Self-construal, face concerns, and conflict management strategies: A meta-analysis

The conflict management strategies that people use are largely determined by people’s cultural characteristics. However, available studies on the matter yield inconsistent findings. This meta-analysis zooms in on the relationship between self-construal and conflict management and assesses the mediating role of face concerns. Two hundred fifty-four effect sizes based on thirty-three studies were pooled in this meta-analysis. We found that individuals with stronger independent self-construal and stronger self-face concerns were more likely to use forcing. Moreover, the relationship between independent self-construal and forcing was mediated by self-face concerns. Individuals with a stronger interdependent self-construal and individuals with stronger other-face concerns were more likely to use problem-solving and yielding. The relationship between interdependent self-construal and problem-solving and yielding was mediated by other-face concerns. Finally, interdependent self-construal also had an indirect effect, via other-face concern, on avoiding and compromising. These findings are in line with the assumptions of the Face Negotiation Theory.