Write a 4-5 page analysis and a response e-mail to address a growing controversy depicted in the Riverbend City: Communication and Organizational Effectiveness scenario.
While communication (or lack of it) can often cause workplace conflict, it can also be the solution for addressing it. Knowing how to communicate in increasingly stressful environments is a skill that will serve you well both professionally and personally.
Overview
Responding effectively to a situation rife with conflict requires a variety of communication techniques. In this assessment, you will analyze and respond to a growing controversy depicted in the Riverbend City: Communication and Organizational Effectiveness scenario by writing a team communication and subsequently analyzing your approach to devising it.
Preparation
Explore Riverbend City: Communication and Organizational Effectiveness.
(Email exchange, background story, and leadership team overview documents attached)
Scenario
Imagine you just came back from lunch and found the email string regarding the proposed EOC staff meeting related in the scenario (email string is attached in a pdf). It’s your plan to address the situation, and it’s your intent to do it in a single email that demonstrates leadership and a keen understanding of the issue, participants, and their associated dynamics.
Instructions
Complete both parts of this assessment in one word document. Part 1 and Part 2 should both amount to 4 pages, not including the title and reference page.
Part 1: Analyze Your Approach to the Issue
Describe your approach to constructing your email.
Describe possible causes for the caustic exchange depicted in the email chain. Consider possible core organizational issues. State any assumptions that you might need to make regarding the scenario to support your assertions.
Justify why your message would likely be effective. Consider content, tone, style, et cetera.
Explain your intent for how your message might impact future communications and actions among team members.
Part 1 should be 2-3 pages.
Part 2: Write a Response Email
Write an email that effectively addresses the email chain. It should:
Properly consider the audience, your position, and the circumstances.
Articulate a well-conceived solution to the problem.
Effectively end the thread completely and de-escalate the tension.
Send a message that this exchange was “sub-optimal.”
Part 2 should be 1-2 pages
Additional Requirements
The assessment is expected to meet the following requirements:
Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Length: 4–5 pages, double spaced.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Analyze business communication situations.
Describe possible causes for the caustic exchange depicted in the email chain.
Explain why a message would likely be effective.
Competency 2: Apply fundamental principles of organizational communication.
Write an email that meets specified criteria.
Competency 3: Analyze the interrelationships of communication within organizational systems.
Describe likely core organizational issues that were exposed by the original email.
Describes how a message might plausibly affect future communications and actions among team members.
Competency 5: Communicate effectively and professionally.
Convey clear meaning with grammar, usage, word choice, and mechanics.
Resources:
Communication and Conflict
Conflict occurs in all types of communication, whether the communication is among family, friends, or business partnerships. Therefore, it is important to understand conflict and the causes that create the conflict. Understanding how to effectively communicate with those with whom we are experiencing conflict can reduce the conflict and lead to positive outcomes.
Use a minimum of three scholarly sources. All literature cited should be current, with publication dates within the past five years. Some sources you can use are below.
Kelly, S., & MacDonald, P. (2019). A look at leadership styles and workplace solidarity communication. International Journal of Business Communication, 56(3), 432–448.
This article explores the outcomes of upward and downward communication channels within organizations.
Embrace conflict. (2017). Hawaii Business, 63(1), 64–70.
This article considers the importance of effective communication and how conflict can lead to problems if it is not addressed properly.
Williamson, J. E. (2017). Managing workplace conflict in CS and beyond. Healthcare Purchasing News, 41(7), 38.
This article explores how a lack of communication among organizational members can cause friction that then erupts into conflict.
Responding To Conflict
Part 1: Analysis
This case analysis focuses on an emergency operations center (EOC) team assembled to tackle a flooding crisis in Brown Trout Bay. The team has a common goal of distributing clean water efficiently to residents that are yet to vacate the affected areas. While each member is an expert in their function and is likely to contribute significantly to the team’s success, there appears to be tension within the group. To prevent the growing misunderstanding from affecting the group’s performance, I choose to write an email response through an approach that considers tonality while taking possible causes of the issues, such as opposing values, function, and personality conflicts into consideration in my mail.
My approach to constructing the response email is one that considers tonality to avoid fueling the misunderstanding. As the literature suggests, emails somewhat facilitate conflicts (Bulow et al., 2019). When constructed in the wrong manner, an email can cause or worsen rather than bring peace among conflicting parties. Hart (2017) also posits that while managing a conflict through email, a well-meant turn of phrase and nurturing feedback can turn sour if misinterpreted. Each recipient may have a varying personality that may influence how they interpret terms used in the email. Therefore, when constructing the email, I will consider the members’ personalities and be selective of the phrases I use to avoid worsening the situation. Besides the terms, I will also be vigilant about my tone to prevent the non-verbal cues’ misinterpretation.
