INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION:
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
By Leanne Brenner
The Mexican people prefer to avoid conflict if possible. They like an indirect communication style, and will often use “maybe” or “we’ll see” as a way of avoiding saying “no” (Cotton, 2012). In a 2006 study, Posthuma, White, Dworkin, Yanez and Swift conducted a comparison of conflict resolution styles between Mexicans and Americans. The researchers highlighted Mexico's collectivistic nature as a country, in which “separation is atypical and individuals are closely intertwined in social networks” (Posthuma et al., 2006, p. 245). Ironically, it has also been found that Mexicans can be very competitive with each other. The lack of separation and social closeness mixed with competitiveness can sometimes lead to interpersonal conflict (Posthuma et al., 2006). In a collectivistic culture, harmony and balance within the family unit are very important. Conflict resolution is often centered on keeping that harmony intact. It is understandable, then, that the study found the most common conflict resolution styles amongst Mexicans were accommodation and avoidance, with collaboration and compromise being used the least (Posthuma et al., 2006). This points to the preference of Mexican people to put the best interests of the group before their own best interests, a primary element of collectivism.