COMMERCE DEPARTMENT

DEC 2015

PB 603: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

CHAPTER 7: CONFLICT AND NEGOTIATION

CASE STUDY 2 (PLO1, CLO2) : BILL OMALLEY SAYS NO

WAY

Marx Sawyer is supervisor of an eight-member cost-accounting department in a

large sheet-metal fabricating plant in the outer western suburbs of Sydney. He was
promoted about six month ago to his supervisory position after only a year as an
accountant, largely because his education he has an MBA, whereas no one else in
the department has a university degree. The transition to supervisor went
smoothly, and there were hardly any problem until this morning.

The need for another cost accountant in the office had been obvious to Mark
for over a month. Overtime had become commonplace and was putting a strain an
department employees, as well as the departments budget (overtime was both at
time-and-a-half and at double-time). Mark had his eye on one particular employee
in production control who he thought would fit his needs quite well. He had talked
with the production control supervisor and the personnel manager, and the three
had agreed that a young Aboriginal clerk in production named Jim, might be a good
candidate to move into cost accounting and help with the increased departmental
work load. Jim had been with the company for eight months, shown above-average
potential, and needed only six more units to complete his Bachelor of Business
degree (with a major in accounting) that he was completing externally at Charles
Sturt Univeriity (Mitchell).

Mark had discussed the cost-accounting position with Jim earlier in the week,
and Jim had been enthusiastic. Mark had said that, while he could make no
promises, he thought that he would recommend Jim for the job. However, Mark
emphasized that it would be a week or so before the final decision was made and
the announcement made official.

When Mark came into his office this morning, he was confronted by Bill
OMalley, a 58-year-old cost accountant who had been at the plant since its
opening over 24 years ago. Bill, born and raised in a small town in the far-west
near Broken Hill, had heard the rumour that Jim would be coming to work in the
cost department. Bill did not mince his words: I have never worked with an
Aboriginal and I never will. Bills face was red, and it was obvious that this was an
emotionally charge issue for him. His short, one-way confrontation closed with the
statement: I have no intention o working in the same department with that black
fellow!
QUESTIONS

1. What is the source of this conflict?

2. Assume that you were Mark. What conflict-handling orientation would you
use? Why?
3. How would external factors like social attitudes and Human Rights legislation
influence your choice of conflict handling orientations?

INSTRUCTIONS

1. This is an individual assignment.

2. Date of submission: 3 MAC 2016
3. Use format as follow; Times New Roman/Arial, Font size 12, Spacing 1.5, Justify
4. Marking scheme (Total of 20 marks):
a) Contents 15 marks
b) Format Writing (cover, list of content, originality & creativity , reference) 5
marks