Under Covers Conflict Case

Description:

Ruth and Celia are business partners for a bed coverings business and although they started off as friends, their relationship has become very different due to the varying styles in which each choose to work. Even though an agreement has been arranged for Celia’s extended absence, the unresolved issues between the two women create even more animosity regarding their relationship. After being informed that the business may have accounting issues, Ruth is left with a decision on whether to continue running the business with Celia.

Diagnosis:

It appears as though the underlying issues between the business and the two partners stem from miscommunication and the inability to understand each other due to diversity. Ruth and Celia have similar interests, but their personalities are very different and therefore they choose to operate in different ways. They come from different cultures, which created problems regarding communication, coordination, and conflict management.

Theory:

Process and task conflicts arise from varying viewpoints regarding specific procedures or situations, and they are not able to be solved constructively unless proper communication occurs. Miscommunications is a significant issue in the work setting and therefore a great deal of research has been done in search of improvements. A study done by Inessa Korovyakovskaya and Hyonsong Chong (2015) tested how diversity attributes to verbal miscommunication in work groups. After testing 222 diverse employees at various companies, they were able to determine a positive correlation between various cultures and miscommunication that is prevalent in the workplace.

A combination of cultural backgrounds and life experiences aids in the structure of one’s personality. DISC is a theory that divides personality styles into four categories; dominant, influencing,