Cross cultural management 3rd chapter 17 (5) conflicts and cultural differences

Slide 17.1

Chapter 17
Conflicts and cultural
differences

Browaeys and Price, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management PowerPoints on the Web, 3rd edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2015


Slide 17.2

Conflict and (cultural) groups
• Cross-cultural conflict involves:
– Cultural groups protecting their own self-image
– Intercultural perceptions coloured by
ethnocentrism and stereotypes

Browaeys and Price, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management PowerPoints on the Web, 3rd edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2015


Slide 17.3

Managing conflict in Malaysia
Core values: durability of personal relations, even
if a strong divergence of opinion results in conflict.
•Concern for face:
– across all ethnic groups

•Concern for others:
– generosity, respect, honesty and sincerity, being upright and
caring

•Respect for seniority:
– in some conflicts a third person, a ‘neutral senior’:
• clarifies key issues subordinates will never confront their superior, will
be uncooperative and eventually resign themselves to the way their
boss behaves.

Browaeys and Price, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management PowerPoints on the Web, 3rd edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2015


Slide 17.4

Managing conflict in Thailand
• The name Thailand – ‘The Land of Smiles’:
– reflects the social harmony in this country.
– A Thai smiles in pleasant and stress-filled situations.

• Smile hides feelings in public:
– self-discipline to maintain status, prestige and face:
•

concept of ‘jai yen’ (‘cool heart’) derived from Buddhism

• Individualism quite predominant:
– but Thais are more ‘relationship-oriented’ than ‘results-oriented’

• Conflict:
– rarely regarded as either positive or negative:
– if a conflict arises, a third party (traditionally a respected elder) is
called upon to mediate.

Browaeys and Price, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management PowerPoints on the Web, 3rd edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2015


Slide 17.5

Managing conflict in (South) Korea
Korea:
-reflects in a way the differences and similarities between
Western and Eastern attitudes to conflict.
•Koreans:
– prefer a non-competitive (or non-dominating) strategy in
face-to-face conflict situations.

– Prefer to use a superior or authoritarian personality
to resolve conflict.

End
Browaeys and Price, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management PowerPoints on the Web, 3rd edition, © Pearson Education Limited 2015