Besides tonality, I will also consider the potential causes for the caustic exchange in the email chain to help guide my decisions. Based on an analysis of the situation, it is likely that this email exchange stems from organizational conflicts. Some of the issues include opposing functions and values. Madalina (2016) notes that process conflict, which arises from opposing viewpoints on how to approach a task, is a potential cause of inter-group wrangles. In this scenario, there exist varying organizational values that appear to trigger the intergroup conflict. Team members such as Brad Nygard seem to work in an organization where every decision is based on the established rules. On the other hand, Matthew Chu, an executive director, likely works in an organization where employees can modify the rules depending on the situation. Therefore, these conflicting values on adherence to the set rules appear to trigger the caustic exchange in the email chain, as some prefer abiding by the policies while others prefer being flexible
Furthermore, personality conflicts also seem to be a significant cause for the caustic exchange in the email chain. Alshuwairekh (2017) argues that employees’ failure to understand and accept each other’s personalities may trigger workplace problems. The author uses an employee with a straightforward character and another that poses a different personality to discuss such conflicts. Alshuwairekh (2017) argues that the employee’s coworker may feel a lack of authority and perceived rudeness from the counterpart who behaves straightforwardly. This case scenario also exemplifies personality differences, which may explain the caustic exchange in the email chain. Some team members have a straightforward personality that offends their colleagues, thus triggering the emails’ exchange and tension.
Besides considering the team’s personality, I might also need to make some assumptions that will support my assertions in this scenario. First, I might assume that each member is aware of the current crisis and the team’s core agenda. I might also assume that the members understand the challenges associated with each meeting medium that we may ultimately select. These assumptions will help support the final assertions I make regarding the situation and the path we follow to meet our goal.
Overall, I believe that my message to the team will be effective because of my content and tone in writing the email. Notably, I will discuss the subject of conflict in my content rather than attacking the team’s personality. This approach will help resolve the matter and enable the members to realize that all their views are acknowledged in the final decision. Moreover, my selection of the email tone, including proper choice of punctuation, letter case, and wording, will also make my message effective. In essence, the appropriate content I include in the response email and the correct tone of relaying the information will make my message effective.
Besides ensuring that my message is compelling, I also intend to use it to impact future communications and actions among team members by setting an example of the best inter-group communication approach. My role as the team’s leader is to facilitate the achievement of our goal and inspire the group by setting an example for them. Arguably, if I hope to foster effective inter-group communication and behavior among employees, I must set an example for them. Notably, my leadership approach should be influenced by the perspective of “do as I do.” Therefore, I will use appropriate content and tone to inspire the rest of the team to practice effective communication when addressing and interacting with each other in the future.
Part 2: Response Email
From: Layton Stover
To: The EOC Team
Re: The Meeting
Dear EOC Team,
Thank you for sending your feedback on the need and how we should conduct our first meeting. I agree with all of you that this meeting is vital because it will help us set clear objectives and devise strategies to supply water to the affected regions efficiently. I also appreciate everyone’s concern on the suggested medium of communication because it has helped me understand the situation clearer from the team’s perspective. However, I feel that the way this issue was addressed in the emails was inappropriate and might have triggered some misunderstandings among the members. Nevertheless, we need to understand that our team is diverse, and one of the most critical aspects of its success is effective communication.
Regarding the main issue at hand, I feel that each member has a valid point about how the team should conduct the meeting. I understand that it is the protocol to hold the meeting at the Brown Trout Bay Courthouse. However, after a thorough analysis of the current situation, I believe that everyone’s safety is paramount. The team must be flexible in decision-making in such times of crisis to prevent further complications.
Therefore, after analyzing all the available options, I have decided to have a face-to-face communication for this first meeting. In my view, face-to-face communication will help build a strong working relationship within the team and facilitate constructive discussions regarding how to perform our task effectively. I also propose that the group meets at an unofficial location, preferably a conference room, to avoid any adversities associated with traveling to the affected regions.
Thank you all for understanding, and I look forward to working with you.
References
Alshuwairekh, K.N. (2017). Assessing employees’ perception of conflict management (causes, effects) an empirical study at employees’ working on Malathik for real estate development and installments company. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 5(7), 11-35. http://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/Assessing-Employees%E2%80%99-Perception-of-Conflict-Management-Causes-Effects-an-Empirical-Study-at-Employees%E2%80%99-Working-on-Malathik-for-Real-Estate-Development-and-Installments-Company.pdf
Bulow, A.M., Lee, J.Y.H., & Panteli, N. (2016). Distant relations: The affordances of email in inter-organizational conflict. International Journal of Business Communication, 56(3), 393-413. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2329488416633847
Hart, K. (2017, August 16). Using email to resolve conflicts is a reliable way of making everything worse. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/296886
Madalina, O. (2016). Conflict management, a new challenge. Procedia Economics and Finance, 39(2016), 807-814. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(16)30255-6
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