Informal Conflict Resolution: A Workplace Case Study

Grace was a new copy editor hired by a well-known publishing company in New York. She aspired to be a well-known editor and tried to prove her talent and ability to the company. Grace was placed in a team consisting of several employees. Among them was Jim, a senior editor who was very good at his job. She felt that she had made the right decision to join the company. She was so happy and comfortable working with her seniors in the team. Grace and her teammates were also close and often went out together after work.

However, the joy was short-lived. After several months of working there, the team organized a party after work at a restaurant. All members of the team were very happy at the party. When it was time to go home, Jim hailed a taxi and offered to share it with Grace. Without hesitating, she accepted Jims offer because she had known Jim tor several months and thought there was no harm. On the other hand, Jim was attracted to Grace since her first day of work. Thus, he thought that that was the best opportunity to make his attraction towards Grace known. While in the taxi, Jim tried to get close to Grace and hugged her. Shocked by Jim's actions, Grace pushed him away and insisted to be let out of the taxi. She hurriedly flagged down another taxi and went home, leaving Jim behind. Horrified, it was then that Jim realized what he had done.

Grace was distressed by what had happened in the taxi. Was it something she had said or done? Was what had happened her fault? The next day at work, she did not know how to face Jim. Should she act like nothing had happened? This felt near impossible. Nevertheless, Grace tried to act normally. The moment Jim got into the office, he immediately went to Grace's work cubicle and apologized for his behaviour the night before. Grace felt so relieved! She was determined to forget the untoward incident in the taxi and continue with work with a renewed focus.

After that day, however, Jim continued to apologize to Grace every time he bumped into her. He could not shake off his regret. This eventually made Grace uncomfortable, and she told Jim to stop apologizing as she had already forgotten the whole incident. Jim ignored her request, thus making Grace increasingly depressed. This caused Grace to share what had happened between Jim and herself with one of their teammates. As a result, some of the team members lost their respect to Jim and he became aware of these changes. Since then, Jim seemed to be avoided by other female colleagues.

Grace gradually decided to start fresh elsewhere; she accepted an offer from another company and left her job. However, she did not feel as happy working at the new place because she felt the tasks given were not challenging. Grace soon regretted her decision of not trying harder to resolve the conflict she had with Jim. In an effort to solve her dilemma, Grace decided to consult a counsellor.

CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What should Grace have done instead, before quitting her job?
2. Based on the case, discuss the effects of conflict on the parties involved.
3. What types of conflict resolution behaviour shown by Grace and Jim?
4. Discuss the negotiation process. Provide an example for each step of the process.