Though there are a miriad of communication theories to help us deal with our differences and develop ICC we will limit our focus to Stella Ting-Toomey's Face Negotiation Theory and extensions thereof proposed by John Oetzel. See bibliography. Though many of the studies done by Oetzel and associates focus on the differences between cultures in the more traditional sense, I urge you to consider a broader definition of "intercultural" communication, one that includes communication between those of different genders (power distance) and personalities (self-construals). Culture is just one aspect of the bigger picture, and since building bridges is the ultimate goal, all construction designs and sizes should be considered.

On our journey toward enlightenment we will start with understanding the following aspects of one's interaction style and conflict management preference:

• Cultural Individualism vs. Collectivism (Cultural I/C)
• Independent vs. Interdependent Self-Construal
• Power Distance and Group Composition