Cultural communities

Cultures hold different value assumptions, expectations, verbal and nonverbal habits, and expectations for interactions

Conflict can be defined as the perceived or actual incompatibility of values, norms, processes, or goals between two or more cultural groups over content, identity, relational, and procedural issues

Everyday conflicts

The majority of everyday conflicts that we encounter can be traced to cultural miscommunication or ignorance

The cultural variability perspective helps explain conflict across four dimensions: individualism-collectivism; power distance; construal of self; and low or high-context communication

Individualism-collectivism values

Individualism refers to the broad value tendencies of people in a culture to emphasize the individual identity over group identity, and individual rights over group obligations. Collectivism emphasizes group identity over individual identity and in-group-oriented concerns over individual wants and desires

Expressions of individualism

Personal opinions

Display of personal emotions

Importance of personal accountability for any problem or mistake

Although all cultures display a mixture on all dimensions, several countries have high reported individualistic value tendencies

Expressions of collectivism

Representation of collective opinion or ideas

Restraint of personal emotional expressions

Protection of in-group members from being held accountable for the problem

Several groups score high on group-based cultural displays

Power distance values

In large power distance cultures, members give priority treatment and asymmetrical respect to people who are in high-status positions

In small power distance cultures, members in either high-status or low-status positions strive to foster informal, symmetrical interaction

Small power distance

Subordinates expect to be respected and valued based more on personal attributes than on their position or titles

Supervisors tend to play consultative roles more than authoritarian roles

Discrepancies in perceptions of participants affect expectations and behaviors

Construal of self values

Our self-conception within our culture influences communication with others

Individuals with a strong independent sense of self tend to see self as autonomous, self-reliant, unencumbered, and as rational choice makers

Individuals with a strong interdependent sense of self tend to see themselves as in-group bound, obligatory agents, and as harmony seekers

As expected...

While both types exist in any culture, the independent sense of self is more common in individualistic cultures, the interdependent more common in collectivistic cultures

Independent self is good at expressing thoughts and feelings; interdependent self anticipates thoughts and feelings of others

Low-context, high-context

Low-context communication emphasizes how intention or meaning can be best expressed through the explicit verbal message

High-context communication emphasizes how intention or meaning can be best expressed through the context (e.g., social roles, positions) and nonverbal channels (e.g., pauses, silence, tone of voice) of the verbal message

In general

Low context communication refers to communication patterns of direct verbal mode, straight talk, nonverbal immediacy, and sender-oriented value. The speaker of the message is expected to be responsible for constructing a clear, persuasive message that the listener can decode easily

In general...

High context communication refers to communication patterns of indirect verbal mode, ambiguous talk, nonverbal subtleties, and interpreter-sensitive value. The listener or interpreter of the message is expected to "read between the lines," to accurately infer the implicit intent of the verbal message, and observe nonverbal nuances and subtleties that encircle the verbal message

Thus….

While independent-self individualists engage in low-context styles of communication, interdependent-self collectivists engage in high-context styles of communication

Intercultural tensions

Culture-based lenses affect our perceptions and interpretations of communication through

Different conflict assumptions

Conflict rhythms

Conflict norms

Conflict styles

Ethnocentric lenses

Conflict is resolved when

Individualists: Personal opinions are voiced and acknowledged, interests are defined and clarified, each side's goals are either reached or compromised, action plans are drawn up to avoid future problems

Collectivists: Both parties help to attain mutual face saving while reaching a consensus on substantive issues between them; both sides recognize expectations and needs of others

Addressing differences

Mindful listening--understand assumptions

Mindful reframing--translate messages from the context of the other's cultural viewpoint

Face management--avoid humiliation of opponents. Give face by acknowledging concerns and obligations

Trust building--rely on the consistency of credibility, words, behaviors, actions