CULTURE AND THE CULTURE AND THE MANAGEMENT OF MANAGEMENT OF

CONFLICTCONFLICT

• Shared cultural norms give the people of any society a sense of their common identity and a means of relating to each other. Culture consists of both explicit rules and implicit, unrecognized sets of understanding meanings through which experience is interpreted….Cultural meanings render some forms of activity normal and natural and others strange and wrong.

• Culture may be considered as the enduring Culture may be considered as the enduring norms, values, customs, and behavioural norms, values, customs, and behavioural patterns common to a particular group of patterns common to a particular group of people.people.

Mayer, pg 72Mayer, pg 72

There are distinct differences in There are distinct differences in how people from different how people from different cultures resolve conflict.cultures resolve conflict.These differences have a These differences have a

DIRECT bearing on what DIRECT bearing on what approaches to the management approaches to the management

of conflict people prefer.of conflict people prefer.

• People (People (LIKE YOU AND THE LIKE YOU AND THE PERSON BESIDE YOUPERSON BESIDE YOU) act within the ) act within the confines of their cultural matrix confines of their cultural matrix often often without an awareness that this matrix without an awareness that this matrix strongly affects their perceptions of strongly affects their perceptions of themselves and othersthemselves and others and therefore and therefore their behaviour in conflict.their behaviour in conflict.

• There are dramatic differences in the way different cultures view such things as ; socializing, time, trust, decision authority, negotiation etiquette, gender and emotion.

• Cross cultural conflict management/ negotiation requires superb preparation. It also requires careful listening, questioning, checking perceptions and versatility.

• No culture is characterized by one specific No culture is characterized by one specific conflict style that all its members exhibit.conflict style that all its members exhibit. Because individuals differ, each culture will Because individuals differ, each culture will contain contain a rangea range of behaviors and approaches to of behaviors and approaches to conflict. But different cultures do have different conflict. But different cultures do have different norms about conflict behavior, and acceptable norms about conflict behavior, and acceptable behavior in one culture may be deviant in behavior in one culture may be deviant in another.another.

–Mayer pg. 73Mayer pg. 73

Some Some examplesexamples of cultural variables that of cultural variables that effect conflicteffect conflict

• AgeAge

• RaceRace

• EthnicityEthnicity

• LanguageLanguage

• EducationEducation

• Social statusSocial status

• Economic statusEconomic status

• HierarchyHierarchy

• MannersManners• Beliefs about fairnessBeliefs about fairness• Conformity/individualityConformity/individuality• Social control mechanismsSocial control mechanisms• Face savingFace saving• Uses of ritualUses of ritual• Beliefs about conflictBeliefs about conflict

• Expressions ofExpressions of emotionemotion

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

• Some examples of differences that can create Some examples of differences that can create or exacerbate conflict include; differing or exacerbate conflict include; differing confrontation styles, differing attitudes confrontation styles, differing attitudes toward conflict itself, differing levels of toward conflict itself, differing levels of respect for others , such as the aged, and respect for others , such as the aged, and differing values placed on assertiveness and differing values placed on assertiveness and individual rights.individual rights.

• In many cultures, the group is considered In many cultures, the group is considered more important than the individual.more important than the individual.

• It isn’t enough to know that the Japanese or Mexican negotiator looks at time differently than the Canadian or German person. We must ask, what does the difference mean for the process in terms of choices I must make? What obstacles does the difference make?

• To do this well, you not only need to know about the other culture. Equally if not more importantly, you must know about your culture you must know about your culture AND yourself!AND yourself!

• Cultural sensitivity can dramatically enhance your negotiation performance

• Gender differences, in situations where they truly exist, may relate to culturalization

– B.A. Budjac Corvette, pg. 107

Venue/Space

CooperationCompetition Conflict

Relationships

Negotiation process

Time

Language & Communication

Larger socialStructures

ThirdParties

Cultural Variables That Influence Problem Cultural Variables That Influence Problem Solving and NegotiationSolving and Negotiation

CULTURAL VIEWS OF CULTURAL VIEWS OF RELATIONSHIPSRELATIONSHIPS

• How connections are establishedHow connections are established

• Amounts and types of disclosureAmounts and types of disclosure

• Expressions of emotionExpressions of emotion

• Time to build relationshipsTime to build relationships

• Age/gender/race /ethnicityAge/gender/race /ethnicity

Relationships cont’d

• North Americans tend to negotiate the specific details of an agreement.. Americans negotiate a contract; the Japanese negotiate a personal relationship.

• Different cultures force people to view and value differently the many social interactions inherent in negotiating an agreement.

Relationships cont’d

• Prepared negotiators realize that having the best data, the best arguments, power or charisma are not as important in countries like India, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as having demonstrated that you care and understand the importance of the relationship being forged.

