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Multidisciplinary perspectives on intercultural conflict 99

6. Multidisciplinary perspectives on intercultural
conflict: the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of conflict,
culture and communication

Nathalie van Meurs and Helen Spencer-Oatey

1. Introduction

A few decades ago, managers spent more than 20% of their time trying to resolve
conflicts (Thomas and Schmidt 1976). Nowadays, conflicts are probably even
more complex and time consuming to resolve, because technological advances,
the world’s exponential growth rate, and globalization have led to increased con-
tact between culturally diverse people. Different norms, values, and language
can make negotiating more stressful and less satisfactory (Brett and Okumura
1998), and conflict cannot be managed effectively without simultaneously con-
sidering both culture and communication. In fact, the three concepts of conflict,
culture and communication are like a Bermuda Triangle – hazardous conditions
will emerge unless the three are simultaneously handled appropriately.
Conflict processes are studied by researchers in a range of disciplines, in-
cluding organizational behaviour, management studies, (intercultural) com-
munication studies, peace studies, and applied linguistics. Unfortunately, re-
search in these various disciplines tends to exist in parallel fields, with
infrequent passages across theoretical and empirical divides. In this chapter we
provide an overview of key theoretical frameworks, explore some of the main
views as to the impact of culture, and consider the interrelationships between
conflict, culture and communication. We call for more interdisciplinary re-
search, so that boundaries can be broken down and illuminating new insights
can emerge.

2. The concept of conflict

Conflict is an unavoidable element of interaction; it takes place between friends
and family, and within and between groups and organizations. It occurs “when
two or more social entities (i.e. individuals, groups, organizations, and nations)
come in contact with one another in attaining their objectives” and when some
kind of incompatibility emerges between them (Rahim 1992: 1). It is often re-
garded as undesirable, and much attention is typically focused on how to pre-
vent or resolve it. However, conflict need not necessarily be undesirable. It can