Case Study: Organizational Conflict with focus on outside influences
In a small rural public high school in Georgia, a young woman, Laura, was hired as the
new mathematics teachers. Laura has been asked to head a new a committee, which
included her vice principal, Paul, one member of the school board named Ruth, and
Terry, a prominent business owner who donates well over $75,000 to the school district
each year. Laura had worked on the committee for about a month when she and her
fellow members met after school in her classroom to discuss the upcoming fundraiser and
scholarship presentation. As the last order of business the scholarship winner had to be
chosen. It was motioned and seconded that Terry’s son should not be receiving the
annual Winter Ball $500 scholarship because an apparent conflict of interest. Terry
became outraged and threatened to withdraw all funding if his son was not named
scholarship winner.
How would you deal with Terry?
1.
Meet his intensity with your own
2.
Say nothing until Terry had time to vent, and then re-explain the situation
3.
Give into Terry’s demands because your school relies heavily on Terry’s funding
4.
Alternative Solution