Managing Conflict, Power, and Politics

REQUIRED READING:

Jones, Gareth R. (2010). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change (6th Ed). Pearson Prentice Hall, Boston, MA. ISBN: 978-013-608731-1

CHAPTERS 10 and 11

CASE STUDY:

1. The Benson Metal Company employs about 1,500 people, is listed on the stock exchange, and has been in existence for many decades. Go to pages 500-503, CASE 14 Ramrod Stockwell (by Charles Perrow), and analyze this case. In an essay of at least 500 words, explain the case, the problems, the positives, and give your own conclusions on what should be done at Benson Metal Company in your opinion. Do some outside research on the problems you find within this company and provide at least three (3) resource citations to back up your opinions and solutions.

ESSAYS:

2. Why and under what conditions can conflict be good or bad for an organization? Would you expect a higher level of conflict in a mechanistic or an organic structure? Explain.

3. Using power to play organizations politics can improve the quality of decision makingis one argument. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your conclusions after explaining organizational power and the reasons for using power.

4. EXERCISE: Go to the Internet and find information on the power struggles and the corporate greed uncovered at WorldCom. Was politics going on? Control? Conflict? Innovation? See Figure 14.2 Organizational Insight on page 404 as a basis of your essay.

EXERCISE: You have been appointed to manage a large R&D laboratory in drug testing for their new cardiac medical invention. You find a high level of conflict between four scientists in the unit who remain divided on how to get to the goals. Right now, an old set of goals used for medical drugs has been used but arguments break out. (a) Why might this conflict be arising? (b) How will you try to resolve it?