Exploring the conflict management of international students at a Hungarian University based on the Thomas-Kilmann model
Vol 8, Issue 13, 2024
VIEWS - 47 (Abstract) 19 (PDF)
Abstract
While some conflict can serve as a more sophisticated stimulus to student achievement, significant or unresolved conflict can delay or even frustrate even the best-planned curriculum. The aim of our study is to get a clear picture of the conflicts with whom and to what extent the international students studying on our campuses have conflicts that affect their performance, and how they can manage them. In our study, based on a questionnaire survey (n = 480), we revealed that the international students at our university have the most conflicts with other foreign students, and the least with Hungarians, including their teachers. On the other hand, we found that according to the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Instrument, they solve their problems by the Compromising and Accommodating style. The results obtained by detailed socio-demographic aspects show significant differences, mainly between gender, age, and country groups. Knowledge of the revealed facts and connections can offer conscious and careful solutions to understand and reduce tensions, and this can improve the understanding and management of conflict in the classroom, in collaborative projects, and even in non-teaching environments on campuses.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Alshaabani, A., and Rudnák, I. (2023). Impact of Trust on Employees’ Engagement: The Mediating Role of Conflict Management Climate. Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences, 31(2), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.3311/PPso.18154
Amason, A. C., Thompson, K. R., Hochwarter, W. A., and Harrison, A. W. (1995). Conflict: An important dimension in successful management teams. Organizational Dynamics, 24(2), 20–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(95)90069-1
Ardyan, E., Sutrisno, T. F. C. W., and Padmawidjaja, L. (2023). New value creation and family business sustainability: Identification of an intergenerational conflict resolution strategy. Heliyon, 9(5), e15634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15634
Arinicheva, O., Lebedeva, N. A., and Malishevskii, A. V. (2019). Intellectual functioning in students and their conflict management strategies Capacidad intelectual en estudiantes y sus estrategias de manejo de conflictos. Revista Espacios, 40(44), 29.
Barbuto, J. E., Phipps, K. A., and Xu, Y. (2010). Testing relationships between personality, conflict styles and effectiveness. International Journal of Conflict Management, 21(4), 434–447. https://doi.org/10.1108/10444061011079967
Benke, M. (2023). How to Solve Conflict Situations Better with the Model of Thomas and Kilmann. Economic and Social Development Book of Proceedings, 229–238. https://www.esd-conference.com/upload/book_of_proceedings/Book_of_Proceedings_esdPorto2023_Online.pdf
Blake, R. R., and Mouton, J. S. (1994). The managerial grid (Paperback rerelease of 1964 ed). Gulf Publ.
Boonsathorn, W. (2007). Understanding conflict management styles of Thais and Americans in multinational corporations in Thailand. International Journal of Conflict Management, 18(3), 196–221. https://doi.org/10.1108/10444060710825972
Brahnam, S. D., Margavio, T. M., Hignite, M. A., Barrier, T. B., and Chin, J. M. (2005). A gender‐based categorization for conflict resolution. Journal of Management Development, 24(3), 197–208. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710510584026
Canary, D. J., Cupach, W. R., and Messman, S. J. (1997). Relationship conflict: Conflict in parent-child, friendship, and romantic relationships (Nachdr.). Sage.
Dincyurek, S., and Civelek, A. H. (2008). The determination of the conflict resolution strategies of university students that they use when they have conflicts with people. The Behavior Analyst Today, 9(3–4), 215–233. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0100660
Dominguez, D. G., Sanchez-Diaz, P. C., Fike, D. S., Ramirez, M. N., Walk, M. E., Gottlieb, H., and Parker, R. A. (2016). A Pilot Study to Examine the Conflict Handling Preferences of Health Professional Students before and after Participation in an Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) Initiative. Health & Interprofessional Practice, 3(1), eP1093. https://doi.org/10.7710/2159-1253.1093
Earley, C. P., and Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. Stanford University Press.
