This inquiry centered on the relationships between host national (host interpersonal communication) and home national (ethnic interpersonal communication) involvements and preferences for conflict management styles in the context of a conflict with a member of the host culture. Two hypotheses that explored the relationships between these variables and the preferences for the integrating, the compromising, the avoiding, the obliging and the dominating styles were presented. Survey data from two hundred and sixty-nine, international and exchange, students were explored. The results disclosed that the level of host national involvement positively forecasted the preferences for the integrating and the obliging styles, and the level of home national involvement positively forecasted the preference for the avoiding style. These findings propose the need to consider contextual influences in understanding the complexities that underlie intercultural communication and adaptation.