Conflicts in the team and cultural differences

Conflicts in the team and cultural differences

“People forget what you said, but they never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

You know that feeling when you look at a team and think, “Something is wrong here, but I don’t know what”? The atmosphere is seemingly correct, no one is throwing papers, and yet communication falls apart, frustration builds up, efficiency drops. Conflicts in the team do not always explode with a bang, sometimes they smolder quietly, under the surface, poisoning daily cooperation.

Sometimes the cause is not at all personality, laziness or bad will. Sometimes it’s just. cultural differences that no one on the team has ever talked about. In this article, I’ll show you how culture (communication style, approach to hierarchy, team role, etc.) can provoke conflicts in a team, but most importantly, what you can do about it as a Leader.

Conflicts in the team do not come out of nowhere

According to a Gallup (2023) study, only 32% of global employees believe their team is working effectively and cohesively. The rest? More or less hidden chaos, misunderstandings, micro-tensions. These are not necessarily open arguments. Sometimes it’s unspoken expectations, avoidance of conversations, mutual “resentment” over the way they communicate.
And this is where cultural differences enter the scene. Because, despite appearances, your team is not only made up of people from different countries, but also from different “work cultures” – e.g. collective vs. individual, direct vs. indirect, hierarchical vs. partnership.

Communication: directness vs. indirectness

Let’s start with communication. In direct cultures (e.g., Germany, USA, Poland), what matters is clarity, concreteness, “tell it like it is.” Feedback is given openly, decisions are made quickly. In indirect cultures, on the other hand (e.g., India, Japan, Arab countries), context, rapport, tone of speech are more important. The idea is not to say everything directly, but to keep the harmony intact.

The effect? A person from a direct culture may perceive a co-worker from an indirect culture as “unconcrete” or even “insincere.” The latter, in turn, may perceive the literalness as lack of tact or aggression. Conflict ready – even though no one had bad intentions.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

In individual cultures (e.g., USA, Australia, Scandinavia), self-reliance, initiative and personal achievement are valued. In collective cultures (e.g., Japan, Mexico, Turkey), group, team, consensus is more important. Standing out can be seen as a threat to harmony. Therefore, individual praise can work the opposite of what you assume. Instead of motivating, it shames or sets the person in opposition to the rest of the group. Conflict won’t arise immediately, but builds up quietly.

Power distance and the role of the Leader

Is a Leader a “first among equals” or an unquestioned authority? It depends on the culture. In cultures with a low distance to authority (e.g. Denmark, the Netherlands), there is an expectation of a partnership, consulting on decisions. In high-distance cultures (e.g. Russia, China), the leader is expected to make decisions and not “lose face.”
If the team consists of people from different models, for example, open discussion may be perceived as chaos or undermining authority. On the other hand, overly formal management can be interpreted as distance and mistrust.

Conflicting work styles: task vs. relationship

Some prefer to start with a goal, set KPIs, let’s go! Others: let’s have coffee first, talk, get to know each other, and only then plan.
Task-oriented (task-oriented) cultures focus on efficiency and outcome. Relational (relationship-oriented) cultures focus on building trust. If you don’t understand this difference as a Leader, you may misread people’s intentions and provoke conflicts within the team.

How can you as a Leader do better?

Instead of assuming that “someone is difficult,” assume that they may be acting according to their cultural style. Here are some practical steps:

1. Identify styles within the team: you can use models (e.g., Erin Meyer, Hofstede) or just talk.
2. Name the differences: openly, but without judgment. “I have noticed that some of us like to discuss, others prefer to think first. It’s OK, how do you combine the two?”
3. Create rules for communication: e.g., everyone has time to speak, we allow questions, we do not interrupt.
4. Build micro-trust: small gestures, interest, appreciation.
5. Don’t judge hastily: cultural norms, not bad intentions, may be behind emotions and styles.

Conflicts in the team are sometimes just a misinterpretation of intentions

In a diverse team, it’s not about making everyone the same. It’s about understanding where someone is coming from with a particular attitude or style.

As Fons Trompenaars wrote: “Differences need not divide. They can build – if we know how to read them.”
If you are a Leader, you have a say in how cultural differences will work in your team: as an igniter of conflict, or as a source of synergy. Because you know what: more often than not, it’s not “someone” that sparks. What sparks is style. And style can be understood. And on that understanding, build a team that works together – not in spite of the differences, but because of them.