1、Unit 13 Cultuaral Conflict & Management,s,Part 1 Two approaches to conflict 1. Negotiation is a conflict-solving process. Different cultures solve problems in different ways. 2. Two approaches to Conflict 1) In Western cultures, conflict is viewed as fundamentally a good thing;Working through confli
2、cts constructively results in stronger, healthier and more satisfying relationships. 2) Many culture groups view conflict as ultimately destructiva for relationships. E.g. Many Asian cultures, reflecting the influence of Confucianism and Taoism, see conflict as disturbing the peace. They also think
3、that when members disagree they should adhere to the consensus of the group bather than engage in conflict.,t,Part 2 Effective conflict management 1. The key to effective cross-cultural communication is knowledge. 1) to understand the potential problems of cross-cultural communication and make a con
4、scious effort to overcome these problems. 2) to be aware that ones efforts will not always be successful and adjust ones behavior appropriately. -being patient and forgiving rather than hostile and aggressive, if problems arise. -responding slowly and carefully in cross-cultural exchanges, not jumpi
5、ng to the conclusion.,2. In across-cultural negotiations, the suggestion for heated conflicts is to stop, listen, and think, or “go to the balcony”. 3. Being familiar with both cultures can be helpful in cross-cultural communication. The intermediaries who are familiar with both cultures can transla
6、te both the substance and the manner of what is said. They can understand the problems and explain the problems and make appropriate procedural adjustments.,4. Beginners guide to international business negotiations: International business negotiations are fundamentally different from domestic negoti
7、ations and require a different set of skills and knowledge. 1) In the international negotiations, the parties must deal with the laws, policies, and political authorities of more than one nation. 2) the presence of different currencies. 3) the participation of government authorities. 4) internationa
8、l ventures are vulnerable to sudden and drastic changes in their circumstances, e.g war, revolution, changes n government, currency devaluation.,p,5) different ideologies: Effective negotiators will be aware of ideological differences. They will present their proposals in the ways that are ideologic
9、ally acceptable to the other party, or that are at least ideologically neutral; 6) cultural differences,Part 3 Cultural differences Four dimensions: 1 Individualism-collectivism: In individualistic cultures, the focus of ones behavior can be unashamedly self-centered. People tend to put tasks before
10、 relationships and to value independence highly. Collectivism: the interests of the group whether the family or the community, are given priority over those of the individual. Such cultures called “collectivist” emphasize group consensus and the avoidance of conflict, conformity. Collectivist societ
11、ies tend to stress abstract, general agreements over concrete, specific issues.,2 power differential: The idea of power differential describes the degree of deference and acceptance of unequal power between people. 1) Cultures where there is a comfort with high power differential are those where som
12、e people are considered superior to others because of their social status, gender, race, age, education, birthright, personal achievements, family background or other factors. 2) Cultures with low power differential tend to assume equality among people, and focus more on earned status than ascribed
13、status. Generally speaking, the more unequally wealth is distributed, the bigger will be the power differential in any national setting.,tion,3) Nations with a high power differential include Arabian countries, Malaysia, the Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, and India. Negotiators from these countries
14、 tend to be comfortable with: Hierarchical structures; Clear authority figures; The right to use power with discretion. 4) Countries with a low power differential include USA, Austria, Denmark, Israel, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Britain and Germany. Negotiators from
15、these countries tend to be comfortable with Democratic structures ,flat organizational hierarchies. Shared authority; The right to use power only in limited circumstances and for legitimate purposes.,y,3. Uncertainty avoidance: 1) the idea of uncertainty avoidance has to do with the way cultures rel
16、ate to uncertainty and ambiguity. And how well they adapt to changes. 2) Countries that show the most discomfort with ambiguity and uncertainty include Muslim countries and tradipional African countries, where high value is placad on condormity and safEty, risk avoidance, and reliance on formal rule
