Negotiations between British and Dutch managers: cultural values, approaches to conflict management, and perceived negotiation.

The present research investigates cultural values, approaches to conflict management, and perceived negotiation satisfaction in manager samples from the UK and the Netherlands. Three studies (total N = 412) were conducted, of which Study 1 and 2 pertained to the development of the measure and Study 3 was used to conduct the main analysis. The research focus centres around the following main objectives: a) refinement of conflict management models and instruments; b) profile analyses of Dutch and British conflict management approaches using Schwartz’s (1992, 1994) Value Types to explain observed differences, and c) testing of a model describing interrelations between cultural values, approaches to conflict management, conflict context, and perceived negotiation satisfaction.
Previous research on conflict management modeled conflict behaviour on the basis of a concern for self vs. concern for others matrix, which incorporated communication styles. The present research distinguishes between the underlying concerns, conflict management strategies, and communication styles to predict perceived negotiation satisfaction. Furthermore, conflict management dynamics are investigated by comparing the ratings of own vs. other team’s conflict management approach. In-group vs. out-group differentiation was dependent on the social desirability of the conflict management approach in question. Dutch managers associated themselves less and British managers more with a concern for Inconvenience, Avoiding, and Indirect communication, whereas British managers associated themselves more and Dutch managers less with these approaches.
Results for cultural values showed that the main difference between Dutch and British managers concerned a higher score for Dutch managers on Self Transcendence and a higher score on Self Enhancement for British managers. Self Enhancement mediated the effect for nationality for Dominating strategy. Furthermore, Self Transcendence predicted a concern for Clarity, a Problem Solving strategy, and a Consultative communication style. Nationality as predictor of Concern for Inconvenience, Avoiding strategy, and Indirect communication style was not mediated by Value Types. Suggestions are made for future research exploring the role of Uncertainty Avoidance at the individual level. Success and Comfort were predicted by own and other team’s Conflict Management Approach, additional to cultural value types and contextual variables. National differences were observed for particular predictors of perceived negotiation satisfaction.