Reputation in Jeopardy
Chapter 15 – Conflict and Negotiation Conflict can be defined as a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about. Chapter 15 of our textbook, Organizational Behavior, discusses the concept of conflict in great deal, as well as identifies the process of negotiation as means to resolve conflict. Many of the topics covered in the chapter have a direct implication to the case study, Reputation in Jeopardy, and can be used to both analyze and provide insight into the possible future behavior of the characters in the study. The case can be broken down into three main questions: 1. What are the main …show more content…

The conflict between the main characters in this study best aligns with the dysfunctional category of the interactionist view. Although some conflict is good for productivity, the conflict between Amber and Lydia is relationship based and therefore negatively affecting the performance of the organization. Interpersonal conflicts cause personality clashes, which may in turn compromise the ability to complete organizational tasks. Without addressing the conflict between Amber and Lydia, both Amber as an individual and Home Savings of America as a company are going to suffer. In order to break down the conflict, it can be described in the form of a process consisting of five stages. Each of these stages is also seen in the developments between Amber and Lydia, as well as between Amber and Sarah. Together, these five stages combine to form the conflict process. The first stage in the conflict process is, Potential Opposition or Incompatibility. This stage sets up a situation where conflict has the opportunity to come to pass. These opportunities for conflict have the potential to come from three different categories: communication, structure, or personal variables. Amber and Lydia’s conflict is one of communication. Only leaving messages on each other’s answering machines caused misunderstandings about each other’s intentions. Had the two characters had a better line of communication they may have been able to avoid any conflict from arising. In the case of