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

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

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

국문 초록 (Abstract)

이 연구의 목적은 서로 다른 두 개의 갈등 상황—문화 내와 문화 간 갈등—과 관련해서 한국인과 미국인의 갈등 관리 전략을 비교하는데 있다. 한국과 미국간의 문화적 가치의 차이, "이중 관심 모델"로부터 파생된 윌멋과 하커의 5개 갈등 관리 전략, 그리고 기존 문화간 갈등 관리 연구들을 토대로 이 연구는 서로 다른 두 개의 갈등 상황과 관련된 한국인과 미국인의 갈등 관리 전략의 특성과 그 유사성 및 차이점에 대한 5개의 연구 문제에 답하고자 했다. 이 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 한국인과 미국인은 모두 유사한 문화 내 갈등 관리 전략을 실행하고 있을 뿐만 아니라, 그것은 문화 간 갈등 관리 전략과 직접적으로 밀접한 관계를 맺고 있다. 둘째, 문화 내 및 문화 간 갈등 상황 모두에 있어서 한국인은 미국인보다 회피 전략과 협동적인 성향을 더 선호하는 경향이 있었고, 미국인은 한국인보다 경쟁 전략과 공격적인 성향을 더 선호하는 경향이 있었다. 셋째, 문화 내 갈등 상황에서 자주 드러났던 한국인의 타협 전략의 사용과 통합적 성향은 문화 간 갈등 상황에서 줄어드는 경향이 있었고, 미국인의 경우 문화 내 갈등 상황에서 빈번히 보였던 경쟁 전략의 사용과 공격적인 성향은 문화 간 갈등 상황에서 줄어드는 경향이 있었다. 연구 결과와 관련해서 다문화 사회에서의 자민족중심주의(ethnocentrism)에 대한 논의와 이 연구의 함의, 한계 및 후속 연구를 위한 제언 등이 논의되었다.

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