Question 6: Conflict & Stress (5 points)

Do we Need More Robots at ArCon?

Analisa and Malik sat across from one another at the conference table. They had been meeting for over 2 hours, and they still had not come to any agreement. Both knew that the stakes were high. If they didnt make the right decision, the success of ArCon could be at risk. Analisa was firmly in favour of automating more aspects of the work, and training the existing employees to operate more diverse types of robots. Malik was concerned that the installation of yet more robots would lead to job losses and that those who were left behind would be overwhelmed with the variety of robots they would need to learn to operate and the complexity of all the programming and mechanics. Analisa countered that she had read about how high levels of automation didnt lead to job losses but lead to more jobs for highly-skilled workers, and she believed their employees would not be upset and would rise to the challenge. In her mind, figuring out the optimal level of automation was about the best way to get work done at ArCon and about making sure they invested their resources in the right places. Malik was not convinced that more automation was what they needed, but he was willing to continue the discussion because he believed that they had an opportunity to make the organization better.

Note: There are 3 related questions for this incident. Please make sure that you answer all 3 questions.

A) Identify the type of conflict being experienced by Analisa and Malik, from Analisas perspective. Provide a rationale for your answer and use information from the case to support your response.

B) Identify two stressors that Malik is concerned will affect the workers at ArCon if the company increases the robotic aspect of the work. Provide a rationale for your answer and use information from the case to support your response.

C) Provide one recommendation based on the demands-resources model that could reduce employee burnout at ArCon if they choose to increase the level automation.

WORD LIMIT: 500 words (total limit for all 3 questions combined).Make sure you include a word count with your answer.