CULTURAL VIEWS OF CULTURAL VIEWS OF COOPERATION, COMPETITION COOPERATION, COMPETITION

AND CONFLICTAND CONFLICT

• Concept of what constitutes conflict.Concept of what constitutes conflict.

• Concept of what negotiation is. (A Concept of what negotiation is. (A competitive process of offers and competitive process of offers and counteroffers or, the opportunity for counteroffers or, the opportunity for information sharing.)information sharing.)

• Acceptability of overt conflict.Acceptability of overt conflict.

• Orientation toward proceduresOrientation toward procedures

Cultural views of problem Cultural views of problem solving or negotiation processsolving or negotiation process

• The criteria used to determine who will The criteria used to determine who will participate in the negotiation process participate in the negotiation process varies. Could be knowledge, connections, varies. Could be knowledge, connections, family gender, status etc.family gender, status etc.

• Direct or indirect problem solving or Direct or indirect problem solving or negotiationsnegotiations

• Initiation of the problem solving processInitiation of the problem solving process

• Generating and evaluating optionsGenerating and evaluating options

Cultural views of problem Cultural views of problem solving or negotiation processsolving or negotiation process

• The comfort with risk varies from The comfort with risk varies from culture to culture. This often leads to culture to culture. This often leads to requests for ever increasing amounts requests for ever increasing amounts of information which frustrates of information which frustrates negotiators from entrepreneurial negotiators from entrepreneurial cultures.cultures.

Cultural views toward timeCultural views toward time

• Importance of time.Importance of time.

• Definition of ‘on time’.Definition of ‘on time’.

• Linear/cyclical.Linear/cyclical.

Polychronic TimeTime• In some cultures, time is not linear, it is

polychronic, or circular with no beginning and no end. The focus is on the here and now and on the importance of relationships.

• Latin America, Spain, Japan, China, Middle East• Expect delays, work over dinner, constant

circling back to review what has been discussed. May want to discuss many topics at the same time whereas Canadians are more linear or, monochronic.

Monochronic orientation

• Look to the future and focus on more than one subject at a time.

• Preference for linearity, sequencing of events, a logical order and specific time periods.

• “… it is a wise negotiator who knows that imposing time constraints on someone from a polychronic culture is likely to cause problems and that having no sense of sequential logic is likely to upset a monochronic negotiator.”

Kathleen Reardon, pg. 165Quote pg. 164-165

Cultural impacts of Language Cultural impacts of Language and communicationand communication

• Structure-face to face/intermediaryStructure-face to face/intermediary– Direct (North America)or indirect Direct (North America)or indirect

( Japan)( Japan)

• ContentContent

• Similar language/terminologySimilar language/terminology

• Role and impact of translatorsRole and impact of translators

Impacts of larger social structuresImpacts of larger social structures

These include ideology/religion, institutional These include ideology/religion, institutional structures, organizational structures.structures, organizational structures.

• Cooperative/conflict oriented ideologies Cooperative/conflict oriented ideologies and religions.and religions.

• Social norms, rules and laws.Social norms, rules and laws.

• The importance and visibility of protocol.The importance and visibility of protocol.

• Structures of family, neighborhoods, Structures of family, neighborhoods, governments.governments.

Who makes the decisions?Who makes the decisions?

• This question should be asked of all cross cultural negotiations. If you prepare well, you will know the answer.

• If the people at the table are not the decision makers it does NOT mean they are unimportant. They must be treated with respect as they are the transmitters of information to the key players.

G. HOFSTEDEG. HOFSTEDEhttp://www.geert-hofstede.com/http://www.geert-hofstede.com/

• Conducted the most comprehensive and extensive Conducted the most comprehensive and extensive program of research identifying and exploring program of research identifying and exploring different cultural dimensions in international business different cultural dimensions in international business around the theme who makes decisions..around the theme who makes decisions..

• Examined data on values from over 100,000 IBM Examined data on values from over 100,000 IBM employees from around the world. (53 countries to employees from around the world. (53 countries to date)date)

G. HOFSTEDEG. HOFSTEDE

• Identified 4 dimensions that describe Identified 4 dimensions that describe important differences among cultures;important differences among cultures;

– Power distancePower distance

– Individualism/ collectivismIndividualism/ collectivism

– Masculinity/ FemininityMasculinity/ Femininity

– Uncertainty avoidanceUncertainty avoidance

Hofstede’s DimensionsHofstede’s Dimensions

• Power distancePower distance

“… “… the extent to which the less powerful the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and members of organizations and

institutions ( like the family) acceptinstitutions ( like the family) accept and and expect that power is distributed expect that power is distributed unequally” ( Hofstede, 1989, p. 195)unequally” ( Hofstede, 1989, p. 195)

Watch for respect for age, gender, seniorityWatch for respect for age, gender, seniority

Hofstede’s DimensionsHofstede’s DimensionsPower distancePower distance

–Cultures with greater power Cultures with greater power distance will be more likely to distance will be more likely to have decision making have decision making concentrated at the top, and all concentrated at the top, and all the important decisions will be the important decisions will be finalized by the leader.finalized by the leader.

