There is no single accepted definition of conflict. The many definitions, whether they refer to international, political, religious, cultural, generational, organisational, interpersonal, or intrapersonal conflicts, focus on the incompatibility of concerns (Thomas & Kilmann, 2012, p. 2), adversarial values (Dorjee et al., 2013, p. 115), and the collision of cultures (Lewis, 2018) with the connotation that conflict is a negative, destructive, or inhibitive force. In reality, conflict can be healthy. It can bring to light previously unseen pressures or discontents, promote problems to be addressed, and improve understanding of goals and motives (Mohammed et al., 2009, p. 4). Upon moving away from the negative connotations, conflict becomes more of an intriguing challenge and its resolution can be found in communication. Approaching conflict with a positive outlook, coupled with effective communication, can turn conflicts into opportunities.
| Excerpt from the author’s doctoral dissertation: p. 4 |
Turn conflicts into opportunities.
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| Generated by ChatGPT 4o on 20.05.2025 inspired by artwork on the Japanese warring states |
Greet Angèle DE BAETS
Dorjee, T., Ting-Toomey, S., & Toomey, A. (2013). Bicultural
Identity Negotiation, Conflicts, and Intergroup Communication Strategies. Journal
of Intercultural Communication Research, 42(2), 112–134.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2013.785973
Lewis, R. D. (2018). When cultures collide: Leading across cultures
(4th ed.). Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Mohammed, U. K., White, G. R., & Prabhakar, G. P. (2009). Culture
and Conflict Management Style of International Project Managers. International
Journal of Business and Management, 3(5), p3.
https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v3n5p3
Thomas, K. W., & Kilmann, R. H. (2012). Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument [dataset]. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/t02326-000
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