Case Study: Navigating the Computer Component Conundrum

You are employed as the office administrator at a technology company located in Sydney, Nova

Scotia. You have been selected to be part of a cross$-$functional team that has been assigned the

crucial task of selecting the hardware and software components for a new state$-$of$-$the$-$art

computer system. The new computer system will handle all aspects of company$$s operation;

from accounting, human resources, operations management to customer relationship

management.

In addition to yourself, the team includes the following members.

$1.$ Frank: Frank is introverted and tends to back down when disagreements arise in team

meetings. He typically avoids expressing any opinions. He often says, "I don't really care

which system we choose. It's not a big deal to me$."$

$2.$ Ingrid: Ingrid is a friendly and outgoing team member. She values her relationships with

colleagues and fears that conflicting opinions might harm those relationships. She often

says, "Let's go with what the majority thinks. I don't want to upset anyone."

$3.$ Greg: Greg has a reputation for being practical and open to discussing each person$$s

ideas. When conflicts arise, Greg looks for $$middle ground$.$ He often says, "Maybe we

can all meet halfway and consider everyone's preferences."

$4.$ Hank: Hank is a very vocal member of the team. He believes his ideas are superior and

often pushes for his preferred choices aggressively. Hank frequently says, $"$We should

choose the components I suggested. I have the most expertise; they are clearly the

best."

$5.$ Teresa: Teresa is a problem solver and values the best outcome for everyone. She

actively seeks input from team members and tries to integrate various viewpoints. She

often says, "Let's examine the pros and cons of each option and find a solution that

benefits all of us$."$

Discussion Questions:

$1.$ Identify the primary conflict handling style exhibited by each team member.

$2.$ What are some possible negative outcomes of each of the styles displayed?

$3.$ Which team member would your group find most difficult to work with? Why?

$4.$ Which conflict handing style does your group consider the best? Why?