Overview
Week 3 Case Study DISCUSSION INSTRUCTIONS:
This week, you will be working in small groups to apply what you learned in class by examining a case study using conflict resolution techniques. You will be required to complete a series of required tasks with hard deadlines to earn credit. Group participation will go on without the instructor’s intervention.
- By Thursday submit your individual answer responding to questions posed (minimum 350 words, evidence of textbook and additional scholarly used). Please note that due to the engaged nature of this assignment and a requirement of individual accountability to the group, late posts do not earn any credit (regardless of circumstances).
- I have placed you in a small group (1, 2, 3, or 4). Your group number corresponds with your case study. Please do not answer a different case study other than the one assigned to your group.
- By Saturday/Sunday reply to two group members (each response should be at least 200 words). A strong peer reply will acknowledge and further extend on what the classmates shared, add new ideas fully supported by communication research (i.e., scholarly sources), and ask open-ended meaningful questions to extend conversations further.
- By Sunday post a final reflection, addressing questions posed in the instructions. (Minimum 350 words, evidence of scholarly research and peer responses integration).
- By Sunday post a final reflection on this exercise. What have you learned about the case study? What have you learned from your teammates about various ways in which one conflict may be resolved? What will you take away from this discussion? ( Post 4; minimum 350 words, incorporate scholarly support and cite specific peer contributions and reflections).
Case Study for Group #4
You are a member of a new product development team in a Fortune 500 firm. Management has put a lot of pressure on the team to be innovative (after all, it is part of the company vision published for shareholders and others to see), but all that ever seems to happen at the team meetings is a lot of yelling, name-calling, fighting, put-downs, and arguing. The marketing folks believe the engineers do not truly understand what the customer wants. The manufacturing folks are upset that they are never asked whether the product can be manufactured and maintained relatively easy – until after the product is designed and accepted by the management. Then, there are the finance folks; all they ever seem to care about is the bottom line. Will we ever be able to complete our task? Is it even possible to be innovative when no one seems to value what anyone lese has to say?
- What is your immediate reaction to the scenario? How would you feel if you were a member of the team writing about this situation?
- How could this situation have been avoided?
- What approaches to resolving this conflict are appropriate? Choose one or more of the 5 approaches in Chapter 11.
- What are some things that, if done, would make this approach successful?
- What are some things to avoid when attempting to resolve this conflict? Why?