Overview

In this module$$s lessons you learned that up to $42\%$ of employees' time is spent engaging in or attempting to resolve conflict and that managers, on average, spend $30$ percent of their time dealing with conflict. If$,$ as a manager, you are able to quantify the costs associated with conflict, you will have a better appreciation for the need to be proactive in identifying and attempting to prevent or resolve conflict in your organization.

This worksheet will help you understand the financial impact that conflict can have on an organization or workplace. You will be given a scenario to analyze and determine the cost of conflict or you may consider a conflict that you have personally experienced in the workplace.

Prompt:

To complete this assignment, follow these steps:

$1.$ Save a copy of this document so you can edit the worksheet steps with your responses.

$2.$ Complete this worksheet to estimate the cost of conflict in the conflict scenario below, or alternatively, you may apply the worksheet steps to an ongoing conflict in your workplace $($even if you are not involved$).$ Note: If you use a conflict example from your workplace, you will need to make assumptions on the salaries of the employees involved and any other costs as well as loss of business.

$3.$ To submit your assignment, upload a saved copy of your completed worksheet.

Conflict Scenario

The company $($$$20$ million in sales$)$ you work for is gearing up for a major retooling that will require total cooperation of all departments. You are the manager of a production facility which includes the engineering shop, machine shop, casting and fabrication, and the assembly departments. Over the course of the last two months, two supervisors, one in engineering and one in the machine shop have spent time during your weekly meetings arguing with each other and have tried to cast blame for problems in their areas on the other department. These two supervisors, who are mad at each other, also get their $(10$ member$)$ staff riled up and occasionally pranks are being played in each of the other$$s areas that have disrupted the workflow in the production facility. The two supervisors are long$-$time dependable employees with substantial knowledge of the operations. With the major retooling coming up$,$ it is difficult to consider firing and replacing these two supervisors. The retooling is expected to potentially boost production by $$1,000,000.$