Conflict Resolution Analysis The Case of Linda Sims and...

Linda Sims in accounting and Jose Martinez in credit are having a conflict regarding the utilization of the administrative assistant in the credit department, Ruth Rankin. They both work for a production company that has experienced significant growth in the past 6 months. In order to address the conflict, it must first be determined what the actual source of the conflict is. Due to Rankin’s close proximity to accounting, she sometimes assisted with journal entries assigned by Linda. With the current growth of the company, the credit department is expected to process applications more quickly. This situation has led to Rankin being unable to assist, as often, an accounting department that is expected to process at an increased rate as†¦show more content†¦Analyzing this problem in particular shows, neither department will profit from a compromising 50/50 work arraignment. Neither department will benefit from Martinez forcing the resolution by keeping Rankin in credit because she is his subordinate. Avoiding the conflict or trying to accommodate will not solve this problem in a way that will benefit the company as a whole either. In this situation, a win-win scenario will be the most beneficial to both departments and the company as a whole. (Geraldine E. Hynes, 2011, p 230-231) The third step is to brainstorm alternatives. At this stage both Martinez and Sims should offer potential solutions. While the conversation started out adversarial in nature, both parties should now be working towards a common goal of solving the problem versus trying to out-maneuver the other. Ensuring that all ideas are voiced, criticism during this stage is not allowed and can lead to the stifling of ideas that can be built upon or spun off to new ones. Martinez and Sims should discuss the merits of hiring a new employee; evaluate the work process currently used in both departments for inefficiency and look at the option of assigning employees additional responsibilities. The fourth step is to develop criteria for a good solution. Martinez and Sims have now presented 3 possibleShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesUnderstanding Work Teams 307 Communication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Resource Policies and Practices 543 18 Organizational Change and Stress Management 577 Appendix A Research in Organizational Behavior Comprehensive Cases Indexes Glindex 637 663 616 623 Contents Preface xxii 1 1 Introduction