Practical No.

- 2 (MSE)

Q 2) Case studies on different skill sets required for the Managers should be discussed in
the class including motivational and conflict management techniques.
Ans: -
Conflict Management Case Analysis:
The conflict in this case arises from the management styles of two managers, Ralph and
George, who head two different departments in the same organization. Ralph’s problem with
George is that the latter is taking staff from his department without his approval. On the other
hand, George feels that he is doing the right thing by taking staff from Ralph’s over staffed
department.
The situation is compounded by the fact that most of the people who work under Ralph
are asking to be transferred while Ralph feels that his department is not overstaffed. He feels
that George is interfering with his duties while George is sure that Ralph would do well with a
leaner workforce. John, the director, has to help resolve the conflict between he two managers
after they bitterly confront each other in his presence. Apart form George’s and Ralph’s
viewpoints the director also has to consider Henry’s opinion about the conflict. Henry is the
immediate Lab manager who was recently replaced by Ralph. He had the same problems that
Ralph is having with George, but he was able to take care of them without directly confronting
George.
Analysis of Conflict Management Style:
It is clear that Ralph and George have both personal and professional differences, which
are unfortunately risking their effectiveness at work. Ralph, the new head of Technological
development has been having a feud with the manager of Product Engineering, George (Buller
and Schuler, 2005). The conflict arose when George started poaching Technical Development
personnel to work under him in Product Engineering. Ralph did not want to let any of his people
leave the department since he argued that they would have enough work in the near future. To
him, George was playing games by stealing personnel from technology instead of sourcing
them from elsewhere. The two managers also have dissimilar personalities, and this only
compound rather than helps find a solution to their standoff (De Drue, Evers and Kluwer,
2001).
The best conflict management style that could have worked in this situation is the win-
win, also known as the collaborating or problem confronting/solving style. This style of conflict
resolution involves all parties concerned working with one another to find mutually beneficial
solution to the problem causing the conflict (Dory and Ritov, 1997). It seems that George’s
approach to getting more personnel for himself has been problematic not only to Ralph but also
to Henry, Ralph’s predecessor. Both view George as being too ambitious, but Henry was able
to curtail George’s attempts to poach his personnel while Ralph has been unable to do so.
Instead of waiting to a point where both managers developed animosity and hard feelings
towards each other, one or both of them would have tried to find a solution that would have
been beneficial to both of them. One such solution would have entailed letting George gain
some of Ralph’s personnel through the right channels. This would have helped George get the
talent he needed in his department while Ralph would have a manageable personnel size to
manage since he could not deal with a big one. He would also have the chance to develop the
kind of working environment that had characteristics in which he could optimally work in
(Corvette, 2007).
Analysis of Issues and Solutions:
1. Poor Communication:
One of the problems highlighted in this case study was one of lack of communication.
Ralph seems to be out of contact with personnel working under him. He is so busy trying to
figure out how to start managing his new department that he has forgotten to run the department
as effectively as he should. He has relegated all his manager-employee duties to his assistant.
This lack of communication from the manager to the employees and vice versa has created a
work environment where the employees are not content.
2. Lack of teamwork:
Being a reserved kind of manager, Ralph has very little contact with his team members.
In the case study, those employees who work under Ralph report that they rarely have regular
meetings and he appears aloof. Before Ralph took over the department, it had been under a
manager who was considered a good team player and he was able to manage his large
workforce without any problem. Ralph’s inability to deal with large teams results mainly from
his reserved personality, but as a manager, he should be adaptable to any level of management
3. Different Attitudes and values:
George and Ralph have very different personalities, and the difference shows in how
they conduct their day to day business at work. George is described as being highly ambitious,
with great interpersonal skills. Ralph of the on other hand comes out as a private kind of person,
who does not or work well with big teams of people. According to the case study, it does seem
like the personnel in Technological Development headed by Ralph feel like they are
underutilized, mainly because they are many of them and there is little work to be done.

Practical No- 3
Q 1) Class be divided into group of 5 and be given a corporate world problem statement
(Difference problems for each team) each team to prepare a PPT Presentation focusing
on 2 points: - 1) analysis of the Problem and 2) Solution to the Problem. Analyses the
outcomes.
Ans: -
It is common for entrepreneurs all around the world to be worried due to business
problems. A lot of entrepreneurs are actually overworked and cannot handle work and family
life together, which causes them to get even more worried.
❖ Financial Issues:
 ❖ One of the major reasons for entrepreneurs to be worried is financial issues. It is
common for businesses to run out of cash, due to one reason or other. This can cause a
business to delay payments, which results in heavy fees and other such problems.
The Solution:
In such a situation a business has two options, i.e.: to decrease spending and to increase
revenue. You must get rid of all unnecessary expenditure. Sit down and decide what you can
do without and then get rid of it.
❖ Human Resource Issues:
All the employees that work for a business are the business’s human resource. They
can cause a lot of problem for a business if not handled properly.
Imagine a scenario where you do not have enough staff or the workers are not able to
complete the work on time. All this puts a lot of pressure on a business and can be a reason for
a business to fail.
Entrepreneurs are always trying to find skilled people, but in today’s competitive world
itis not very easy to find and hire skilled employees. Plus, retaining employees can be a
challenge well, especially with other businesses willing to make better offers.
The Solution:
The solution is to keep your employees motivated and have a backup in case someone quits
unexpectedly. This can be done by providing training to employees to overtake seniors in the
future.
❖ Client Issues:
Client issues include not having enough clients or having clients that are very difficult
to work with. Some clients can actually be a pain in the neck. They put stringent deadlines or
are not sure about what they need. They would keep sending you revisions without being clear
about their expectations. This can be frustrating for a business.
The Solution:
The best option is to be careful when picking clients and to stay away from troublesome
individuals. Secondly, draw up a contract that prevents your rights and puts limitations on the
kind of demands a client can make.
❖ Inventory Issues:
Inventory issues include running out of inventory. This can be due to several reasons
including poor management or not having enough cash to buy inventory.
The Solution:
The solution is to use an inventory management software so that you are well aware of
what you need and when. This way you will never run out of inventory. However, in case you
have financial issues, you can once again rely on business loans to help you get what you need.
But, remember that these loans should be used with much care as you have to pay interest on
them.