Intercultural conflict style differences are important because they can significantly affect intercultural understanding and relationships at the individual, group, organizational, and international levels. This entry offers an explanation of conflict and conflict styles, followed by a summary of intercultural conflict style differences across cultural communities.

Conflict

Conflicts have been a part of human interaction since the first tribal communities were established. Conflict communication is a social process, yet it differs in important ways from nonconflictual, everyday social interaction. Often our communication with one another involves misperceptions; communication misunderstandings; differences in goals, values, and needs; and misinterpretation of intentions and behavior. In many cases, these differences are routinely clarified between the parties in ways that increase understanding and reinforce relational trust. By themselves these differences, therefore, are not ...

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