Touchstone 2: Managing Organizational Conflict
It is difficult to know how to handle organizational conflict. When you hear the word “conflict,” you might think about people arguing and creating an unpleasant work environment. However, sometimes conflict can be healthy when it comes from recognizing disagreement and differences as symptoms of a deeper organizational problem that can be addressed. A degree of conflict is vital to group success in order to avoid groupthink and to generate more innovative ideas among members of a group, who may have diverse opinions and points of view.
Review the case study below and apply your learning to answer the questions for this assignment.
SCENARIO: An insurance company executive and her managers have been challenged by their company to increase the productivity of their 100 customer service associates. The associates are very diverse in all respects, including cultural background and languages spoken. The executive observes associates mingling during work hours and is concerned they are under-performing as a result. She makes a unilateral decision to have associates log their time on each call so they are more accountable for their time. Associates complain that this new tracking system takes time from their schedule, making them less productive. After a few months, morale and productivity are lower, and tensions are high due to the tracking system. The insurance executive hires you as an independent management consultant to analyze the situation and recommend solutions, including helping the stakeholders decide if the tracking system should remain in place. Note that it is not your job to make this decision but to facilitate an agreement supported by all or most of the organization.
ASSIGNMENT: Use the best practices for managing and moderating conflict in the workplace that you’ve learned in Unit 2 to address this scenario. The insurance executive has hired you as an independent management consultant to analyze the situation and recommend solutions, including whether the tracking system should remain in place.
Download the submission template below, which further breaks down the steps involved in this assignment. You will return the completed template as your Touchstone submission.
Touchstone 2 Template
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. Assignment Questions
Step 1: Download Template
Download the Touchstone 2 Template.
Step 2: Answer Questions
Using the template, answer the following questions in 5-7 sentences each. You will return the completed template as your Touchstone submission.
What decision-making approach will you recommend the executive take for achieving the best decision on whether to keep this tracking system in place and for obtaining cooperation from the customer service associates? Why do you think this method is best? (See tutorial Building Consensus).
You recommend that the executive and managers meet with their customer service associates to better connect with them and create empathy as a key step toward resolving the conflict. What advice would you give to the executives and managers to facilitate such a meeting? What advice would you give to customer service associates? (See tutorials Listening, Business Meetings, and Managing Conflict)
To accommodate their customers, the company employs a number of native speakers of Spanish, Russian, and other languages. In your recommendation about this tracking system issue, how will you ensure the meeting feels inclusive and equitable to these staff members? (See tutorials Advantages and Challenges of Diversity and Inclusion, and Strategies for Inclusive Communication)
Can you identify how this organization’s conflict might result in improvements to its internal processes and productivity? Can you explain some possible benefits of such improvements to the larger organization? (See tutorials Managing Conflict and Building Consensus)
Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable Needs Improvement Non-Performance
Question 1 (5 points)
Describes a decision making process to determine if this time-tracking process should continue.
Describes and justifies a decision making process that is aligned with the tutorials on building goodwill and applied to the scenario. Describes and justifies a decision making process that is either aligned with the tutorials on building goodwill or applied to the scenario but not both. Recommends a decision making process that is only loosely connected to the scenario or the tutorials. Response contradicts the tutorials or the scenario or is not clearly written due to grammatical errors. Does not recommend a decision making process. Response may be off-topic or absent.
Question 2 (5 points)
Gives clear advice to executives, managers, and associates on how to have an effective meeting.
Gives advice to each of the specific groups named in the scenario, advice is aligned with the tutorials on professional communication and ethics in business communication. Either gives advice to each of the specific groups named in the scenario, or advice is aligned with the tutorials on professional communication and ethics in business communication, but not both. Gives advice that is only loosely connected to the scenario or the tutorials. Response contradicts the tutorials or the scenario or is not clearly written due to grammatical errors. Does not recommend a decision making process. Response may be off-topic or absent.
Question 3 (5 points)
Gives specific recommendations to make a meeting inclusive and equitable.
Gives advice that is aligned with the tutorials on communication in a diverse workplace and applied to the specific details of the scenario. Gives advice that is either aligned with the tutorials on communication in a diverse workplace and applied to the specific details of the scenario but not both. Makes suggestions that are only loosely connected to the scenario or the tutorials. Response contradicts the tutorials or the scenario, or is not clearly written due to grammatical errors. Does not recommend a decision making process. Response may be off-topic or absent.
Question 4 (5 points)
Demonstrates how mediating conflict can lead to improved processes and outcomes.
Suggestions for how mediating conflict can improve processes and outcomes are aligned with the tutorials on building goodwill and the scenario. Specific solutions are not required. Suggestions for how mediating conflict can improve processes and outcomes are aligned with the tutorials on building goodwill or the scenario but not both. Specific solutions are not required. Has commentary that is only loosely connected to the tutorials or the scenario. Response contradicts the tutorials or the scenario or is not clearly written due to grammatical errors. Does not recommend a decision making process. Response may be off-topic or absent.
Question 5 (5 points)
Submission follows conventions for standard written English and meets formatting and length requirements.
There are almost no errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization; all length and formatting requirements are met. There are minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that do not impede readability; length and formatting requirements are nearly met. There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that somewhat impede readability; length and formatting requirements are nearly met. There are consistent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that significantly impede readability; length and formatting requirements are not nearly met. Submission does not meet the minimum threshold for points to be awarded.
C. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Each question response should be between 5-7 sentences or 150-200 words.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name and the date.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file. Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