17、s and rituals. Trust tends to be vested only in family and close friends. It will be difficult for outside negotiators to establish relationships of confidence and trust with members of these countries.,3) The USA, Scandinavia, and Singapore are identified as having a higher tolerance for uncertaint
18、y. Members of these cultures tend to value risk-taking, problem-solving, flat organizational structures and tolerance for ambiguity. It may be easier for outsiders to establish trusting relationships with negotiating partners in these cultural contexts.,4 Masculinity-Femininity 1) the terms masculin
19、ity and femininity are used to refer to the degree to which a culture values assertiveness or nurturing and social support. The terms also refer to the degree to which socially prescribed roles operate for men and women. 2) countries and regions such as Japan and Latin America are rated as preferrin
20、g values of assertiveness, task-orientation and achievement. In these cultures, there tend to be more rigid gender roles and “live to work” orientations.,3) IN countries and regions rated feminine, such as Scandinavia, Thailand, and Portugal, values of cooperation, nurturing, relationship and solida
21、rity with those less fortunate prevail, and the moral belief is “ work to live”. 4) It is also important to remember that associations with gender vary greatly across cultures, so that elements considered masculine in one culture might be considered feminine in another.,Practice: Distinguish the fol
22、lowing by putting C for Chinese or A for American: -in general, people will not hesitate to answer “no”. Business people are direct and will not hesitate to disagree with you; People will decline a gift three times before finally accepting, so as not to appear greedy. Points are made by the accumula
23、tion of objective facts. The subjective feelings of the participants are not as much of a factor. Business people largely rely on subjective feelings and personal experiences in forming opinions and solving problems;,Negative replies are considered impolite. Answer “maybe”, “Ill think about it”, or
24、“well see” and get into the specific later. “saving face” is not vitally important because money is a key priority and an issue that will be used to win most arguments. People tend to dislike periods of silence during negotiations and in conversation, in general. They may continue to speak simply to
25、 avoid silence. “saving face” is an important concept to understand. A persons reputation and social standing rests on it.,Case 1 Case 2: A US production manager, Joe Sorrells, is sent to manage a manufacturing facility in Mexico. Upon arrival his assistant production manager Juan Lopez, suggests th
26、ey go to the factory to meet the workers who have been awaiting his arrival. Joe declines Juans offer and chooses instead to get right to work on determining why the quality and production rate of the Mexican plant are not equal to US Plants. Juan stresses the importance of getting to know the worke
27、rs first, but Joe lets Juan Know he was sent to Mexico to straighten things out, not to form friendships with the local workers.,Without further comment, Juan gets Joe the figures and records he requests. Joe instigated a number of changes and felt sure the plan he had prepared would improve quality
28、 and increase production. After a couple of months, no improvement has been made: Joe cant understand why the workers seem to resist his plans.,Case 3 The following is a comparison chart for a US businessman wishing to sell a Chinese businessman a piece of expensive equipment. As you can see, the tw
29、o gentlemen are not interpreting, perceiving, or expecting the same thing.,Case 4 A young American invited four couples to dinner-two American and two Japanese-who had previously invited him to dinner at their homes. Since he was a poor cook, he decided to entertain at a restaurant instead of at his
30、 house. He made it clear that the invitation was to compensate for his deficient cooking skills, but he didnt explicitly mention his intention to pay for the restaurant meal, which he felt was implied by the invitation itself. When the waiter presented him with the bill, all the friends asked the am
31、ount of their shares.,After a few rounds of insistence, the American friends conceded and thanked the young man for the meal. The Japanese friends, however, didnt stop. They tried to press money upon their host, acted as if they didntt understand, and protested that their wives would disapprove of t
32、hem if they didntt succeed in paying. The young man felt he could not accept their money, because it would embarrass the American friends who had let him pay. The Japanese friends were insistent, and began to talk together in Japanese, a rarity in front of non-speakers. The young man was very distressed, because the objective of the dinner was to thank his friends, not to upset them.,
