Assess Your Level of Conflict Knowledge

Instructions
This week, you have the task of analyzing the conflict case below titled, The Case of the Lampshade. In your evaluation, avoid summarizing the case. Instead, analyze the case critically and assess how it pertains to this week’s readings. Refer to the Guide to a Successful Case Study Analysis for additional guidance. Remember, excellent analyses are a combination of critical and analytical thoughts connected to greater themes presented in the readings – and this is not an easy task.

Be sure to include the following required elements in your assignment:

Briefly describe what you consider two or three major issues contained in the case.
Explain how these points or issues integrate with the material covered this week and explain their relevance to the case.
Identify the implications for the parties involved in the case.
Provide a brief description of the questions/challenges you have regarding the readings and explain why they are important.
Answer the following questions based on your confidence level surrounding conflict at this point in the course:
What are some things you already know about conflict and conflict resolution?
What do you need from this course? (For example: What do you expect to be able to do at the end of this course that you can’t do now?)
Do not include the following in your analysis:

A summary of the readings
A detailed description of the case
Any editorials
The Case of the Lampshade:

Due to budgetary cuts, Bob and Diane are relocated from their individual offices and forced to share a single office space. Diane suffers from migraines and prefers to work with the lights off, window shades open, and a single lamp on her desk. Bob has trouble with his eyesight and prefers as much light as possible, always working with the fluorescent ceiling lights turned on.

Diane knows Bob has trouble seeing his work, and Bob knows Diane suffers from migraines, but neither is willing to do the other any favors considering they have a rather problematic history. One morning Bob accidentally trips over the cord to Diane’s lamp. The lamp crashes to the floor and her lampshade is crushed in the fall. Diane isn’t there to see it was truly an accident and walks in just as Bob is bending over the lamp to clean up the mess.

As you are preparing your response, think about the following questions:

What were the roots of the conflict? (Remember the triangle)
How do the parties to the conflict view the behavior of their ‘opponents’ and pursue their own interests in the conflict situation?
At what point did the conflict become detrimental to the parties involved?
How might this conflict extend to the larger workplace if not resolved?
This exercise is less about “getting it right” and more about identifying your own capacity to recognize antecedents, reflect on the way you currently manage conflict and self-identify ways in which you can improve your ability to recognize, diagnose, and resolve conflict in the future.

Length: 3-5 pages, not including title or reference pages

References: Include a minimum of 5 scholarly resources.

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards