Read the following scenario.

Raheel and Veronica both worked at the same level in the sales department of Keen Machine, a large importer of motorcycles that held the sole rights to sell one of the leading Japanese brands in Europe. They each managed a team of salespeople responsible for a different geographical area. Although the teams operated independently of each other, they shared the services of two female administrators who dealt with orders, invoicing, etc. The administrators also carried out typing and other administrative work for Raheel and Veronica. This work was done by whoever was available at a particular time.

Every year, all the salespeople had to undergo performance appraisals, which were performed by their manager (either Raheel or Veronica). However, the two administrators had been excluded from this process and the sales director decided that they also should be appraised as well and, to be fair to both, by the same person (either Raheel or Veronica).

Raheel’s sales team had faced some difficulties on their territory recently and Raheel was having to work hard to recoup their previous good performance. The sales director, not wanting to distract Raheel from this task, asked Veronica to carry out the administrative staff appraisals. Up to this time, Raheel had always had a good relationship with both administrators and had no complaint about their work for him. However, recently he began to notice that, if both he and Veronica gave work to the administrators at the same time, Veronica’s work seemed to get done first – this was in spite of the fact that he had always thought he had a better relationship with them than Veronica.

He complained to the administrators, who both declared they did not show any ‘favouritism’ to either himself or Veronica. He was still not satisfied, but could think of no reason why their behaviour towards him should have changed.

Attempt to explain this situation using concepts and ideas related to issues of power and conflict.