9-1 Final Project Submission

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Overview and Conflict Analysis

Dale Rice

21TW4

May 29, 2021

 

Overview and Conflict Analysis

Overview

According to the case study, Thomas and Kareem have interpersonal conflict and it is mainly caused by lack of or poor communication between the two and within the call centre. As a call centre manager, Thomas has set up very high standards expected from all employees irrespective of their different capabilities and personal needs. Kareem is employed at this call hub at the same time Kathy is shifted to the centre and this makes the two establish a form of friendship. Kareem is a Muslim, a religion that demands him to make a prayer five times a day and this encompasses a lot of engagements which in turn interfered with his work, and his number of phone calls went down, something that caused his termination from ABC Corporation.

Kareem understands the demands of his religion but does not inform the company about this. As a friend, she noticed that Kareem spends good time washing his hands and legs. She asks Kareem about this and when she is answered, she does not make an effort to talk to Kareem about the demands of the job and how this practice might affect his productivity in the company, instead she finds it interesting.

On the other hand, Michael noticed what Kareem does and decides to report to his supervisor, Janet. When Janet notices that Kareem spends a lot of time moving up and down, she does not talk to him about the matter but instead reports him to the centre manager, Thomas. Thomas also started to closely examine Kareem’s routine, walking around his working position every now and then and discovers that he takes so many breaks and is not performing to the expectations of the company. He decides to terminate him and when Kareem consults an attorney, conflict builds up.

 

Conflict Analysis

How self-perception influenced conflict

The way stakeholders perceive themselves influences this conflict. Thomas perceives himself as a boss who does not have time for underperforming employees and all he can do is to terminate them. He feels he is authoritative enough to terminate whoever he feels he does not meet the expectations of the company. He does not have time to talk to them and understand why they do certain things. On the other hand, Kareem perceives himself as a perfect employee who is working hard to realize the goals of the organization. When he is terminated, he is surprised and could not even try to talk to the manager and maybe address the matter. He just understands that he is right, and the termination is unjustified.

Explicit and Implicit Communication

Both explicit and explicit communication practices were used. Explicit communication includes termination of Kareem through writing, which does not give him room to explain himself, but rather act as the termination letter commands (Butchibabu et.al, 2016). The fact that there is no room for negotiation escalates the conflict. Implicit practices include close monitoring of Kareem at work. Thomas kept an eye on Kareem’s performance without any conversation. He monitored his movements just like Janet, but none of them said or wrote anything to him. This kind of communication is sometimes confusing and can be misinterpreted and this can also intensify the situation.

How to reduce the magnitude of the Battle

Some communication strategies can be used to reduce the intensity of this conflict. After defining the problem, the first strategy is both parties should understand the other party’s perspectives and concerns. When the two parties have a chance to converse, they should both use a calm voice to avoid emotional influence. Thomas should question effectively, incorporating open, closed, leading and probing questions. Both parties should be assertive during the conversation too (Putnam, 2006). Non-verbal cues that can be employed include eye contact, active listening, and good body language.

 

References

Butchibabu, A., Sparano-Huiban, C., Sonenberg, L., & Shah, J. (2016). Implicit coordination strategies for effective team communication. Human factors, 58(4), 595-610.

Putnam, L. L. (2006). Definitions and approaches to conflict and communication. The Sage handbook of conflict communication: Integrating theory, research, and practice, 1-32.

 

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