Friedman, R. A., Tidd, S. T., Currall, S. C., and Tsai, J. C. (2000). What Goes Around Comes Around: The Impact Of Personal Conflict Style On Work Conflict And Stress. International Journal of Conflict Management, 11(1), 32–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb022834
Garamvölgyi, J., and Rudnák, I. (2023). Exploring the Relationship between Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and Management Competencies (MC). Sustainability, 15(7), 5735. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075735
Golubeva, I. (2023). Raising Students’ Self-Awareness of Their Conflict Communication Styles: Insights from an Intercultural Telecollaboration Project. Societies, 13(10), 223. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100223
Hassan, S., Aqeel, M., and Husain, W. (2015). The Relationship between Conflict Management, Social Support among University Students. 6.
Hastings, T. J., Kavookjian, J., and Ekong, G. (2019). Associations among student conflict management style and attitudes toward empathy. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2018.09.019
Islam, N., and Rimi, N. S. (2017). Conflict Management Technique in Private Commercial Banks of Bangladesh: An Application of Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Handling Model. European Journal of Business and Management, 9, 91–99. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:168865592
Kantek, F., and Kartal, H. (2015). CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN STUDENT NURSES: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL STUDIES IN THE WORLD, 2146–7463.
Kay, A. A., and Skarlicki, D. P. (2020). Cultivating a conflict-positive workplace: How mindfulness facilitates constructive conflict management. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 159, 8–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.02.005
Kilmann, R. H., and Thomas, K. W. (1977). Developing a Forced-Choice Measure of Conflict-Handling Behavior: The ‘Mode’ Instrument. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 37(2), 309–325. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447703700204
Koley, G., and Rao, S. (2018). Adaptive Human-Agent Multi-Issue Bilateral Negotiation Using the Thomas- Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. 2018 IEEE/ACM 22nd International Symposium on Distributed Simulation and Real Time Applications (DS-RT), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/DISTRA.2018.8601002
Kovaç, E. S., and Ceyhan, E. (2022). The Conflict Resolution Styles of University Students Living in Kosovo: A Mixed-Method Study. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.13187/ejced.2022.3.914
Mahajan, V. G., and Sutar, .Sachin V. (2022). A study of conflict management styles among students. Indian Journal of Social Sciences and Literature Studies, 8(1). https://jcprpub.org/storage/media/dynamic_values/b3j_XyQ1648646764Cre9.pdf
Malik, S., Taqi, M., Martins, J. M., Mata, M. N., Pereira, J. M., and Abreu, A. (2021). Exploring the Relationship between Communication and Success of Construction Projects: The Mediating Role of Conflict. Sustainability, 13(8), 4513. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084513
Meadows, O., and Ojikutu, C. O. (2023). Managing Conflict to Increase Organizational Effectiveness. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR), 133–138. https://doi.org/10.36713/epra15126
Meier, J. D. (2024). 5 Conflict Management Styles at a Glance. Sources of Insight Unleash Your Greatest Potential. https://sourcesofinsight.com/conflict-management-styles-at-a-glance/
Németh, N., Rudnák, I., Ymeri, P., and Fogarassy, C. (2019). The Role of Cultural Factors in Sustainable Food Consumption—An Investigation of the Consumption Habits among International Students in Hungary. Sustainability, 11(11), 3052. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113052
Nischal, S. (2014). Application of Thomas Kilmann Conflict Resolution Mechanism for Conflict Management in HR of Manufacturing Sector. JCM - Journal of Commerce & Management, 3(1), 62–70. https://iisjcm.org/sites/default/files/IISJCM/2014/5.pdf
Ogunyemi, D., Fong, S., Elmore, G., Korwin, D., and Azziz, R. (2010). The Associations Between Residents’ Behavior and the Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode Instrument. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 2(1), 118–125. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-09-00048.1
Polatov, A. N., and Pavlovets, I. V. (2022). Theoretical Analysis of Conflict Management in the Perspective of Urban Society. International Journal Papier Public Review, 3(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.47667/ijppr.v3i1.135
Riasi, A., and Asadzadeh, N. (2015). The relationship between principals’ reward power and their conflict management styles based on Thomas–Kilmann conflict mode instrument. Management Science Letters, 5(6), 611–618. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2015.4.004
Rudnák, I., Alshaabani, A., and Wu, J. (2022). The Relationship between Perceived Organizational Support and the Intentions of International Students in Hungary to Stay in Hungary: The Role of Conflict Climate and Intercultural Adjustment. Sustainability, 14(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114025
Sasfy, G. Z. (2018). Konfliktuskezelés, stresszkezelés. Dialóg Campus Kiadó.
