Katerina Naumenko

Tatiana Monserrat

What would you do

Chapter 8

Dawn Burk is a directors of employee relations has had an appointment. It was an employee
supervisor case, were the employee was unwilling to meet some of the supervisor’s requests.
This was an unpleasant situation were their conflict has grown to the point that both felt quite
uncomfortable at their work place. The employee MR John McCullen, 51, a buyer in the facilities
department, he has started his carrier right after school and has been working in the company for
32 years. He has claimed that his supervisor Terry , the director of facilities procurement has been
to demanding and impatient. Terry is a young 31 year old graduate from a prestigious M.B.A.
program. She was hired from another firm to oversee the procurement area.

John thinks that Terry is a good specialist ,but she is to young and doesn’t know much about the
companies history about it’s ways and values. He doesn’t consider her management methods to
be appropriate, he is saying that she is being very impatient about the use new software and
computer systems. He is concerned and doesn’t like that she is changing the systems. He is saying
that he doesn’t consider her being the best person for this place and that before she came they
didn’t use all this modern facilities and everything was fine.

Terry on the other hand is saying that Mr McCullen hasn’t completed some of the tasks on time
,and has not asked for any extension. She said that John has attended several training classes After
which she has asked him to use an electronic calendar in order to be able to complete the
projects on time. She said that she has also had some conversations with him about it ,but he
didn’t give any notice to any of her advices and has totally ignored her deadlines. She feels very
unhappy that she has to check up on his schedule and proof all of his work. She is concerned
about this conflict ,because as she is saying she has taken this position in order to oversee and
improve the work of the department, and she needs cooperation of the other employees.

Next week Dawn has agreed to meet them in order to start the mediation process before that she
has to think of the correct steps in order to resolve their conflict effectively. As a director of the
employee relations she has to keep in mind she is responsible for creating a work environment
that enables people to thrive. If turf conflicts or disagreements and differences of opinion that
escalate into interpersonal conflicts immediate intervention is needed.
Conflict resolution, with you as mediator, is essential. Conflict resolution in this case is an
immediate priority for the good of the organization. Conflicting views and voices of different
generations abound in the workplace, especially nowadays that the workforce is composed of so
many generations at one time. Different generations collide and have conflicts at work, this is
normal we just have to understand the different values of each generation. Cooperating and
understanding within different people is the most important in order to achieve the companies
goals successfully. When people are satisfied and feel understood they work better and more
effectively, so it is very important for the employer to keep this in mind .

Employees play a very important role in the social responsibility framework, managers need to be
aware of generational differences and their potential effects on teamwork, conflict and other
behavior As an organization are she is responsible to solve this conflict. On the place of Dawn Burk
I would try to bring this situation in a compromise resolution. Respecting that these people are
from different generations and their considerations beliefs and values are different and this is
normal. Each of them has their right and wrong. I think she should take into consideration that
John has been a good worker and has successfully worked for the company for 32 years. His ways
of working are a little too old fashioned and are not as efficient and quick as Terry’s. His education
is also not as good as hers, but his privileged is his experience. Working so many years for the
company means he is a good worker and has probably done a lot in these years for the good of
the company and has learned a lot. I think that keeping all of this in mind she should delicately tell
him that today’s work environment requires that employees fulfill diverse and varying roles and
acknowledge new skills. Explain him that this skills competencies affect business performance
business performance. Tell him that he is a great worker with his experience, but learning and
self improvement is always needed. If he will try to respect Terry and learn something from her
his own work would become easier and more efficient. I would tell Terry to be more patient
,respecting John’s beliefs and working stage. Tell her to give him more time to adapt to new
technologies and the change of systems. And remind both of them that they have the same goals
and that their work would only bring efficient results if they work as a team not enemy. I think that
understanding respect and communication within employees is the most important thing for
successful business.