Managerial and Employee Conflict Communication in Papua New Guinea: Application of the Culture‐Based Social Ecological Conflict Model

Abstract

Framed by the culture‐based social ecological conflict model (CBSECM), this study examines individuals’ accounts of conflict communication in Papua New Guinea (PNG) between Chinese managers and PNG employees. In‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 participants: six Chinese managers and eight PNG employees. The findings show that primary orientation elements of face and power distance and situational features of labor laws and family obligations shape reported conflict communication strategies. PNG employees tended to submit to managers even when they felt wrongly accused given their cultural orientations and situational constraints. To express dissent, these employees often used indirect, passive resistance strategies. Chinese managers reported using competition to resolve conflicts. The resulting conflict outcomes are distrust and dissatisfaction and have potential negative implications for intercultural relations and organizational success. The study contributes to the CBSECM by illuminating some of the multilevel effects proposed in the model.

Conflict Management in Multiethnic Communities: a Case Study in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…The potential for conflict is more significant (Lessmann & Steinkraus, 2019) if ethnocentrism is underpinned by competition and differences in economic resource accessibility. Therefore, analyses of the ethnic dimension in conflict are relevant in understanding social violence, especially in the multiethnic societies such as in the transmigration sites (Tommy & Oetzel, 2019).…”

Normatively Speaking: Do Cultural Norms Influence Negotiation, Conflict Management, and Communication?

“…In cultures where direct confrontation is appropriate, people will be more likely to initiate the conflict management process. Beyond culture‐based injunctive norms, a multilevel assessment of disputants’ conflict orientation and the situation, as proposed by the Culture‐based Situational Conflict Model (Ting‐Toomey & Oetzel, ), can uncover distinct descriptive norms, for example, the finding that Chinese managers take a competitive approach with their PNG employees, who prefer passive resistance and conflict avoidance (Tommy & Oetzel, ).…”

Introduction to the Special Issue on Culture, Communication, and Conflict Management

“…Methods include both qualitative and quantitative, with two papers testing conceptual models of conflict management within the global social, cultural, and economic landscape. Together, this set of papers offers novel contributions and directions for future research on micro (e.g., partner's cultural values (Liu, ); reflexivity (Broome et al., )), meso (e.g., family obligations (Tommy & Oetzel, )), and macro (e.g., global positioning (Van de Vliert & Conway, ); legal constraints (Tommy & Oetzel, )) influences on cross‐cultural conflict management, conflict cultures, and effective intercultural communication.…”