Understanding Intercultural Communication Second Edition

1. Understanding Intercultural Communication Second Edition Chapter 9 How Can We Manage Intercultural Conflict Flexibly? Stella Ting-Toomey & Leeva C. Chung OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PowerPoint Slides Designed by Alex Flecky and Noorie Baig

2. TODAY’S MENU I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills IV. Intercultural Reality Check: Do-Ables

3. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors Intercultural conflict: The implicit or explicit emotional struggle or frustration between persons of different cultures over perceived incompatible values, norms, face orientations, goals, scarce resources, processes, and/or outcomes in a communication situation.

4. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors Independent-self conflict lens Content conflict goal lens Win-lose conflict approach “Doing” angle Outcome-driven mode Interdependent-self conflict lens Relational process lens Win-win relational approach “Being” angle Long-term compromising negotiation mode A. Culture-Based Conflict Lenses

5. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors B. Intercultural Workplace Conflict Grid • Uses two value dimensions (individualism-collectivism and power distance) to form grid with four approaches. • Complete my.blog 9.1 on page 183 to find out your conflict lens… then think of the pros & cons of each conflict style.

6. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors B. Intercultural Workplace Conflict Grid

7. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors View this video on intercultural conflict in the workplace. Discussion Questions: • Compare and contrast the different verbal styles of the people in this video. • Use the workplace conflict grid to assess the different conflict styles. • What would be your specific intercultural teaching or coaching strategies?

8. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors C. Intercultural Conflict Perceptions: Three primary perception features of intercultural conflict: 1. Conflict involves intercultural perceptions, filtered through lenses of ethnocentrism and stereotypes. 2. Ethnocentric perceptions add biases and prejudice to conflict attribution process. 3. Attribution process further compounded by different culture-based verbal and nonverbal conflict styles.

9. I. Intercultural Conflict: Cultural Background Factors D. Intercultural Conflict Goal Issues • Content goals • Relational conflict goals • Identity-based goals E. Perceived Scarce Resources • Conflict resources • Tangible resources • Intangible resources

10. II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors A. Defining Conflict Styles: Three approaches to studying conflict styles: • Dispositional approach • Situational approach • Systems approach

11. II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors Five-style conflict grid

12. II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors Activity: Draw an animal that depicts your prototypical conflict style Now assess your specific conflict style – complete my.blog 9.3 on page 193 • Discuss your style with a partner. • Think of the pros & cons of each conflict style

13. II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors B. Cross-Cultural Conflict Styles • Face: Socially approved self-image and other-image consideration issues. • Facework: Verbal and nonverbal strategies used to maintain, defend, or upgrade our social self-image and attack or defend (“save”) social images of others.

14. II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors B. Cross-Cultural Conflict Styles Face-negotiation theory helps explain how individualism-collectivism value patterns influence use of diverse conflict styles in different situations. C. Cross-Ethnic Conflict Styles and Facework Can you guess the different kinds of conflict styles used by African Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Latino/a Americans, and Native Americans on a general patterned level?

15. II. Intercultural Conflict Process Factors • Media Activity: Spanglish film clip Discussion Questions: • What did you notice about the conflict scene between John and Flor? • Can you identify all the verbal and nonverbal clashes? • What conflict goals were involved in the incident? Cite some specific examples.

16. III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills A. Facework Management • Self-oriented face-saving behaviors: Attempts to regain or defend one’s image after threats to face or face loss. • Other-oriented face-giving behaviors: Attempts to support others’ face claims and work with them to prevent further face loss or help them restore face constructively. Giving face means not humiliating others in public.

17. III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills B. Mindful Listening • A face-validation and power-sharing skill; listening with focused attentiveness to cultural and personal assumptions expressed. • Involves learning to listen responsively, or ting (Chinese: “attending mindfully with our ears, eyes, and a focused heart”).

18. III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills B. Mindful Listening

19. III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills Mindful Listening Ethnorelative lens Proactive/choice approach Attentive listening Supportive posture “Struggle with” Mindful reframing Vulnerability shared Shared power Common interests Creative options Win-win synergy Mindless Listening Ethnocentric lens Reactive approach Selective hearing Defensive posture “Struggle against” Judgmental attitude Emotional outbursts Coercive power Positional differences Fixed objectives Win-lose/lose-lose outcome

20. III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills C. Cultural Empathy Perspective-take accurately the self-experiences of others and convey your understanding responsively. D. Mindful Reframing How you “frame” conflict via neutrally-toned language may soften conflict defensiveness. E. Adaptive Code-Switching Purposefully modifying one’s verbal and nonverbal behaviors in conflict interaction.

21. III. Flexible Intercultural Conflict Skills Reframing Skills Activity • How did these conflicts go? How helpful do you think the reframing statements were to the conflict? Did any partners end up with win–win solutions? • Coaches: how did it feel to try to reframe “in the moment?“ • Conflict parties: Do you believe you reacted differently to your partner’s reframed statement rather than how you would have reacted to the original statement? How?

22. IV. Intercultural Reality Check: Do-Ables To deal with conflict in a collectivistic culture, individualists need to do the following: 1. Be mindful of mutual face-saving premises, especially delicate balance of humiliation and pride, respect and disrespect, and shame and honor issues. 2. Practice patient, mindful observation and limit “why?” questions. 3. Practice mindful listening skills, attend to other’s identity and relational expectation issues. Remember listen can become silent and vice versa by rearranging the letters.

23. IV. Intercultural Reality Check: Do-Ables In conflict situations in an individualistic culture, collectivists need to do the following: 1. Use assertive conflict behavior and state a clear thesis, then systematically develop key points. 2. Use “I” statements and more “why?” questions. 3. Engage in active listening skills (rephrasing and perception checking); do not rely solely on nonverbal signals or count on other people to gauge personal reactions.

24. Parting Thoughts… Conflict = Chaos = Danger + Opportunity Learn to listen to the identity stories, yearnings, and nuances behind the fighting words. ~ Stella Ting-Toomey