Nature versus Nurture: A Cross-cultural Perspective on Conflict Resolution Styles

Different cultures use different methods to resolve conflicts. However, the existing literature on cross-cultural research in conflict resolution has yet to provide a better understanding of what factors affect conflict resolution styles across cultures. This study examines selected cultural and personality factors and then explores their impacts on conflict resolution styles using the data from three different cultural contexts - China mainland, Taiwan, and Canada. The results suggest that both cultural and personality factors play important roles in determining individual´s preferences for conflict resolution styles, though differing in their impacts on what styles individuals from these cultures choose to use in face of conflicts. Implications are also discussed in this paper.