You do not have to look very hard to see that conflict is everywhere these days and, the likelihood of workplace conflict is high.
Americans celebrate the Fourth of July and because of the events of 2020, more and more are celebrating Emancipation Day. The French celebrate Bastille Day. Argentinians celebrate El Carnaval del Pais. All over the world, different countries and different cultures engage in different holidays, customs, cultural practices, religions, and more. These differences make up our diverse world, but also create culture conflict. (modified from the lecture by Jessica Schubert)
A cultural conflict is a dislike, hostility, or struggle between communities who have different philosophies and ways of living, resulting in contradictory aspirations and behaviors. … For a conflict to occur, there must be a direct interaction between at least two different cultures. (Wikipedia)
Managers constantly battle conflicts, large and small, so it’s not a matter of whether they can be avoided or mitigated; the real undertaking is how workplace conflict is dealt with.
As our workplaces become more diverse, you can expect more issues and conflicts to occur as a result. Therefore, workplace culture is key.