Creating A ResilientOrganizational Culture

Abbey Research

Lesson 8 Case Study

We chose this case study because itillustrates a basic case for officeconflict to help you think throughwhat you learned about conflictmanagement in the Lesson.

Building Trust Through ManagingConflicts

© 2019, ABBEY RESEARCH.LESSON 8 CASE STUDY / PAGE 2

The Story of Shirley and AbdulWe've taken a different approach to the case study for the conflict managementlesson. Below you will find the most commonly used case study viawww.brainmass.com. We've also adapted the questions they include to suit what wecovered in the lesson.

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Shirley and Abdul both work for a software development company. The manager of thenew product division was originally the leader of the project team for which sheinterviewed and hired Abdul. Shirley, another project team member, also interviewedAbdul, but strongly opposed hiring him for the project because she thought he was notcompetent to do the job. Seven months after Abdul was hired, the manager left the project to start her owncompany and recommended that Abdul and Shirley serve as joint project leaders. Shirleyagreed reluctantly?with the stipulation that it be made clear she was not working forAbdul. The General Manager consented; Shirley and Abdul were to share theproject leadership. Within a month Shirley was angry because Abdul was representing himself to others asthe leader of the entire project and giving the impression that Shirley was working for him.Now Shirley and Abdul are meeting with you to see if you can resolve the conflictbetween them. Shirley says: "Right after the joint leadership arrangement was reached with the GeneralManager, Abdul called a meeting of the project team without even consulting me aboutthe time or content. He just told me when it was being held and said I should be there. Atthe meeting, Abdul reviewed everyone's duties line by line, including mine, treating me asjust another team member working for him. He sends out letters and signs himself asproject director, which obviously implies to others that I am working for him." Abdul says: "Shirley is all hung up with feelings of power and titles. Just becauseI sign myself as project director doesn't mean she is working for me. I don't see anythingto get excited about. What difference does it make? She is too sensitive about everything.I call a meeting and right away she thinks I'm trying to run everything. Shirley has otherthings to do?other projects to run?so she doesn't pay too much attention to this one. Shemostly lets things slide. But when I take the initiative to set up a meeting, she startsjumping up and down about how I am trying to make her work for me."

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We want you to answer these questions once you've read through this case study.Write your answers in the boxes below.

WHAT METHODS OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT WOULD YOU USE IN THIS CASE?

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CONCEPTS?

HOW COULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY AVOIDED THIS CONFLICT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

LESSON 8 CASE STUDY / PAGE 5 © 2019, ABBEY RESEARCH.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THIS CASE STUDY.