Causes and Types of Conflict and Resolution Strategies among Nursing Students: A Comparative Study between Two Cultures

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the causes, types, and applied conflict resolutions strategies among nursing students at Ain-Shams University in Egypt and Beirut Arab University in Lebanon. Methods: Design: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 202 Egyptian and 75 Lebanese nursing students during the academic year 2009/2010. Data collection was through a self-administered form including a questionnaire for conflict causes (Cronbach alpha coefficient =0.955) and the conflict strategies inventory (Cronbach alpha coefficient =0.829). Findings: Time pressure was the most common cause of conflict among Egyptian (42.6%) and Lebanese (42.7%) students, and the intra-person type was the most prevalent among them, 32.2% and 17.3%, respectively. Egyptians had more use of accommodating (p=0.02), collaborating (p=0.006), competing (p=0.007), and avoiding (p=0.006) strategies. The competing, compromising, and avoiding strategies had weak positive statistically significant correlations with all types of conflict in the Egyptian sample, the strongest being between compromising and inter-person type (r=0.394). Among Lebanese, a weak negative statistically significant correlation was found between competing and inter-person type (r=-0.250). Conclusion: The study provides preliminary evidence of a possible influence of culture and ethnicity on the causes and types of conflict, and the resolution strategies used. Further research is needed in this area, preferably comparing more widely different cultures. Clinical relevance: Cultural factors and ethnic differences should be considered in conflict resolution training programs, particularly in multi-ethnic communities. [Samah F. Fakhry and Nevein A. Abou El Hassan. Causes and Types of Conflict and Resolution Strategies among Nursing Students: A Comparative Study between Two Cultures. Journal of American Science 2011;7(4):808-815]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org. Keywords: conflict resolution strategies, nursing students, culture, ethnic