Case Study - Workplate Conflict Margaret is an experienced administration officer in "All Things Insurance>• a very large lnsuranc.e company. She has been working with the organisat ion for some 25...

Managing Conflict in the Workplace


Case Study - Workplate Conflict Margaret is an experienced administration officer in "All Things Insurance>• a very large lnsuranc.e company. She has been working with the organisat ion for some 25 years and is very capable and knowledgeable. Richard is also a very experienced administ ration officer who has had many years' experience as well, but at several different insurance companies. He has only just joined "All Things Insurance" and has been assigned to Margaret to " learn the ropes" . As Richard's mentor, Margaret has spent several hours with him, showing him how the company works and assisting him with all the processes that he needs to learn. Richard sits with Margaret, but clearly is not taking in much of what she says. When Margaret checks on him, she discovers that he has been implementing his own processes and not following the procedures that have been very clearly shown to him. Margaret has a discussion with Richard about this where he informs her that he feels that he has much better ways of doing things as he has been doing this job for" a very long time" (albeit in different organisations) and knows what he's doing. After many attempts to convince Richard that he needs to follow the procedures that are already in place - Richard just ignores her and continues to defy his mentor. Margaret tries very hard to keep her composure and not enter into a heated discussion with Richard, but is finding it increasingly difficult. What strategies should Margaret undertake to resolve this situation without it esca lating into a serious workplace conflict case? Managing Conflict in the Workplace case Study - Alison Louise is in charge of a small accounts department in a large insurance company. She had a very well functioning and happy team until the new receptionist - Alison started. Alison appeared to have a poor attitude since day 1. She is often at least 15 minutes late most mornings and usually sneaks out around 15 or so minutes early each afternoon. She doesn't seem to have a clear understanding of her duties and often leaves courier packages at her reception desk rather than delivering them to the recipients. She also regularly leaves mail sitting on her desk and expects her colleagues to come and collect their mail themselves. Initially, her colleagues put it down to her just trying to settle in and so helped her out and were particularly accommodating. One particularly busy day, Alison left at 2 pm claiming to have a Doctor' s appointment. Due to this, her colleagues had to stay back until 8 pm to complete some important work, that ordinarily Alison would have had to do. Louise is very well aware that the team is feeling resentful toward Alison and she is concerned that productivity will be affected. She wants to avoid conflict within her team at all cost. Q. How should Louise manage this situation to ensure the most effective outcome? Managing Conflict in the Workplace Case Study - Hannah Hannah works as a nursery hand in a big garden centre. She was asked to use a spray to remove weeds one day and was concerned that there was no protective clothing for her to use. She asked her colleagues if there was anything she could use, to which one replied "don't worry about it a little spray never ki lled anyone". Hannah felt very uncomfortable about this as she knew that some powerful weed sprays could in fact harm you if it accidentally is sprayed in the eyes or on bare skin . She also knew that she needed to do something about it. She checked the WHS procedure manual and found information stipulating that protective clothing must be worn at all times when using any kind of chemicals. She went straight to her Manager - Rob, and told him that she wasn't prepared to risk injury and so refused to use the spray. Hannah's actions angered both her manager and colleagues, because it meant that everyone now was obligated to follow very strict WHS procedures. This was seen by most as a waste of time and an inconvenience, and resulted in resentment toward Hannah. Q. How could this issue have been managed to ensure a positive outcome, without creating the possibility for conflict amongst the team? Managing Conflict in the Workplace Case Study - Petra Petra has always been a reliable and conscientious member of staff. She always completes her tasks in a professional manner and always meets deadlines. In recent weeks Petra's manager Greg has noticed a change in her attitude. She has become irritable and abrupt with other team members and generally difficult to get along with. Her work performance has also slipped to the point where she is not completing her tasks adequately. Greg recognises that there is indeed a problem and feels that he must get to the bottom of it as soon as possible, before a major conflict arises amongst his team. Q. How should Greg approach this situation?