Background of the case scenario
This case study revolves around mainly Robert and Kay. Robert is a director and a union member and is requesting for a 8 percent raise for his operational unit as he feels that his team has greatly benefited the company and deserves to have their pay increase. Kay is unable to give in to his request and is trying to reason with Robert. However Robert is persistent and threatened to get the union involved if the request is not granted.
Identify one of the conflict-handling styles
Based on the scenario, Robert was using the competing conflict-handling style. I can determine this as Robert was very firm in his demands and is standing up for what he thinks he and his team deserves. Until he gets what he wants, he would keep promoting his point of view and dismiss other people’s suggestions. Therefore, he is taking a competing approach as he is rejecting other people and standing up for what he believes in.
Bargaining Approach Used By Kay
Kay was trying to negotiate with Robert for a deal that she believed would be be better for both parties to profit in the long term. This fits under the Integrative Bargaining Approach. This approach seeks to comprehend the parties’ fundamental requirements, attitudes, and preferences by putting a greater emphasis on their interests rather than their positions. Although Robert seems very persistent, Kay is trying her best to reason with him.
What aspect of interpersonal communication is contributing to the poor working environment?
I feel that listening can be a huge contributor to a poor working environment being. Active listening allows people to listen attentively and allow the speaker to feel like they are getting their points across and feel like the most significant individual in the room. It was being demonstrated in the case when instead of listening to Kay about the endless opportunities from the new project, he ignores her and is still firm with what he wants.
Hall’s context model
Based on Hall’s context model, Robert is using a low-context culture in this particular scenario. As long as a connection exists, high context cultures often prioritise relational trust and are more accommodating, which is not the case with Robert and Kay. Robert presents his condition and the necessity for the rise in a straightforward and rational manner.
References
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/what-main-differences-between-distributive
https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-interpersonal-communication-article