Conflict Styles and High–Low Context Cultures: A Cross-Cultural Extension

This study examines the assertion that culture influences conflict style preference. Data were gathered in India (n = 657), Ireland (n = 311), Thailand (n = 232), and the United States (n = 592). Conflict was measured using Oetzel's Conflict Style Measure. Results confirm that high-context nations (India and Thailand) prefer the avoiding and obliging conflict styles more than low-context nations (Ireland and the United States), whereas low-context nations prefer the dominating conflict style more than high-context nations. However, results of this study are contrary to previous research in that high-context nations prefer the compromising style more than do low-context nations, and the nations are mixed in their level of preference for the integrating style.