Ryan, E. Advanced Laser Clinics Retrieved from: Harvard Business Publishing Newsletters
- Ryan is clearly in a difficult situation. She just started at a new company and is already contending with conflict. As she prepares for her difficult conversation with Gretchen, she is mindful of the fact that there will be a power differential between her and Gretchen. Why is power important to negotiations and this situation? What is the source of power that Ryan holds? Why?
- When preparing for a difficult conversation, particularly when there is a power differential, it is important to practice or rehearse how you will open the conversation. Based on the facts, put yourself in Ryan’s shoes and compose a paragraph that you would state to Gretchen to start the conversation.
- Another key factor in having a difficult conversation is preparing by having a list of questions ready for the other party. Prepare 5 questions for Ryan to ask Gretchen during the course of their conversation.
- Ethics plays an important role in all aspects of negotiation and conflict resolution. Identify at least 3 ethical situations that are present or could arise based on the scenario. Explain why each issue is problematic and provide a way of either resolving or preventing it.
Answer preview
One of the ethical issues which are present in the company is dedication. The workers such as Guilford and Moore are not dedicated to their work. It’s apparent that Guilford is perceiving the company is not doing well and believes that it will not perform better any time soon. Despite the company performing poorly, Guilford will only work for 40 hours a week to get his pay. On the other hand, Moore comes to work late. Secondly, the cooperation is another ethical issue that that faces the company. The workers in the company have not been working together and consulting among themselves to improve the company’s performance. Guilford finds it uneasy to work or talk to Moore because she stinks and smells dirty. It was the responsibility of Guilford as a leader to instruct Moore how to behave, look and act to improve the sales of the company. Lastly, personal wellness is the issue in the company. Most customers will not like to be attended by Moore because she stinks. She bathes once per week, and she emits awful body odor. She is not concerned with body cleanness (Ryan, 2013).
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