Managing Conflicts
Across Cultures
Hertina Kurnia and Renee Hanna
March 30th, 2015
Introduction Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSt_op3fQck
Hertina Kurnia (Kiki)
Major: Information Science
Country: Indonesia
Interesting fact: I brought my grizzy doll to the US
just to make sure I have a
book-stand while reading in bed
Renee Hanna
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Country: United States
Heritage: Chaldean American (Iraq)
Interesting fact: I love to solve Rubik’s cubes!
Introductions
 name
 country
 major
 interesting
fact about yourself
What does culture mean to you?
“Trapped” between cultures
http://geert-hofstede.com/
Cultural Adjustment Theory (Lysgaard)
...but the truth is...
New environment
Cultural adjustment
Conflict
Partner project
★ Get a partner, introduce yourself
★ Share:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How long have you been here?
The biggest difference about back home and USA
Favorite part of being here in USA
Did you ever have disagreements, back home or in the US?
How did you solve them? What is the difference between your
conflict resolution style in the US and your home country?
Knowing your conflict style


Assertiveness (Unassertive – Assertive)  focus on
personal agenda
Cooperativeness (Uncooperative – Cooperative)  focus
on personal relationship
Knowing your conflict style (2)
“We’re
doing it my
way,
period.”
“How can we
both get what we
want?”
“Let’s split the
difference and each
meet halfway.”
“Forget about it.
I’m fine.”
“Whatever you
want…”
Knowing cultural conflict style


Communication method (Direct – Indicret)
Emotional expression (Restrained - Expressive)
Knowing cultural conflict style (2)
 direct strategies for
communicating
disagreements
 controlled approaches for
dealing with emotional
upset.
 may be common in: the
United States (European
American), Australia, and
northern Europe
Knowing cultural conflict style (3)
 mixing verbal direction in
communicating with
emotionally expressive
demeanor
 each party “puts their
emotion on the table”.
 may be common in:
African Americans in the
United States and people
of southern
Europe,Cuba,Nigeria, and
Russia
Knowing cultural conflict style (4)
 mixing indirect strategies
and emotionally restrained
approach
 use of third parties to
soften verbal confrontation
 maintain harmony by
masking/controlling one’s
emotional discomfort.
 may be common in:
Native Americans (United
States), Somalians,
Mexicans, Japanese, and
Thai.
Knowing cultural conflict style (5)
indirect messages to
negotiate substantive
disagreements, expressive
verbal/nonverbal
communication
 reliance on third party
intermediaries for resolving
an escalating dispute
 may be common in : a
number of Arab Middle
Eastern countries and
Pakistan.
Resolving Conflict
 Focus on objective facts -> problem
 Feelings, not thoughts -> expressing
vs. difference
your feelings rather than
blaming the person you are conflicting with
 Express needs, leads to resolutions
(Refer to handout)
In Responding to argument: CLARA
★Calm & Center -> internally calm and center yourself before
listening
★Listen -> listen until you hear the moral principle that they’re
speaking from/feeling/experience that you share
★Affirm -> express the connection that you found in what you
listened
★Respond -> respond to the issue that is raised
★Add Information -> share additional information about the issue
Role Play
1. Your professor or a colleague in the lab says something disrespectful
about an aspect of your culture/belief. You decide to approach him/her
privately to discuss-what do you say?
2. When some students or your colleagues in the lab talk too loud during
class or work and it disrupts your concentration, how would you approach
the problem?
3. You feel as though one of your friends or colleagues is upset with you,
but you’re not sure why. How do you approach him/her?
Let’s share your ways!
Short Video Clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVqDQ7mA2nM
TedXTbilisi
Dato Gogichaishvili
May 14th, 2013
Remember….
“All people are the same; only their habits differ.”
- Confucius
Adjusting is NOT:
Sympathy
Agreement with
Identification with



Adjusting is:
knowing what you stand for, being aware of your surroundings, and feeling
comfortable with it
Important!
When conflict/disagreement arises:
which cultural style you are in
 Knowing which personal conflict style to use
 Knowing
….but first: CLARA!
Useful Resources



Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR)
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
English Language Institute (ELI)
Thank you!
We hope you enjoyed this presentation!
-Kiki, Renee and Michigan Global Connections-