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Journal Article 1: Azim, M. T. (2017). Interpersonal conflict-handling styles: An Islamic perspective. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 4, 225–234.

Abstract: This research note explores conflict-handling styles from the Islamic perspective. According to Quran and the prophetic remarks, Islam prohibits dominating style and encourages obliging style, while it considers compromising, integrating and avoiding styles as acceptable for resolving interpersonal conflict. Managers can use the knowledge of Islamic instructions in their training, mentoring and counselling to handle conflicting parties within the organization and reduce the level of dysfunctional conflicts. In the end, the note offers indications for future studies where the level of religiosity (Islamic) may be a befitting mediating variable. Also, there may be studies on the influence of Islamic values in specific areas of human interactions within the workplace.

Journal Article 2: Oetzel, J. G., & Ting-Toomey S. (2003). Face concerns in interpersonal conflict: A cross-cultural empirical test of the face negotiation theory. Communication Research, 30, 599–624.

Abstract: This study sought to test the underlying assumption of the face-negotiation theory that face is an explanatory mechanism for culture’s influence on conflict behavior. A questionnaire was administered to 768 participants in 4 national cultures (China, Germany, Japan, and the United States) asking them to describe interpersonal conflict. The major findings of this study are as follows: (a) cultural individualism-collectivism had direct and indirect effects on conflict styles, (b) independent self-construal related positively with self-face and interdependent self-construal related positively with other-face, (c) self-face related positively with dominating conflict styles and other-face related positively with avoiding and integrating styles, and (d) face accounted for all of the total variance explained (100% of 19% total explained) in dominating, most of the total variance explained in integrating (70% of 20% total explained), and some of the total variance explained in avoiding (38% of 21% total explained) when considering face concerns, cultural individualism collectivism, and self-construals.

Journal Article 3: Urjani, C. (2017). Interpreting “filler pause” in interpersonal communication: A study of situational comedy the big bang theory. Journal of Creative Communications, 12, 122–133.

Abstract: Humor as represented vis-à-vis situational comedy in general forms an important aspect of interpersonal communication. Though the reception of humor is often ascribed to personal taste, the extent to which an audience will find something humorous depends upon a multitude of factors, including benchmarks of culture and context. Regardless of the factors, it is observed that situational comedies elicit laughter through non-linguistic strategies. ‘Fillers’ mark one of the non-linguistic strategies of interpersonal communication. These have varied functions in all possible socio-cultural environments as well as in discourse construction. In addition to being universal in nature, ‘Fillers’ also facilitate the interpretation process and understanding. Using Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory (2002), the study examines the selective communication situations with their interpretation process and understanding (cognitive effects) between the characters of American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The article contends that ‘filler pause’ (termed as such in this article) used in a situational comedy have a function to play, namely, they tend to break down the formal barrier in an interpersonal communication and act as a humor trigger.