Japanese and Thai differences in conflict management: Implications for adaptations in human resource management

A survey questionnaire was designed to identify the key differences of national culture and the five styles of conflict management between Japanese managers and Thai staff of Japanese manufacturers in Thailand. Significant differences were found between these two nationalities. Thai staff emphasize collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. Thai staff, however, support collectivism with Thai nationalities and exclude Japanese managers from their collective society. Thai staff try to avoid uncertainty at the workplace as they do not want to be reprimanded by the Japanese managers because of unclear instructions and responsibilities. Thai staff respect paternalistic managers who take care of both personal and work-related issues of their subordinates. For conflict management style, both nationalities support collaboration but otherwise, Japanese managers support competition while Thai staff support compromise. Japanese managers and Thai staff also accept an accommodating style but the Japanese accommodating style is a mixture of accommodation and compromise or accommodation and avoidance. This style is observed in the process of Japanese managers' adaptation to Thai culture. The results of this study will help the manage-ment of Japanese companies operating in Thailand and throughout Asia manage conflict more effectively and prepare Japanese managers and local subordinates to be more adaptive to working together. It replicates the conflict management styles identified in the literature but provides a different empirical foundation in the context of Japanese and Thai managers. © City University of Hong Kong.