How to avoid the cross cultural conflict

1. How to avoid the
cross-cultural
conflict

3. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

5. 3 KEY CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT SKILLS
1.Deal with your anger
2.Understand needs
3.Reframe the conflict

6. Conflict management skill: Deal
with your anger

7. DEFUSING STRATEGY
1. Remain calm yourself
2. Non-verbally reassure the other
person
3. Encourage talking
4. Show understanding
5. Commit to resolving the issue
6. Help the other person save face

8. DISENGAGING STRATEGY
1. Acknowledge: “I can see you’re furious
with me”.
2. Commit involvement: “and I’d like to talk
more about it”.
3. State your need: “right now I’m too angry
(frustrated, upset, etc.) to think or talk. I
need 1 hour to cool off”.
4. State your intent to return: “I’ll be back”.
5. Leave.

9. CONFRONTING STRATEGY
Confronting Strategy = Assertive expressionConfronting Strategy = Assertive expression:
1. Describe - “When you…
2. Express - “I get…
3. Specify – “I want…
4. Consequence – “ So that we…

10. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
SKILL: UNDERSTAND NEEDS

11. SEPARATE POSITIONS,
ISSUES, INTERESTS
Position – what I want as an outcome
Issue – what conflict is about (non-
blaming)
Interest – why I want that as an outcome

12. Know your needs (and theirs!)

14. 4 STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE
YOUR CROSS-CULTURAL
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
1. Observe how people in the culture
handle conflict
2. Ask key informants (cultural experts)
3. Consult cultural sources
4. Observe other people’s actions to you

15. 1. OBSERVE HOW PEOPLE IN
THE CULTURE HANDLE
CONFLICT
Do they focus more on the work that has to get done
or the working relationship between them?
Think of someone in the culture who you think deals
with conflict well.
• Why do you think they are successful in managing
conflict?
• How does their approach to conflict management
compare with your cultural experiences and
background?

16. 2. ASK KEY INFORMANTS
(CULTURAL EXPERTS)
Think of your workplace or a current situation you
are involved in.
• Who are your key informants (cultural experts)?
Ask them:
• How they handle disagreements?
• How they recommend you approach someone you
have a disagreement with?

17. 3. CONSULT CULTURAL
SOURCES
• Read literature, stories… about the culture
• Popular culture; music, TV, magazines…
• Internet
• Research on conflict in this culture
• Etc.

18. 4. OBSERVE OTHER
PEOPLE’S ACTIONS TO YOU

19. Anastasiia Vialova
FRGTB
1 year MSc
9a group