its most basic, there are only three real options for conflict resolution: (1) we can prevent conflict; (2) we can resolve it, or (3) we can manage or contain it, as shown in the figure titled Options for Conflict Management. To do any of those, we must understand the potential sources of conflict, realize the impact of cultural norms on conflict itself, and develop options for managing conflict like any other business issue.
5.1.1. Sources of Conflict
There are seven primary sources of conflict, as shown in "Seven Sources of Conflict":[]
Data—Differences of opinion about the best source, reliability, or interpretation of data.
Interests—Disagreements over specific, tangible wants or perceived needs are the most common type.
Procedures—Disagreements about how to solve a problem, make a decision, or solve a conflict. For example, whether to use English as the language of business is one potential hotspot in global business.
Values—Differences of opinion about the importance or priority of interests or options. These conflicts begin with a value statement about the way things should be and are frequently the hardest to resolve.
Relationships—Conflict can result if people don't trust others, don't feel respected by others, don't believe the other person is honest, or don't feel listened to.
Roles—Professional, community, or family roles can create conflict because of expectations for the role or power imbalances created by the role.
Communication—Conflict frequently results from how something is said or from misinterpretation of verbal or nonverbal messages.
To determine the sources of conflict on your team, use "What's the Source of the Conflict?"
5.1.2. Suggestions for Using "What's the Source of the Conflict?"
To understand what kind of conflict is occurring
To classify the conflict as either task-focused or relationship-focused
To surface differing opinions on the causes of the conflict
Intended Audience
Individuals or teams in conflict
Time
45 to 60 minutes
Materials
Copies of "What's the Source of the Conflict?"
Directions
Discuss and define the types of conflicts outlined on the handout, providing examples.
Ask participants to fill in their answers.
Have participants share their responses in pairs or small groups of three to five people.
Ask small groups to discuss the implications for the organization of their findings.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
Was there agreement on the sources of the conflict?
Were there more checkmarks in the "task" or "relationship" categories of conflict?
Were there other types of information that you felt you might need in order to assess the source of the conflict?
Were there other sources for the conflict that are not indicated? If so, what are those sources?
What implications does this information have for addressing the conflict?
Cultural Considerations
Some cultural groups prefer to deal with conflict indirectly. In such cases, ask people to submit their sheets anonymously and provide a composite profile back to the group.
Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
This activity can be used as a planning tool for a team charged with resolving a particular conflict.
What's the Source of the Conflict?Directions: Think of a recent or current cross-cultural conflict in which you were or are involved. To assess the source of the conflict, indicate below which statements are true of the conflict by placing a check mark in the appropriate box(es).
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How people respond to conflict depends on the type of the conflict and the cultural orientations of those involved and is critical to the success of any long-term business relationship.[]
5.1.3. Task vs. Relationship Conflict
It's important to understand whether a conflict is task-focused (such as conflicts over data, interests, or procedures, as defined above) or relationship-focused (such as values, relationships, roles, and communication conflicts), because these two kinds of conflict can have very different results in the workplace. When people are task-oriented, they focus their efforts toward accomplishing task-related goals and monitoring progress against goals. When people are guided by a relationship orientation, their attention focuses on the interpersonal climate of the situation, and they strive to maintain social harmony. In cultural terms, many Asians are relationship-oriented, while many Westerns are more task-focused.
Examples of relationship conflict include conflicts about personal taste, political preferences, values, and interpersonal style. Task conflicts, by contrast, are conflicts about the distribution of resources, about policies and procedures, and about judgments and interpretation of facts.[] Regardless of culture, person-related conflicts result in more negative outcomes and are less satisfying than task-related conflicts.[]
Whether a conflict is task-focused or relationship-focused can greatly influence whether the conflict can help or hinder the organization. While conflicts focused on personal difference are often dysfunctional and counterproductive, conflicts focused on ideas and issues (task conflict) are often very productive.[]
The challenge is to find ways to create task conflict without generating relationship conflict.[] The "Dimensions of Conflict" can help team members compare their views about conflict.
5.1.4. Suggestions for Using the "Dimensions of Conflict"
Objectives
To raise awareness about the dynamics of conflict management for individuals and groups
To gain insight about which global diversity dimensions are involved in a given conflict
To identify ways in which conflict helps and hinders the team or organization
To learn about others' perceptions of the group's conflict-solving dynamics
To stimulate discussion about effective conflict management
Intended Audience
A functional global work team, task force, or problem-solving group
A consultant or manager trying to teach a group to function better to resolve conflict
Time
20 minutes
Materials
Copies of the "Dimensions of Conflict" and the SSI Model from Chapter 2
Directions
Ask participants to pair up and answer the questions in random order.
After ten minutes, conduct a whole group discussion on a select number of items.
Questions for Discussion/Consideration
Which questions were easiest/most difficult for you to answer?
Which were most interesting?
What does the range of responses indicate about your group's conflict-management capability?
What themes emerged?
What does this data suggest the group needs to do differently?
What can you do differently to enhance your conflict-management style?
In what ways does conflict help and in what ways does conflict hurt the organization?
Dimensions of ConflictThis series of open-ended statements is intended to help individuals and their team members determine which dimensions of global diversity are at the core of the conflict. This exercise will be most effective if accompanied by a copy of the SSI Model (as shown in Chapter 2).
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Caveats, Considerations, and Variations
Depending on the size of the group, small groups can be used instead of pairs.
The time can be lengthened and each person can select one item on which to focus for improvement. All participants still need to respond to each question and the facilitator still needs to lead an overall discussion.