CONFLICT FOR POSITIVE DIVERSITY
Different cultures express themselves to a large extent in how they manage conflict. Conflict is a window to understanding national cultures (Leung and Tjosvold, 1998). Although research supports the theory of cooperation and competition in China, results do not imply that goal interdependence is operationalized in a highly similar way in the East as in the West (Tjosvold and Hu, 2005).
While the “geneotypes,” the underlying conceptual structure of the theory, appear to be similar, the “phenotypes,” how the theory is manifested in particular situations, often are not. In particular, the actions that develop cooperative goals or communicate an attempt to discuss conflicts open-mindedly may be quite different in China than in North America, as may the general levels of goal interdependence and cooperative conflict.
Even if they have common goals and objectives, people from different cultures may have different views of right and wrong, the best ways to accomplish goals, the value of a long-term versus a short-term perspective, appropriate etiquette, and the value of the contributions people make to a joint venture. Although some studies suggest the utility of a cooperative conflict approach between East and West (Chen and Tjosvold, forthcoming; Tjosvold, 1996; Tjosvold, Lee and Wong, 1992), more research is needed to document its potential for managing cross-cultural conflicts.
In today’s diverse and global marketplace, theories, especially about conflict, that can only be applied in one culture are increasingly irrelevant. If continued to be successfully demonstrated in Europe as well as East Asia (Tjosvold and De Dreu, 1997), the framework of cooperative, constructive controversy has the potential of acting as a common guide for how people from different cultures can develop their own ways of managing conflict.
Diverse people together decide that they want to use a cooperative approach to conflict as the major way of handling their disputes and then put in place the incentives and procedures that support cooperative goals and constructive controversy.Developing a theory of cooperation and competition so that it can be applied in various cultural texts contributes to the building of organizations that promote and value diversity. With a common framework, people from several cultures can agree upon how they are going to disagree. They develop ways of managing conflict that are appropriate and effective for them. Then they are able to express their diversity and use their conflicts to solve problems. Cooperative open-mindedness strengthens their relationships and their appreciation of their diversity.
Without a common framework, organizations are apt to impose the procedures of one culture on another, for example, insisting that everyone conform to the head office’s ways. Or they may use trial and error in the hope that they develop new procedures. However, these approaches are apt to result in organizations characterized by destructive conflict and conflict avoidance.