Power distance

• Low power distance countries strive for equal power among people whereas high power distance countries are status conscious and respectful of age and authority.

• The lower the power distance, the greater the tendency to make decisions using a consultative style.

Hofstede’s DimensionsHofstede’s Dimensions

Individualism/collectivismIndividualism/collectivism

The extent to which society is organized around the individual or, the group.

IndividualismIndividualism

• In individual cultures, people give priority to their individual goals even when these goals conflict with those of their work groupLegal institutions in individualist countries are designed to protect individual rights.

• Individualistic countries value independence of thinking and focus on task over relationship. People speak for themselves

CollectivismCollectivism• Collectivist countries are rooted in social

groups. Priority is given to in-group goalsPriority is given to in-group goals• The dominant motive is concern for and

belonging to, the group.• There is a concern for maintaining group

harmony. Face saving is key.• Legal institutions place the greater good of the

collective above the rights of the individual, and political and economic institutions reward classes of people as opposed to individuals.

The importance of continuity in The importance of continuity in collectivist culturescollectivist cultures

The focus on relationships in collectivist cultures plays a critical role in negotiations-negotiations with the same negotiator can continue for long periods.

**Changing a negotiator changes the relationship which means a long rebuilding period.**

In collectivist cultures..

• Conflict is minimized, often through politeness rules

• Collectivist cultures tend to prefer general agreements based on trust as opposed to individualist cultures that prefer detail and specificity

Hofstede’s DimensionsHofstede’s DimensionsMasculinity/FemininityMasculinity/Femininity

Measures the extent to which cultures manifest Measures the extent to which cultures manifest values traditionally perceived as masculine.values traditionally perceived as masculine.

. Masculine values, assertiveness, . Masculine values, assertiveness, independence, task orientation and self independence, task orientation and self achievementachievement

. Feminine values include; cooperation, . Feminine values include; cooperation, nurturing, relationships and quality of life.nurturing, relationships and quality of life.The more ‘masculine the culture the more the The more ‘masculine the culture the more the tendency is to win/lose negotiations. Work is a way of tendency is to win/lose negotiations. Work is a way of life rather than a means to achieving a quality of life.life rather than a means to achieving a quality of life.

The IBM studies revealed that (a) women's values differ less among societies than

men's values; (b) men's values from one country to another contain a

dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from women's values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to women's values on the other. The assertive pole has been called 'masculine' and the modest, caring pole 'feminine'. The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring values as the men; in the masculine countries they are somewhat assertive and competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries show a gap between men's values and women's values.  

 

Hofstede’s DimensionsHofstede’s DimensionsUncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty Avoidance

• The extent to which members of a culture feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations.

• Unstructured situations are characterized by; rapid change and novelty, whereas structured situations are stable and secure.

Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty Avoidance

• Negotiators from uncertainty avoidance cultures are not comfortable in ambiguous situations and are more likely to seek stable rules and procedures when they negotiate.

• Cultures comfortable with risk require less information in making decisions and have fewer people involved.

Examples of National Cultural ValuesExamples of National Cultural Values

“ “ The Lesson”The Lesson”

A sensitivity to the impact of culture on A sensitivity to the impact of culture on negotiations requires that one stops at negotiations requires that one stops at moments of non-comprehension and moments of non-comprehension and unintelligibility, that one resists unintelligibility, that one resists deflecting them dismissively in ‘moral’ deflecting them dismissively in ‘moral’ terms and that one makes them the terms and that one makes them the objects of scrutiny and learning.objects of scrutiny and learning.

ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CULTURES TOOCULTURES TOO

“ A corporations culture is what determines how people behave when they are not being watched.”

Thomas Tierney, The Economist, July 27, 2002

Formal vs. Informal culture

DO NOT FORGET THAT DO NOT FORGET THAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CULTURES ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CULTURES

TOO- TOO- what about yours?what about yours?Hi Power distanceHi Power distance

Hi Individualism/ Lo Hi Individualism/ Lo collectivismcollectivism

Hi Masculinity/ Lo Hi Masculinity/ Lo FemininityFemininity

Hi Uncertainty Hi Uncertainty avoidanceavoidance

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1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

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HH L