The Impact of Strategy on Conflict: A Cross- National Comparative Study of U.S. and Japanese firms

An empirical test of 290 U.S. and 653 Japanese managers, using the Miles and Snow typology, provides a cross-national examination of strategy's impact on conflict. Results substantially support the study's predictions and indicate that firms should: (1) monitor their conflict handling mechanisms; (2) emphasize integrative approaches; and (3) appropriately use formalization for conflict handling. Despite a convergence of management practices globally, findings indicate that considerable differences still exist between U.S. and Japanese firms.