Globalization

Globalization is a phenomenon that is often referenced today and has a number of conceptualizations: (a) “the widening, deep­ening, and speeding up of worldwide inter­connectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life” (Held, McGrew, Goldblatt, & Perraton, 1999, p.

In addition, globalization is multidi­mensional. Stohl et al. (Chapter 27) in this Handbook noted that globalization can focus on macroeconomic, -political, and -cultural features, all of which change the focus of the conflict discourse. Appadurai (1996) identi­fied five dimensions to conceive of globaliza­tion: ethnoscapes, technoscapes, finanscapes, mediascapes, and ideoscapes. Thus, globaliza­tion refers to many different aspects of life and conflict communication.

Regardless of how scholars and practi­tioners conceive of globalization, there are elements of connecting and contesting. Specifically, globalization results in connect­ing people through migration and technology, which, in turn, results in contested discourses/ conflict. For example, some contested glo­balization discourses include the following: (a) contradictory tensions of globalization and localization/indigenization or nationalism (Hill, 1995; Turner, 1990; Wang, 2000); (b) the hyperglobal/cultural homogenization perspec­tive that presumes that globalization will lead to the end or minimization of the nation-state/ culture (Friedman, 2006; Tomlinson, 1999); (c) globalization as a constant that brings problems such as religion clashes, global com­mercial media, and exploitation of workers (Biernatzki, 1997); and (d) migration from globalization that leads to increased interac­tion among people from different cultures that results in some intercultural conflict, par­ticularly in large urban areas (Landis, 2008).

Several chapters in this Handbook consider the role of globalization for their topic/level. Some of these treatments are minor refer­ences in the larger review of literature. At the organizational level, Jones (Chapter 15) dis­cussed the construction of conflict resolution education programs in the context of global initiatives in teacher education. In this man­ner, the global conversation influences what specific nations do for education. Similarly, Kirby et al. (Chapter 14) discuss various work-life policies across nations that are used to illustrate cultural differences and, in a sense, benchmarking what other countries do. Garner and Poole (Chapter 12) review the research on virtual teams as technology has enabled people to work across time and geographical spaces much easier. At the same time, virtual teams seem to have more con­flict than face-to-face/colocated teams. At the community level, Peterson and Feldpausch- Parker (Chapter 19) discuss the negotiation between local and global issues and framing in environmental conflicts.

At the intercultural-international level, the motif of globalization occupies a more primary focus for several chapters. For example, Stohl et al. (Chapter 27) present several core argu­ments about conflict in the global workplace, including the following: (a) globalization (and culture) influence the way that parties under­stand conflict; (b) conflict communication occurs at the intersection of globalization at a macrolevel and work group communication at a microlevel; (c) globalization creates para­doxes that create power tensions in teams; and (d) transnational (global) teams are rife with conflict (or opportunities for conflict). In addi­tion, Ting-Toomey and Oetzel (Chapter 29) integrate globalization into the culture-based situational conflict model. They argue that globalization creates a negotiation of national and global identities as well as creates a situa­tional factor that influences conflict dynamics.

Thus, it is clear that globalization is a key factor that is worthy of future focus in conflict communication. Practitioners can consider the ways that migration and technology has increased intercultural contact and has led to potential conflicts. Thus, they need to understand economic, religious, and political aspects of conflict and how they might shape conflict dynamics. Practitioners can also use this understanding to create opportunities for positive dynamics and transformations. Researchers and theorists can further consider different aspects of globalization and how it might shape conflict dynamics and outcomes. For example, under what conditions does globalization create conflict in the workplace? How can communities effectively negotiate the effects of globalizations to create peaceful communities? How can organizations inte­grate conflict management training to address the challenges of globalization? Are there communication tools and technologies that can be designed (Barge & Andreas, Chapter 23) to mitigate the negative impacts of global­ization on relationships and outcomes?