Phan Thị Hà Thu
Posts : 12
Points : 36
Thanked : 0
Join date : 2014-02-23
Age : 30
 |  Subject: Characteristics of Intercultural Conflict  Tue Apr 08, 2014 1:18 pm | |
| Characteristics of Intercultural Conflict Those scholars who have explored intercultural conflict have identified 3 particularly prominent and interrelated characteristics that significantly influence outcomes:I. FACE – NEGOTIATIONThe concept of face refers to a socially approved identity we seek when we interact with others. Facework refers to those verbal and nonverbal efforts we use to strategically construct and maintain our identities during an interaction. Several characteristics of face and facework can be identified that exist in all cultural:• Face concern are both public and private. Our private face can be describes best by how we act when we are alone. This private self typically contrast with the public self we present to others, even when we are among our closest friends• We maintain multiple faces in our interaction. These multiple faces serve as a way to maintain an identity with others and with ourselves given the various social roles we choose to assume• Our facework in establishing an identity is mutually influenced by each participant to the interaction. Each exchange is shaped by the preceding episode, and our ability to maintain or establish social identities across cultures is a mark of our communication competenceAlthough individual verbal and nonverbal behavior vary widely between cultures, face negotiation still exists as cultural members engage in presenting and maintaining impressions during their interactionsFacework becomes especially important in cultural situations when we experience embarrassment, encounter threats, become excessively polite, or express apologies. Many factors influence face negotiation. An appropriate and acceptable face negotiation strategy in one culture may not be in anotherFace concern become particularly importance during interactions between members of individualistic low context cultures and collectivist high context culturesAn individual who approaches conflict with positive face builds inclusion in the relationship and tends to communicate respect, approval and appreciation to the other party. Meanwhile, approaching the conflict with negative face refers to exclusion and claiming basic rights of privacy and noninterference. à Collectivistic – high context cultures tend toward positive – face/ other face concern and individual, low context cultures tend toward self – face/ negative – face needs.II. CONFLICT STYLESConflict styles refer to characteristics mode or habitual ways that a person handles a dispute. They are describes as five fundamental orientations based on the balance between satisfying individual needs and goal of others in the conflict:1. Avoidance or withdrawal (I Lose - You Lose) This is when we simply avoid the issue. We aren’t helping the others party reach their goals, and we aren’t assertively pursuing your own. This works when the issue is trivial or when others can manage the conflict without direct involvement.2. Competition or dominating (I win - You lose)Persons using this style ,they act in a very assertive way to achieve their goals, without seeking to cooperate with the other party. This approach may be appropriate for emergencies when time is of the essence, or when we need quick, decisive action3. Compromise or conceding (I Lose / Win Some - You Lose / Win Some) This style which neither party really achieves what they want. This requires a moderate level of assertiveness and cooperation. It may be appropriate for scenarios where we need a temporary solution, or where both sides have equally important goals.4. Accommodation or yielding (I Lose - You Win)Persons using this style yield their needs to those of others, trying to be diplomatic. They tend to allow the needs of the group to overwhelm their own, which may not ever be stated, as preserving the relationship is seen as most important.5. Collaboration or integration (I Win - You Win)This style is the pooling of individual needs and goals toward a common goal. The downside is that it requires a high-degree of trust and reaching a consensus can require a lot of time and effort to get everybody on board and to synthesize all the ideas.Understanding the different conflict management styles help us select the best ways to manage intercultural conflict.III. CONFLICT – HANDLING STRATEGIES.The three categories of conflict strategies include:1. Non confrontational or yield – lose strategies.This strategy avoiding disagreement or by downplaying controversy and sidestepping volatile issues because relationships carry more importance than personal goals and must be maintained even at the high cost to personal ambition2. Solution – oriented or win – win strategies.This strategy manage conflict by both making compromises. These strategies attempt to make trades between personal and relationship goals or synergistically seek solutions that favorably affect both the relationship and personal goals. Control strategies deal with conflict by arguing persistently for previous establishes positions and using nonverbal message to emphasize demand.3. Control or win – lose strategies.The strategy emphasizes personal goals to the exclusion of relationship. Individuals have opportunities to choose from a set of essential communication strategies and tactics as they relate to their goals and the particular cultural situation or context.8th April, 2014 |
|
