Scholars have recently been paying greater attention to cultural and cross‐cultural research. However, studies have primarily been on between‐group comparisons, using White North American samples as a baseline. This approach results in misleading conclusions that overemphasize intergroup and underemphasize intragroup differences. We focus on Chinese families because they account for one‐fifth of the world's population, yet the understanding of Chinese families is limited. Our broad objective is a call to action, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond global and superficial assessments of Chinese parenting. On the basis of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, we critically explore the intra‐ and intergroup intricacies of Chinese parenting to illustrate how the study of culture and Chinese parenting has developed over the years. We provide in‐depth context for the various Chinese societies (i.e., China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) and recent social transformations that emphasize the importance of considering the exo‐ and macrosystems.

Purpose -This study aims to develop and validate a best-worst scaling (BWS) measure of preferred conflict-handling styles, named the Conflict-handling BWS (CHBWS). Design/methodology/approach -The authors conducted three studies. Study 1 consisted of a sample of psychology students (n ¼ 136) from a Canadian university and was designed to assess the convergent validity of the CHBWS by comparing it with the ROCI-II and DUTCH instruments. Study 2 consisted of a sample of psychology students (n ¼ 154) from a US university and was designed to assess the predictive validity of the CHBWS by relating conflict-handling styles to consumer complaint behavior. Study 3 consisted of a random sample of adults registered with an online survey company in Australia (n ¼ 204) and Germany (n ¼ 214). This study was designed to assess the antecedent relationship of Schwartz's personal values to conflict-handling styles. Findings -The study shows that best-worst scaling is a valid and advantageous way of measuring conflict-handling styles. The CHBWS demonstrated both convergent and predictive validity, and was able to reproduce the structure of the dual-concerns model. The study also showed that preferred conflict-handling style influences the choice of complaint behavior in a retail service failure situation. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that Schwartz's personal values can influence the preferred conflict-handling style in two individualistic cultures. Originality/value -This is the first study to measure conflict-handling style preferences using a BWS approach. Furthermore, it is the first study to relate consumer complaint behavior to preferred conflict-handling style.

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Using a multidomain and bidimensional approach, the present study applied and extended the acculturation gap-distress model with an immigrant Arab Canadian sample. Consistent with this model, immigrant Arab emerging adults (n = 113) perceived acculturation gaps between themselves and their parents with respect to their heritage and settlement culture orientation and values. Some of these gaps, in turn, were associated with poorer outcomes. Extending the model, the most problematic acculturation gaps were those in which the emerging adult perceived themselves to be more oriented to Arab culture and values than their parents. We also found some support for the moderating role of parent-emerging adult relationships.

The present studies bridged across the conflict management and family psychology literatures to increase our understanding of intergenerational conflict within the context of immigrant Arab Canadian families. Using a quantitative approach, Study 1 (n = 71) found that although emerging adults reported relatively low levels of intergenerational conflict, honor-related conflict issues were salient to this population and not captured by the Intergenerational Conflict Inventory. Study 1 also found that emerging adults' preferred conflict handling style was associated with overall levels of intergenerational conflict as well as cultural orientation and adaptation. Three conflict handling styles (avoid, integrate, and dominate) were associated with increased intergenerational conflict, whereas oblige was associated with decreased intergenerational conflict. These results were confirmed using a qualitative approach in Study 2 (n = 12). Importantly, Study 2 also suggested that oblige took two distinct forms in this population, as some emerging adults actually obliged their parents in the conflict situation, whereas others stated that they would but covertly disobeyed their parents.