Negotiations & conflict management lesson 2

You are the customer service manager for Catco International a manufacturer and online retailer of pet related products. The company has been in business for 25 years and you were brought in ten years ago to supervise the increasing staff size due to online sales. When you were hired there were two customer service representatives. Currently there are 10 customer service representatives that are your direct reports. Four of which were recent hires within the last year. In a 2000 word essay you will discuss how you will resolve potential conflict by applying effective conflict management, communication and influence techniques to this scenario. 

Marge has been with the company since it started 25 years ago. Prior to that she worked in customer service as a cashier for fifteen years at a local grocery store. She helped to create most of the customer service procedures and strictly adheres to them and expects everyone else to do the same. She has very conservative values and is very opinionated and readily shares her religious beliefs with others. She has been asked to take over the training of Jamie a new hire. 

Jamie was hired two weeks ago. This is her first job since completing her Associates Degree. Like most millennials, she is very tech savvy. She is a vegan. She is also very liberal on social issues. 

Steve is also a recent hire, having only been with the company for six months. Although he is new to the company, he has been in customer service for 10 years and was lured away from a competitor. He has been in a committed same sex relationship with his partner for five years. He is open about his orientation with family and friends but has been guarded with his new co-workers. 

Cindy was one of your first hires ten years ago. She is a competent customer service representative that has always had good reviews but recently her attendance has been a problem due to child care issues. Recently divorced, she is now a single parent with twin toddlers. 

Bill and Ted are Generation X’ers that were hired eight years ago. Both are adequate performance wise but are the last to come in and the first to leave every day. Both tend to wait until the last minute to complete tasks. They are usually inseparable both at work and in their social life. Bill was recently married while Ted has never had a long-term relationship. Recently, Ted has been spotted afterhours with Ashlee. 

Wendy has been with the company for twelve years and has gotten the reputation for being a whiner. She is always complaining about work issues and people issues. Her work is good, just not her negative attitude. 

Ashlee is a go-getter that you hired five years ago right out of college. She is always looking for ways to improve office procedures. She has excellent performance ratings and would make an excellent assistant manager. Ashlee trained Jamie while Marge was on vacation. 

Mike has been working for the company for two months. He is Marge’s nephew and she talked to the owner to help him get the job right out of high school. So far, he has been a good worker. He is an avid outdoorsman and asked for deer hunting season off. 

Rodrigo was hired four months ago although he is originally from Mexico, he and his family recently became US citizens. He is in his late forties and has two teenage daughters with his wife of twenty-five years. Prior to working for Catco International, he worked in middle management for a multinational firm for many years and recently lost his position due to downsizing. 

Identify at least five potential sources of conflict. Give specific details about the individuals involved and the sources of the conflict. Classify the type of conflict. 

Compare both the advantages and disadvantages of conflict management techniques as applied to each conflict scenario. 

Make at least two recommendations to help with conflict resolution in each scenario by applying conflict management, communication and influence techniques.