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BU3110: Module 5 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Applications

Analysis 5.1

Co-Workers in Conflict

1

Read the following scenario and answer the questions that follow:

Carolyn is the customer service manager at Shoreline Industrial Supply, a position she has held for the last

five years. She has recently hired 5 new account representatives and now has 25 direct reports. The people

in the department generally work well together and often eat lunch as a group in the company cafeteria.

James is one of the recent hires in the department, having been lured away from a major competitor in

another state. He has an impressive professional background and the general consensus is that Shoreline

was lucky to hire him. James has been in a committed relationship with Bruce for 18 years. He is open about

his sexual orientation with his family and friends, but wants to get to know his new co-workers better

before he shares it with any of them.

Stanley has been with Shoreline for 15 years and is one of the senior employees in the department. He is

hardworking and has always received favorable performance appraisals. Stanley is a devout Christian who

readily shares his religious beliefs with others, often quoting the Bible to support his position. Historically,

others in the department remained silent when Stanley proselytized, even if they disagreed with what he

was saying, opting instead to maintain harmony in the department.

One day in the cafeteria, the lunchtime conversation turned to a recent story in the news of an effort to

legalize gay marriage in the state. While some of the people at the table expressed support for the change,

Stanley was very vocal in his opposition. He said that marriage should be only between a man and a woman,

and that according to the Bible, anything else would result in eternal damnation. When Neo, another

coworker at the table, remarked that the Bible could be interpreted differently by different people, Stanley

became angry. He stated that the Bible must be taken literally and that there is no room for interpretation.

James was very upset by Stanley’s words, but didn’t want to argue with him in front of his new co-workers.

After all, he didn’t know them well enough to know whether or not they agreed with Stanley. Instead, he

excused himself and went directly to Carolyn’s office. He explained to Carolyn that he was very upset at

what had happened and that he has been in a committed relationship for many years. Carolyn told him she

would address the situation and James went back to his office.

BU3110: Module 5 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Applications

Analysis 5.1

Co-Workers in Conflict

2

The next morning, Stanley came to Carolyn’s office. He said he was very upset that Neo said the Bible is

open to interpretation and felt that she was challenging his religious beliefs. He said he had discussed it with

his minister, who agreed with him and encouraged Stanley to make sure “something was done.” Stanley

said if Carolyn wouldn’t do something about it that he would “go over her head.”

The company has a policy that all complaints that could be considered Sexual Harassment or Hostile Work

Environment must follow the laws outlined by the state and federal government. In the state where the

incident occurred, mediation is the form of dispute resolution applied.

 Prepare a statement of the facts for the company lawyer.

 You have been asked to mediate the situation. Prepare for the process and outline the steps in the

process.

 Compose a detailed account of the mediation session.

 Prepare a memo for the CEO of your mediation outcomes.

 Support your findings with research on best practices of mediation.

Submission Requirements:

Submit a Microsoft Word document with the following specifications:

 Font: Arial, Size: 12 point

 APA format

 Length: 2–3 pages

Evaluation Criteria:

The analysis rubric will be used to evaluate this assessment.