Savio, D. (2022). Emotional Intelligence and Modes of Conflict Management of Employees of Different Age Groups. Studies in Media and Communication, 10(2), 185. https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v10i2.5723
Schaubhut, N. A. (2007). Technical Brief for the Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode Instrument Description of the Updated Normative Sample and Implications for Use. CPP Research Department. https://kilmanndiagnostics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TKI_Technical_Brief.pdf
Serne, J., and Martin, D. (2020). A Gender-Based Analysis of Conflict Management Styles for Construction Management Students. 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings, 34005. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--34005
SHP. (2024). Stipendium Hungaricum Programme Operational Regulations. Stipendium Hungaricum Program. https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/documents/stipendium_hungaricum/OR/SH_OR.pdf
Sirikasemsuk, K., Leerojanaprapa, K., and Khwanpruk, K. (2024). Navigating online learning challenges and educational infrastructure in times of crisis: Insights and solutions among Thai engineering students utilizing a mixed-methods analysis. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(8), 5941. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i8.5941
Sportsman, S., and Hamilton, P. (2007). Conflict Management Styles in the Health Professions. Journal of Professional Nursing, 23(3), 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2007.01.010
Stevahn, L., and King, J. A. (2005). Managing Conflict Constructively in Program Evaluation. Evaluation, 11(4), 415–427. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356389005059384
The Myers-Briggs Company. (2024). TKI® conflict resolution model. https://eu.themyersbriggs.com/en/tools/TKI
Thomas, K. W., and Kilmann, R. H. (2012). Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode Instrument [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.1037/t02326-000
Ting-Toomey, S., Yee-Jung, K. K., Shapiro, R. B., Garcia, W., Wright, T. J., and Oetzel, J. G. (2000). Ethnic/cultural identity salience and conflict styles in four US ethnic groups. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 24(1), 47–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(99)00023-1
Volkova, M. E., and Leznina, L. V. (2023). Strategies for Modern Students’ Behavior in Conflict Situations. “Educational bulletin “Consciousness”, 11–18. https://doi.org/10.26787/nydha-2686-6846-2023-25-11-11-18
Waithaka, A. G., Moore-Austin, S., and Gitimu, P. N. (2015). Influence of conflict resolution training on conflict handling styles of college students. Research in Higher Education Journal, 28. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:146406789
Womack, D. F. (1988). Assessing the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Survey. Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 321–349. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:144741192
Wood, V., and Bell, P. (2008). Predicting Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Styles from Personality Characteristics. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 126–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.03.010
Wu, J., and Rudnák, I. (2021). Exploring the Impact of Studying abroad in Hungary on Entrepreneurial Intention among International Students. Sustainability, 13(17), 9545. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179545
Wu, J., Alshaabani, A., and Rudnák, I. (2022). Testing the Influence of Self-Efficacy and Demographic Characteristics among International Students on Entrepreneurial Intention in the Context of Hungary. Sustainability, 14(3), 1069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031069
Zahlquist, L., Hetland, J., Skogstad, A., Bakker, A. B., and Einarsen, S. V. (2019). Job Demands as Risk Factors of Exposure to Bullying at Work: The Moderating Role of Team-Level Conflict Management Climate. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2017. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02017
Zaremba, R., and Kersten, G. (2006). Effectiveness of electronic negotiation styles using the Thomas-Kilmann model. IFAC Proceedings Volumes (IFAC-PapersOnline), 9, 301–306.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd9046
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Ildikó Rudnák, András Barczi, Katinka Bajkai-Tóth, Judit Garamvölgyi
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.