African American and European American women in the workplace: Perceptions of conflict communication

This investigation combined qualitative and quantitative analyses to examine African American and European American women's perceptions of workplace conflict. Findings indicated that European American women are seen by others as more conflict avoidant than African American women. Professional women of both races see themselves and others of their own race as choosing to reduce conflict in the workplace. However, this perception is not shared by those of the other race. Further, some evidence suggests that African American professional women see directness as a means of conflict reduction, whereas European American professional women believe less direct approaches reduce workplace conflict.