Research Article Open Access

Conflict Management in an Age of Globalization: A Comparison of Intracultural and Intercultural Conflict Management Strategies between Koreans and Americans

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare conflict management strategies (CMS) between Koreans and Americans involving intracultural and intercultural interaction. Based on cultural difference between Korea and the U.S., Wilmot and Hocker’s “Duel Concern” model and previous intercultural conflict management studies, five research questions involving the characteristics of and similarities and differences between Koreans’ and Americans’ CMS in intracultural and intercultural interaction were established. The findings of this study showed that: first, both Koreans and Americans tended to use similar patterns of CMS in managing intracultural conflict and those patterns are directly related to their CMS in managing intercultural interaction; second, while Koreans prefer an avoidance strategy and a cooperative orientation to Americans, Americans prefer a competition strategy and an assertive orientation to Koreans in handling both intracultural and intercultural conflict; third, while Koreans’ use of compromise and collaboration strategies and their cooperative tendency for managing conflict in intracultural interaction is likely to decrease in intercultural interaction, Americans’ use of a competition strategy and their assertive tendency for managing conflict in intracultural interaction is likely to decrease in intercultural interaction. Discussions involving ethnocentrism in a multicultural society and implications and limitations of this study were described.

Jongbae Hong

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