Module 3 – Case
Power and Conflict
Case Assignment
For this case study we will be looking at a fictional case of a manager caught between a rock and hard place. Nick Cunningham is a manager at Synergon a high powered company involved in purchasing poorly managed companies and then restructuring them to become more profitable. However Synergon has now purchased Beauchamp Becker and Company which is a well-managed and highly profitable company.
Nick is in an awkward position because he is in charge of managing this merger but he also knows that the success of the merger is dependent on Beauchamps managing director and other top leaders remaining in their positions and continuing their solid work. However Nicks bosses are not known for taking a conciliatory approach towards companies they purchase and usually force major changes on any company that they acquire. Predictably Nick is faced with a threat of retirement by Beauchamps managing director Julian Mansfield due to Synergons strict policies and approach.
Before beginning the Case Assignment make sure you have thoroughly reviewed the tutorial and textbook readings from the background materials. Pay special attention to readings on causes of conflict types of conflict and conflict management styles. For this assignment you will need to apply concepts from the background materials to this fictional case.
Once you have finished reviewing the background materials take a look at this following article and think about how the concepts from the background materials apply to this fictional case:
Cliffe S. (1999). Can This Merger Be Saved? Harvard Business Review 77(1) 28-44. [EbscoHost]
Then write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following questions:
Assignment Expectations
Module 3 – SLP
Power and Conflict
For the Module 3 SLP you will be applying the concepts you learned in the background materials regarding conflict and negotiation to a situation from your own personal experiences. Carefully review the background materials regarding types of conflict causes of conflict negotiation stages and conflict management styles. It is important to first understand these comments from the background readings before starting this assignment.
Once you have thoroughly reviewed the background materials think of a situation in the workplace where a conflict erupted and management had to intervene and some type of negotiation was involved. Then write a three page paper addressing the following four questions and make sure to cite at least one of the required background readings for each of your four answers :
SLP Assignment Expectations
Required Material
Conflict and negotiation. (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions. New York NY.
Luthans F. Luthans K. W. & Luthans B. C. (2015). Chapter 9: Stress and conflict. Organizational Behavior : An Evidence-based Approach. Charlotte North Carolina: Information Age Publishing pp. 258-264 [EBSCO. Note: you dont have to read the whole chapter just the second part on organizational conflict]
Sims R. (2002). Chapter 10 Conflict and negotiation at work. Managing Organizational Behavior. Greenwood Press Westport CT [eBook Academic Collection]
Shearouse S. H. (2011). Chapter 5: How we respond: Approaches to conflict. Conflict 101: A Manager’s Guide to Resolving Problems So Everyone Can Get Back to Work. New York: AMACOM. [eBook Business Collection]