Implications of national culture for conflict resolution and team learning: Observations from a comparrative case study

The problem and the solution. The pattern of Spanish national culture in terms of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity leads to a strong orientation toward rules and deference to leadership. Group harmony as validation of the individual is a strong value inhibiting open disagreement and generative conflict. Leaders play a central role in framing norms that support both the collective identity of the group and task accomplishment, create task designs that honor interdependence, and balance the need for saving face with open discussion and productive disagreement. Initially, these issues can be constructively resolved through informal networks.