Managing Workplace Conflicts: A Study of International Workers' Acculturation for Behaviors and Strategies in Taiwan

Abstract

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The number of international workers in Taiwan is increasing yearly, and a significant share of them are choosing to relocate for work and economic purposes. The diversity of cultures in the workplace is becoming a common occurrence and it creates the need to interact with people with different customs and behaviors, at the same time expanding opportunities for business development. Over the past few decades, Taiwan has become an advanced economy and thus offers many employment opportunities, with more and more organizations choosing to attract international talent. However, it is important to understand how the acculturation process occurs among foreigners and how they deal with problems that arise in the workplace, including intercultural conflicts. Such aspects can negatively affect job satisfaction or performance and should not be ignored. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the behaviors and strategies that foreigners employ, using Taiwan as an example, and enhance acculturation methods. It was conducted based on three primary research questions, including (1) international workers’ conflict management styles, (2) adaptation processes to the different cultural contexts regarding intercultural conflict management, and (3) cultural, organizational, or personal factors influencing adaptation. This study used a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the feelings and thoughts of the respondents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 international workers in Taiwan. The requirements for participation were at least six months of working experience in Taiwan since 2015 to keep the data current and ensure that findings and solutions are valid and any work experience is in one’s country of origin. To support the credibility of the study, the author conducted an in-depth literature review, peer assessment, expert review, and pilot tests. Findings show that the priority of international workers in Taiwan is to avoid conflict in the workplace altogether in the first place. If conflict is unavoidable, indirect communication and the help of third parties with authority based on their position in the organizational hierarchy are the main methods used to resolve it.