Conflict Management Assignment:
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Executive Summary:
This report looked at the case study about conflict management and gender discrimination at workplace. It started with listing down the issues. Post that, this report looked at the issues in detail and what the company could have done to solve them. Finally based on case insights, this report provided recommendations and concluded with a summarization and thought for readers.
Table of Contents:
S.No.
Topic
Page No.
1
Introduction
4-5
2
Problem Statement
6
3
Case Analysis
7-8
4
Recommendations
9
5
Conclusion
10
6
References
11
Introduction:
The case in picture is about conflict management and workplace discrimination. Before giving a brief about the case, it is important to understand these two aspects. When we talk about conflict management, especially at the workplace, we imply a process which resolves conflicts through different ways. This is one of the most critical parts of management because if done successfully, it can lead to more efficiency, more team spirit and better outcomes but if it is not done properly, it can lead to disgruntled employees, a toxic culture and an inefficient team.Similarly,when we talk about workplace discrimination, we talk about discrimination based on different aspects such as gender,race,place,educational background etc. Workplace discrimination can lead to efficient employees leaving the organization, legal and cultural troubles for the organization and a culture of favoritism.
The case in the picture is about a manager who works at a game development company. This person loves her job and works with utmost dedication. She had been working in this organization for quite some time, but recently she has started to face some serious issues. She had been assigned fewer exciting projects until recently where she was handed an exciting and potentially game changing project. However, despite her best efforts, she has received no positive feedback from her colleagues, on the contrary, she has been on the receiving end of some negative feedback from her colleagues, however what has hit her the most is the underlying gender discrimination. She believes that she has been discriminated against in subtle ways because of her gender. What has escalated the issue is the avoidance by her manager who has assigned the revamp of her project to another manager without telling her. Now, she is feeling that conflict is being avoided and she is being discriminated against and as such is having second thoughts about staying at this organization.
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Problem Statement:
The first problem or issue in this case is that instead of managing the conflict in a professional way,Samuel,the leader has avoided the conflict which has led to conflict now more likely to become a major issue.
The second issue is that of subtle workplace discrimination based on gender which has led to one of the most hard-working employees having second thoughts about staying at the firm.
The problems here are impacted by a lack of professional conflict management approach where instead of solving the conflict, the leader here is avoiding the conflict altogether, the lack of communication showcases extremely poor management from top leadership.
Case Analysis: Analysis of Issues:
The first important aspect we look at is the conflict process model, wherein when we look at the sources of conflict, we see two major sources of conflict, first is the subtle gender discrimination and second is the lack of communication, especially from leadership level. These two sources have generated negative emotions in the mind of manager in question who clearly feels betrayed by the organization, however the third part of this model discusses about conflict handling which is not done here properly, in fact it would be fair to say that there have been no efforts to acknowledge and manage the conflict which has only led to negative outcomes.
These sources of conflict could have been managed by using clear communication, a communication which should have been honest and transparent, so that it would have not left the manager in question searching for answers herself. Clear communication would have cleared any differences and this conflict would have looked like a task-based conflict where there was difference of opinions based on how to perceive the work but there were no efforts made to manage the conflict and as such it is now looking like a relationship level conflict where there are interpersonal differences.
What is bizarre is the handling of conflict by different parties at such a level where Samuel avoided the conflict management style while the manager in question went for a competing style of conflict handling where she assumed certain things and was ready to entertain thoughts of quitting her job. Other colleagues of manager in question also used avoiding style of conflict handling wherein they did not try to manage conflict in any way. These approaches were possibly the worst approaches to handle the conflict as the whole situation demanded a collaborating style of conflict handling which would have led to a more positive outcome for everyone involved.
Now this whole situation could have been handled by an outside consultant who could have used a collaborating conflict handling style to bring everyone on the same page. An alternative for same could have been negotiations where in the negotiation process each party would have put forth their points and could have asked for a fair distribution of projects and incentives, however all these interventions could have been avoided had company followed a better model of conflict management and leadership could have communicated any issues at the earliest to the manager in question.(Understanding conflict handling styles 2022)
Recommendations:
We have identified the two main issues as well as have looked in depth about the failure to implement the right conflict handling style. Now based on the above points, there are three recommendations which would be helpful for the organization.
The first recommendation would be to have a proper communication channel as gaps in communication could lead to situations which could escalate to major issues. The second recommendation would be to have a collaborative approach wherein people are not competing in a negative way, rather they are working towards a common goal. The third recommendation would be clear the air about workplace discrimination and create guidelines which discourages subtle discrimination as well.
In terms of an action plan, a company can start with creating a calendar which has specific meetings for discussing conflicts, post this company can create a team which has representation from different quarters which can take up and solve employees’ issues. Finally, the company can create a manual which is detailed and includes all major points.
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Conclusion:
We looked at a case which showcased how there are issues with respect to conflict management, issues which should have been sorted at earliest but are allowed to go on. The fact that leadership in this case decided to not even acknowledge the presence of conflict is bizarre.
We further looked at conflict management model and understood sources of conflict and how these issues could have been sorted,
Finally, we provided three recommendations for the company which could help them in this case.
This case served as an interesting reminder of what is wrong with our organizations, wherein we do not see conflicts as a way to move forward and correct our shortcomings, rather we altogether avoid it and let these issues grow into a major problem.
References:
Ferrazzi, K. (n.d.). Managing conflicts. HBR. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://hbr.org/topic/subject/managing-conflicts
Understanding conflict handling styles. University of Texas System. (2022, May 6). Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.utsystem.edu/offices/human-resources/current-employees/manager-resources/employee-relations/understanding-conflict-handling-styles
Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to provide students
with an opportunity to apply the course knowledge and concepts
of organizational behavior to an assigned case study. Students
will explore the case and organizational behavior concepts by
answering critical thinking questions and by preparing a report
of their findings.
