Mediation in intercultural conflicts

Culture determines our value system, our way of thinking and evaluating and therefore also our attitude towards conflict. It is often the aspects shaped by culture that move us and motivate us to act, but which we do not talk about because they seem so self-evident to us. This can lead to an unexpected clash when different cultures meet - and in some cases without it being foreseeable or recognizable to those involved that cultural values are clashing. Would you like to find out more?

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The conflict: Is Ms. Özkaya unreliable?

Encounters between people from different cultures can be enriching, but also conflictual. And the latter is particularly the case when those involved are not even aware that there is an intercultural communication problem.

If, for example, Ms. Özkaya, a German of Turkish origin, is hired as a new employee, her appearance may suggest other cultural roots, which will hopefully be accepted without any problems. However, the cultural difference can also have less obvious aspects. For example, what if she is repeatedly late for work or doesn't come to work at all? Her boss, Ms. Schmidt, speaks to her directly about it, whereupon Ms. Özkaya has no explanation, but immediately and very affectedly promises future punctuality - and continues to be late. What's going on here?

The German-socialized boss interprets the unpunctuality as personal unreliability on the part of the employee (view of the individual). The next time this happens, she threatens her with dismissal in the presence of colleagues, whereupon Ms. Özkaya does not show up the next day. As part of her family (view of the group), she sees it as her duty to look after her parents who unexpectedly need care. In the same way, she would also like to be part of the company and would make a reliable contribution there, putting her personal interests on the back burner. She had therefore tried to talk to her colleagues and Mrs. Schmidt about her family situation and to make contact in the first place, albeit very cautiously and in consideration of the boss's authority. However, she felt rejected by her, also because she always mispronounced her name, and then belittled by her direct manner, finally even in front of others. She concluded that neither she nor her reasons would be accepted as a proper colleague in the company. However, support for the family was urgently needed.

In her own perception, Ms. Schmidt had indeed taken time for the new employee. She had deliberately enquired about her professional skills and career aspirations in order to support her in her individual development. A discussion about the respective families was not part of this for her.

Intercultural differences between collective and individual societies

Collective societies – for example Fr. Özka	Individual society - for example Mrs. Schmidt
People are seen as part of a group: "I get to know colleagues by learning about their families."	People are seen as individuals: "I respect the individual privacy of my employees."
The group interest is important: "I am loyal to my family when they need me, and to my company when it needs me."	The interests of the individual have a high value: "I support my employees in their careers."
Identity is based on the "we": "I try to become part of the company's workforce."	Identity is linked to personal characteristics: "Anyone who arrives late is unreliable as a person."
Building relationships is a high value: "To get involved, I establish good contact with everyone."	Factual orientation has a high value: "My tasks leave little time for small talk."
Seeking harmony, saving face: "I make sure I maintain my boss's authority."	Disagreements should be clarified: "If she's late, I'll speak to her about it."

Ms. Özkaya and Ms. Schmidt are examples of typical cultural differences and corresponding ways of thinking in German and Turkish culture. Other Turks or other Germans may be completely different - every encounter between people of different cultures requires a careful approach to each other, a negotiation of culture. Cultural differences exist not only between nationalities or ethnic groups, but also, for example, between different companies, families, subcultures, genders, etc.

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