CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN CHINESE CONTEXT: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY IN SINO-FINN WORKPLACES IN CHINA
Taina Savolainen, Professor, University of Joensuu, Finland
Meijiao Xue-Pykäläinen, M.Sc (Bus.Adm.), University of Joensuu, Finland

Abstract
Conflicts occur commonly in organizations especially in multicultural settings, as the adaptation of the business life to the new, fast-changing environment is the reality. This paper studies conflict management in cross-cultural context, and more specifically in Sino-Finn workplaces in China. The paper aims to present findings from the qualitative study of how Finnish and Chinese perceive the conflict, sources of conflicts, and how they deal with conflicts, i.e., ways and styles of conflict handling. The perceptions of national culture differences of the Finnish and Chinese interviewees form the contextual background for studying cross-cultural conflict management. The findings show that communication and behavior are perceived as the most common sources for conflict. Conflicts may originate on a cultural basis. Moreover, differences exist in the individuals’ conflict handling styles cross-culturally. It seems also that the style may change according to the cultural environment. The paper presents also implications for managers and HRM experts, particularly Finnish ones who work or will work in China and need to learn more of cross-cultural management, and especially conflict management in Chinese context. The aspect of trust is raised in discussion by implication.
Keywords: communication, conflict handling, HRM, national culture differences, Sino-Finn workplace, trust