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• A conflict appears when people with differing needs or goals are prevented – or perceive that they are being prevented – by others in achieving these needs or goals
• Realistic Group Conflict theory: source of inter-group conflict is struggle over (limited) structural resources, not personal characteristics. Labor, land, oil, food (social psychology theory)
• Social identity theory: conflict between groups is seen to be the result of perceived identities. Being different to another-in group vs out group behaviour
• Ting-Toomey distinguishes between– Those with an independent sense of self welcome
communication in the conflict process, if both parties are open: this may bring tangible, creative solutions (Western)
– Those with an interdependent sense of self see conflict as negative and unproductive: a conflict process is only satisfactory if the ‘faces’ of both parties have been saved in addition to a productive agreement (East Asia)
• Independent self-concepts found more often in individualistic cultures; interdependent self-concepts more prevalent in collectivistic cultures
The extra dynamics arising during an encounter between disputants from different cultures• those from individualistic cultures more ready to
overcome an impasse • negotiators from collectivist cultures more likely to
share the same perception of a given event and will:
– find it difficult to suggest a way round an obstacle– may not openly make emotional individual responses– may attempt to restore personal composure and thus
What if conflict occurs between people from individualistic and collectivistic cultures? • Emotions could drive them even further apart,
with one side attempting to force a resolution and the other withdrawing from any interaction.
• Ting-Toomey et al. (2000) advocate the inclusion of emotional expression in Thomas-Kilman’s model to account for the many subtleties in conflict management.
• 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 is rarely regarded as either positive or negative: if a conflict arises, a third party (traditionally a respected elder) is called upon to mediate
• In Asia Pacific: the mediator deals with concerns of group as a whole; legitimacy rests on – their social status within the group– their knowledge of traditions, personal characteristics.
• In West: the mediator’s task is tightly focused: authority defined more in terms of their expertise and experience
• The mediator can: – reframe the content and process issues of both parties– transform the whole conflict in terms of the attitudes and
• This idea of conflict transformation involves: – first transforming attitudes, then transforming
behaviour – then transforming the actual conflict in question by
pinpointing incompatibilities and removing them– transformations at personal, social and structural level– a radical process which changes the whole nature of